Walnut and Rosemary Oven-Fried Chicken

I came across an old Cooking Light recipe that I'd been wanting to try.  The ingredients were simple and all on hand, aside from the buttermilk, plus we had some extra chicken cutlets to use up.

Rather than using walnuts, which are my least favorite nut, I used pecans, which I toasted at the same time as the panko.  Jack helped grate the Parmesan cheese and added the herbs for me.

The result: Brian, Jack and I all loved it.  Jack loved it so much that he cleaned his plate and helped himself to Ben's.  And then requested that he be allowed to eat Ben's leftovers for lunch the next day.  That's a clear winner for us.

• 1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 
• 4 (6-ounce) chicken cutlets
• 1/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 3/4 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
• Cooking spray
• Rosemary leaves (optional)

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. 2. Combine buttermilk and mustard in a shallow dish, stirring with a whisk. Add chicken to buttermilk mixture, turning to coat.
3. 3. Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add panko to pan; cook 3 minutes or until golden, stirring frequently. Combine panko, nuts, and next 4 ingredients (through pepper) in a shallow dish. Remove chicken from buttermilk mixture; discard buttermilk mixture. Dredge chicken in panko mixture.
4. 4. Arrange a wire rack on a large baking sheet; coat rack with cooking spray. Arrange chicken on rack; coat chicken with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 13 minutes or until chicken is done. Garnish with rosemary leaves, if desired.

Salmon Baked in Foil Packets

We founds some yummy Norwegian salmon at Goodriches this weekend, and I was debating about how to cook it.  I came across this yummy recipe from Giada, and decided to try it.  All three of my men enjoyed it (Ben thinks it's chicken), and I -- not a salmon fan -- ate all of my packet.  Delicious and healthy!

Ingredients

• 4 (5 ounces each) salmon fillets
• 2 teaspoons olive oil plus 2 tablespoons
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper (I left this out)
• 3 tomatoes, chopped, or 1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, drained
• 2 chopped shallots
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Sprinkle salmon with 2 teaspoons olive oil, salt, and pepper. Stir the tomatoes, shallots, 2 tablespoons of oil (I didn't add this), lemon juice, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper in a medium bowl to blend.

Place a salmon fillet, oiled side down, atop a sheet of foil. Wrap the ends of the foil to form a spiral shape. Spoon the tomato mixture over the salmon. Fold the sides of the foil over the fish and tomato mixture, covering completely; seal the packets closed. Place the foil packet on a heavy large baking sheet. Repeat until all of the salmon have been individually wrapped in foil and placed on the baking sheet. Bake until the salmon is just cooked through, about 25 minutes. Using a large metal spatula, transfer the foil packets to plates and serve.

SERVES 4

Calories: 300

Total Fat: 18 grams  (lower without adding oil to salsa

Saturated Fat: 3 grams

Protein: 29 grams

Total carbohydrates: 5 grams

Sugar: 3 grams

Fiber: 1.5 grams

Cholesterol: 78 milligrams

Sodium: 213 milligrams (lower, since I didn't add any)

One Pan Roast Chicken and Veggies

Seeing this yummy recipe on Cooks Country, I was intrigued by the beautiful colors of the vegetables -- green brussels sprouts, red potatoes, orange carrots, purple shallots -- they looked gorgeous.  But I wasn't prepared for how amazing it was going to smell once it started cooking.  About ten minutes after putting it in the oven, the scent began wafting through the house, luring as all back to the kitchen.  The secret, according to Cooks Country, is the high temperature and low sides on the pan, which creates a crispy skin on the chicken and caramelizes the veggies, without steaming them.

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. 

12 ounces carrots, cut into two inch rustic pieces

12 ounces brussels sprouts, outer leaves removed, stems trimmed, cut in half

12 ounces red potatoes, cut into one inch pieces

3-4 shallots, peeled and halved

6 cloves garlic

2 tsp thyme

1 tsp rosemary

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 Tbsp sugar

salt and pepper

Toss vegetables together and spread on a cookie sheet, moving the brussels sprouts to the center to protect them from over-cooking.

1 large chicken, cut into 8 pieces (leg, thigh, halved breast on each side) 

(I used just two large bone-in, skin-on breasts, cut in half since there's only four of us)

2 Tbsp butter, melted

thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper

Place chicken on top of vegetables, with breasts to the center on the sprouts and dark meat to the outside. Brush with herb butter.

Bake 35-40 minutes, or until chicken registers as done.  Remove chicken pieces and toss veggies with drippings.  Serve immediately.

Fabulous French Toast

Last night I needed to use up a brioche boule from Zingerman's -- so you know i was working with some great ingredients to start from.  This meant I couldn't just use the regular egg and milk mixture I was raised with -- it needed to be elevated to a Zingerman's level.  So I found this recipe by the Barefoot Contessa, using orange peel, honey, and vanilla. Yes, please!

Ingredients

• 6 extra-large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups half-and-half or milk
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon good honey
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 large loaf challah or brioche bread
• Unsalted butter
• Vegetable oil

To serve:

• Pure maple syrup
• Good raspberry preserves (optional)
• Sifted confectioners' sugar (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

In a large shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, orange zest, vanilla, honey, and salt. Slice the challah in 3/4-inch thick slices. Soak as many slices in the egg mixture as possible for 5 minutes, turning once.

Heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil in a very large saute pan over medium heat. Add the soaked bread and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until nicely browned. Place the cooked French toast on a sheet pan and keep it warm in the oven. Fry the remaining soaked bread slices, adding butter and oil as needed, until it's all cooked. Serve hot with maple syrup, raspberry preserves, and/or confectioners' sugar.

Roasted Cauliflower

Last week, I was trying out some possible Halloween recipes for Baby Boo Bash -- mummy dogs (hot dogs wrapped in crescent rolls with mustard eyes) and pumpkin mandarin orange cups.  And I needed a vegetable.  Jack had picked out some orange cauliflower for his lunch veg and I hadn't gotten around to chopping it up, so I figured I could use the orange (Halloween-colored) cauliflower with our "scary" dinner.  I looked for a quick and easy recipe with few ingredients and that baked at the same temperature as my mummy dogs, and this is the one I found.  It was a huge hit with me -- saying a lot since I'm not cauliflower's biggest fan -- and Jack and Brian.  Ben, our non-vegetable eater, didn't try it, but did appreciate the color.

Emeril's Oven Roasted Cauliflower

Ingredients

• 1 large cauliflower, about 2 pounds, cut into 1 1/2-inch flowerets
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked white pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients except the garlic. Toss to mix well and place in a large baking dish or shallow roasting pan. Place the pan in the oven and roast the cauliflower, turning once or twice, until tender and caramelized around the edges, 30 to 35 minutes. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, stir the garlic into the pan.

Remove the pan from the oven and serve immediately.

Go Fish! And Fish! And Fish!

Tonight Jack ate his dinner.  And asked for second helpings.  And third helpings.

What's the secret?  Apparently he likes this fish.

I found the recipe in an old issue of Cooking Light and modified it to my herb and spice needs (smoked paprika instead of regular, garlic salt instead of garlic powder, minced onion instead of powdered, etc.)  I was first drawn to it because it was labeled a 30 minute meal.  I'm pretty sure that even with assistance from Flopsy and Mopsy (in aprons, no less), I came in under 30 minutes.  Awesome for a school night!

Crispy Fish with Lemon Dill Sauce

Adapted from Cooking Light April 2010

2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp minced onion
4 skinless cod filets
Cooking spray
1/4 cup mayo
2 T finely chopped dill pickles
1/2 lemon, squeezed (cut remaining half into slices for fish)
1 tsp dill weed

1.  Preheat broiler (low setting) and move rack to top third of oven (second from top).  Line broiler pan drip tray with foil and spray top of broiler pan with cooking spray.

2. Place egg whites in shallow dish.  Combine panko, paprika, garlic salt, and onion.  Dip each filet in egg white, then dredge in panko mixture.  Place on broiler pan.  Broil 4 minutes on each side or until done.

3.  Combine remaining ingredients for tartar sauce.  Serve with fish and lemon wedges.

Calories 245
Fat 5.2 g
Protein 34.5 g


I served this with steamed broccoli (five minutes in the microwave) and a green salad.  Yum!  Jack's plate is empty, which is a huge testimonial to the dinner.  Plus, it was super easy!

Roasted Lemon Chicken

I picked up a whole chicken at the Farmers Market today in order to try this Cooks Country recipe for Roasted Lemon Chicken.  I liked that they butterfly the chicken and roast it at a high temp in order to keep the skin crispy.  My fingers are crossed that it will be as delicious as it looks on TV.

Ingredients
1 whole chicken
3 T lemon zest (about 2-3 lemons -- zested and juiced)
1 t salt
1 t sugar
1/3 c lemon juice
1 c water
2 c low-sodium chicken broth
1 t corn starch
1 T water
3 T butter

Directions
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.

To butterfly the chicken, use a pair of kitchen shears and cut through the chicken on either side of the backbone.

Grate three tablespoons of lemon zest.  Add a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of sugar and mix it all together.

Remove two tablespoons of the lemon zest mixture and loosen the skin of the chicken, sliding the two tablespoons of lemon zest underneath the skin.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper.

Place the bird in a roasting pan (no rack).

Mix 1/3 cup of lemon juice, a cup of water, two cups of low sodium chicken broth, and the remaining lemon zest mixture.  Pour the mixture into the bottom of the roasting pan.

Roast uncovered at 475 degrees for 40-45 minutes, or until the thigh meat registers 170 degrees.

Transfer chicken to carving board and let rest for about 20 minutes, uncovered.

Pour liquid from roasting pan into a sauce pan.  Let rest a few minutes and skim fat off top.  Simmer down to one cup.  Add 1 teaspoon of cornstarch to 1 tablespoon of water, whisk together, and add to the sauce pan.  Allow the liquid to thicken a bit.  Turn off heat and whisk in three tablespoons of butter.
Add a bit of parsley.

Serve chicken with pan sauce.

The Result:
Yummy lemon flavor, and tender, juicy chicken.  It was so good that Ben ate several pieces of it, and Ben NEVER eats meat (we're pretty sure he's a vegetarian).

I served it with a couscous blend from Trader Joes, which I think worked better than mashed potatoes since the lemon flavor was so strong in both the chicken and the pan sauce.  I would definitely use the couscous or a wild rice as a side again.  I also served a form of rustic ratatouille that complimented the flavors nicely.