Thursday, January 21, 2010

Chicken Piccata

This is a great recipe! There is a bit of a "wow" factor to it and my hubby and I both enjoyed it! Give it a try and tell me what you think! I got the recipe from here!

What I used:

  • 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • Salt and pepper
  • 4 Tbsp olive oil
  • 4 Tbsp butter
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 3 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup brined capers
  • 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

1 Cut the chicken breast halves horizontally, butterflying them open. If the breast pieces you are working with are large, you may want to cut them each into two pieces. If the pieces are still thick after butterflying, put them between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound them with a meat hammer to 1/4-inch thickness.

2 Mix together the flour, salt, pepper, and grated Parmesan. Rinse the chicken pieces in water. Dredge them thoroughly in the flour mixture, until well coated.

3 Heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add half of the chicken pieces, do not crowd the pan. Brown well on each side, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan and reserve to a plate. Cook the other breasts in the same manner, remove from pan. Cover with aluminum foil and keep warm in the oven while you prepare the sauce.

4 Add the chicken stock (or white wine), lemon juice, and capers to the pan. Use a spatula to scrape up the browned bits. Reduce the sauce by half. Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Plate the chicken and serve with the sauce poured over the chicken. Sprinkle with parsley.

Chicken Piccata
(Not my photo)

From our table to yours, bon appetite!

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Now before you go and write this recipe off thinking "oh, I can't do this, it is way to involved!" hang on! Really, chicken cordon bleu is pretty simple and if you prepare it ahead of time (like the night before or earlier in your day) once dinner time rolls around and the tummy's are a growlin' you can pop this baby in the oven and enjoy a meal that makes you feel like royalty :) Give it a try! Now I made this recipe for when we had company over but you can add to or take away from the ingred. depending on your family size.

What I used:
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4" thickness
6 slices of thin sliced smoked (deli) ham
6 slices of swiss cheese
2 eggs, beaten
2-3 cups Italian bread crumbs
3-4 Tbsp. honey mustard

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Take your chicken breast and place it in a ziploc bag to pound. It would work best if you are pounding it on top of a cutting board instead of directly on your counter. Take chicken out and place top-side down and spread a small amount of mustard onto your chicken. Layer with your ham and cheese and roll your chicken up. I actually used toothpicks to keep the chicken tightly wrapped. Roll in egg then roll in bread crumbs, coating evenly. Place seam side down in a sprayed baking dish. Repeat process until all your chicken is prepared. Bake for 25 min.; loosely cover with foil and bake an additional 15 min. or until chicken is cooked through.

Now see? Doesn't that sound so easy, not to mention DELICIOUS!

From our table to yours, bon appetite!

ps: sorry for lack of photo!

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Chicken Parmesan

This is honestly the BEST chicken parmesan I have EVER tasted! With all the savory flavors you taste in every bite it is like a party in your mouth! Thank you to Stephany who so graciously shared the recipe with me after my family had dinner at her home! This chicken is to die for :)

What she uses/I used:
4 chicken breasts
parmesan cheese
8 oz mozzarella cheese
2 cups tomato sauce (pretty sure I used more than that, used 2 cans)
1 tsp. garlic powder
basil - dash
salt & pepper
2 T. butter
eggs
seasoned bread crumbs

Batter chicken in egg than bread crumbs. Fry till just brown. Pour tomato sauce into drippingsin pan. Add butter, garlic, basil, salt & pepper. Simmer slowly til it thickens. Lay chicken in 13x9. Spread with layer of parmesan then half mozz. Pour on sauce. Cover with foil & bake at 350 for 45-50 min. Remove foil & add rest of the mozz. Bake 10 more min.

From our table to yours, bon appettite!