Monday Night Dinner Feels Like the Weekend

Stuffed Chicken Breats with Apple-Beer Gravy and Garlic Smashed Potatoes


Chicken and Sauce

chicken breast (see previous post about humane, happy chickens)
stuffing mix (choose your favorite, I used Pepperidge Farms)
water
olive oil
salt
pepper
1 cup chopped apples
1/3 cup chopped onion
(I admit that I didn't measure either, these are eyeball estimates)
1 beer (I used Blue Moon Belgian White...use whatever you have as long as it's not frat party beer)
flour

Pound chicken breast(s) until about half the original thickness.  Slit with a sharp knife to create a pocket for stuffing.  Make stuffing by package directions (I subbed olive oil for the butter, and added salt and pepper).  Stuff chicken breasts with stuffing (I know, I know...this is the same ongoing debate as with stuffing a turkey...make your own judgements, but I think it's yummy). 

Heat a large pan and coat lightly with olive oil.  Brown chicken on one side.  Turn, and add chopped onion and apple to pan as you brown the 2nd side.  Add salt and pepper.  Once cooked most of the way through, add about 1/2 a beer and put in the oven at 375 until cooked through.

Once chicken is cooked through, remove from pan and return pan to heat.  Add a little flour and a little more beer until sauce reaches your desired consistency. 

Garlic Smashed Potatoes

potatoes
garlic
 butter
milk
salt
pepper

Chop several small, thin skinned potatoes (I used about half the package of that mixed red, gold and purple potato medley).  Cover with cold water and bring to a boil.  Add salt to water and cook until fork tender.  Drain and return to pan.  Add a couple of tablespoons of butter, 2 (or more) cloves of crushed or chopped garlic, and a splash of milk.  Mash until your desired consistency.

No singing today, but a quick note to say that I just discovered Children of Eden (how a Godspell lover like myself can have known this existed and not owned it before now is beyond me!) and it's fabulous!

Links

apples
Blue Moon
Children of Eden

Chicken plus Yum

Pan Fried Pesto Chicken

chicken breast (preferably from a local chicken farm where the birds are treated humanely...but do the best you can)
pesto (homemade or storebought)
seasoned italian bread crumbs
olive oil

Cut chicken into bite sized pieces. Coat in pesto. Coat in breadcrumbs. Brown in olive oil in a cast iron or stainless steel pan. Put whole pan in oven for 10-12 min depending on the size of the pieces. Eat with something else yummy.

Links

Pesto
Pesto Recipe
Sustainable Poultry Farming

This Week at the Farmer's Market

Belmont Farmer's Market - 5 pm - I like to get there earlier, but in July, it's hard to miss out when there's so much fabulousness to find!

1 bunch basil
5 small multicolored heirloom tomatoes (finally tomatoes)
3 peaches
1 box raspberries
1 box blueberries
2 small summer squash
1 round of bread
4 beef patties (I got the last package!)
4 ears of corn

I had planned to use the green beans I still had from the last trip, but unfortunately, they had gotten a little soft. While usually my green bags keep them fresh for quite a while, I think they may have gotten put away not quite dry. So the green bean recipe will have to wait.

So, tonight's dinner:

Chicken Cutlet Pesto Sandwich with Fresh Corn and Kalamata Olives

Chicken Cutlet

1 chicken breast (organic, though not from the farmer's market, unfortunately)
bread crumbs (seasoned italian, but you could use panko, or homemade, or plain)
parmesan cheese (or romano)
1 egg (mine weren't local this week - I'm still using up some from pre-farmer's market season)

Pound chicken into 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness. Mix bread crumbs and parmesan in a shallow dish. Whisk egg with a few tsp. water in another shallow dish. Coat chicken in egg, then breadcrumbs. Cook on medium high heat in a few tablespoons of olive oil until golden brown and cooked through.

Pesto

1/2 large bunch of basil (you could substitute spinach, arugula, etc)
1 handful walnuts (you could use all pine nuts)
1 handful pine nuts (OR you could use all walnuts)
1/4 cup or so parmesan cheese (to desired texture)
olive oil (to desired texture)

In a food processor, pulse basil and nuts until coarsely ground. Blend in olive oil until combined. Fold in cheese by hand to create a thick chunky paste. Leftovers can be refrigerated or frozen.


Chicken Cutlet Sandwich

Slice fresh bread into thick slices. Liberally spread one slice of bread with pesto. Slice a tomato and put two to three slices on top of pesto. Top with chicken cutlet and second slice of bread. Serve with corn on the cob cooked to your preference (I prefer 8 minutes in boiling water, and then coated with butter, salt and pepper) and kalamata or other black olives on the side.

Soundtrack

It was hot today, and I didn't sing because I was dehydrated. But the soundtrack in my head was Rent - I saw the tour Saturday night and my mental love affair with Adam Pascal has been renewed by his performance.


Links for You

Mass Farmers Markets
Rent: The Broadway Tour
Adam Pascal