Chicken Piccata

4- 5 Boneless, skinless chicken cutlets (Bell and Evans or other all natural chicken)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

All purpose flour

2 eggs beaten

Bread crumbs (½ cup white bread crumbs mixed with ½ cup of panko or 1 cup freshly made bread crumbs)

1 tablespoon olive oil

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 shallot ( chopped)

2 tablespoons capers, rinsed

1/3 cup dry vermouth

Juice of ½ large or 1 small lemon

Fresh chopped flat leaf parsley

Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. One piece at a time; dredge the chicken in the flour, dip in eggs and then coat with the bread crumbs, shaking off any excess.

Heat a large pan over high heat and then add 1 tablespoon of butter and oil. When the butter has stopped foaming reduce the heat, add the chicken and brown for about 4 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Put the chicken on a baking sheet and place in the oven on low to keep warm while you make the sauce.

Drain any remaining oil or butter from the  pan and then add the shallot cooking for a minute or two on medium heat until softened.   Add the vermouth and capers and cook until the vermouth has reduced to a glaze. Lower the heat, add 2 tablespoons of butter and wisk into the shallots and vermouth. Add the last 2 tablespoons of butter with a wisk. Add the lemon juice, and  salt and pepper if necessary.

Plate the chicken, spoon the sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve.

( adapted from a recipe by Frank Stitt)

Roasted Tomatoes with Garlic

6 tomatoes, halved

6 cloves of garlic sliced

Salt and pepper

1 tsp honey

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1tbsp olive oil

Olive oil and balsamic vinegar 

Parsley

Preheat oven to 325. Place the halved tomatoes on an oven tray and  top garlic. Drizzle the tomatoes with the honey, balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour until soft and lightly charred. Add some parsley and drizzle with a little extra balsamic vinegar and oil. 

Top It, Wrap It, Grill It

Cooking in parchment paper is known as cooking “en papellote”. The paper seals the food so it cooks in its own juices. Cooking en papellote most commonly involves fish and vegetables but can be used for almost any food; meat, fish and even pasta.

Cooking fish on cedar planks adds a subtle aromatic flavor to the fish.

Combine these two techniques and you have “Gourmet Cedar Wraps”. Brilliant!

I bought some “Gourmet Cedar Wraps” at Whole Foods. A package of 8 wraps cost $7.99. Not cheap but definitely worth it for an occasional delicious healthy salmon dinner. They also sell these everywhere now; Wal-Mart, CVS, Amazon so shop around.

The smoke from the cedar adds flavor while the moisture from the pre-soaked paper helps the salmon stay moist and tender. I cooked these on the gill but you can cook them in the oven with great results.

Serves 2 (easy to double or even triple)

2 sheets cedar paper

2 center-cut salmon filets (pin bones removed)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon dry mustard

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon water * see note below

Lightly sautéed vegetables (zucchini and yellow summer squash…optional)

Fresh rosemary (optional)

Pre-heat a gas grill with all burners set to high for about 15 minutes. You are looking for a temperature of  400 degrees if you have a thermostat. If you are cooking in an oven preheat on bake to 400 degrees.

Soak the sheets of cedar paper and the string in water for about 20 minutes.

While the paper is soaking prepare a glaze for the salmon. Cook’s illustrated suggests a spicy mustard glaze for grilled salmon. The glaze is made by combining 1 part dry mustard with an equal amount of sugar and a little water to form a thick paste. I varied this a little by using brown sugar and a little honey in place of the white sugar but Cooks illustrated is pretty fail proof.

Place the salmon on the wet paper, brush with a little olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the mustard glaze. I then added some zucchini and yellow summer squash that I  lightly sautéed in olive oil and  I topped it with a sprig of fresh rosemary. Use what you have, what you like, or nothing more at all. It’s that flexible. Fresh lemons perhaps, green onions ….. It’s up to you.

Tie the cedar paper and place on the grill or in the oven. Close the cover of the grill and let cook for about 15 minutes. Do not place directly over a flame.

Husband’s reaction: “You could serve these to anyone!” 

Lemon Pudding Cake with Fresh Mixed Berries

I haven’t posted  here in a long time. I’ve been cooking. I’ve even been taking an occasional photo but I haven’t sat down and typed out a blog post in ages. The other day I was looking through some pictures  and came across a delicious  lemon desert I made about a month ago.

Thank goodness that a quick search on Google lead me to Tyler Florence.

This is the perfect hot summer desert; a lovely recipe that melts in your mouth.  It’s light and lemony.   Make it soon.

Ingredients

·         1 tablespoon unsalted butter

·         2/3 cup superfine sugar

·         2 eggs, separated

·         2/3 cup reduced fat buttermilk

·         2 tablespoons lemon juice

·         1 tablespoon lemon zest

·         1/4 cup all-purpose flour

·         1/4 teaspoon salt

Garnish:

·         1 cup fresh raspberries

·         1 cup fresh blueberries

·         1 cup fresh blackberries

·         2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

·          

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and lightly sugar 4 ramekins (about 1-cup size).

In a mixer, add egg yolks, buttermilk, lemon juice and lemon zest and beat until well combined. Reduce the speed to low and sift in flour, sugar and salt. Continue to mix until combined. Beat egg whites until you get stiff peaks then combine the 2 mixtures by gently folding them together, a little at a time. Divide evenly amongst ramekins then bake in a water bath - set ramekins in a roasting tray and fill with water halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Bake for 60 minutes * (See Note Below) until the top springs back when gently pressed and the cakes have a nice golden brown color. Allow to cool slightly, then carefully invert onto a plate. Serve with fresh berries and dust with powdered sugar.

The reviews that I read on the food network suggested that it needed less than 60 minutes to cook. I took mine out of the oven after about 45 minutes. It probably could have used a few more minutes but not 60. The cakes looked cooked, the tops were slightly brown and a tooth pick came out clean. If you don’t have super fine sugar you can make your own. Just process sugar in your food processor and then measure out the 2/3 cups after you process it.

This is a fabulous recipe.