Week Night Dinner: Chicken Piccata

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Devany

Week Night Dinner: Chicken Picatta

So easy, so delicious and made with just a few simple ingredients. I served it with pasta as the extra sauce goes perfectly with it. We had a salad as a final course. I buy boneless breasts on sale and freeze. I  always have  lemons and capers on hand. and of course you can do this with veal or pork cutlets too.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup flour
• garlic salt
• fresh cracked pepper
• crushed red pepper to taste
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 6 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 dry white wine or dry vermouth
• 3 Tbsp lemon juice (I used Meyer)
• 1/2 cup brined capers
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

METHOD

• Put the chicken breasts between two pieces of waxed paper and pound them with a meat hammer to about 1/4-inch thickness. Cut them up into pieces a little smaller than the palm of your hand.
• Put the cheese and a bit of parsley into a mini processor and process till the cheese is about the size of couscous.
• Mix together  flour, salt, peppers, and grated Parmesan.  Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, until well coated. *Note some people like a thicker coating, if you do dredge in plain flour first, then in an egg wash and finally in the cheese and flour mixture. I like mine lightly breaded.
•  Heat olive oil and 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 an oven proof pan. Place in a warming drawer or a 300 degree oven. Cook the remaining chicken pieces,  remove from pan. Keep warm in the oven while you prepare the sauce.

• On medium/low heat. Add the wine & lemon juice to the pan and stir to deglaze and loosen. Add capers to the pan. Reduce the sauce by half.

• Plate the chicken and serve with the sauce poured over the chicken. Garnish with remaining parsley. Use extra sauce on pasta and toss.
• If you have left over breading, you can toast it on a silpat and use it as a topping for other things.

Romanesco Pasta with Sweet Corn

Romanesco Pasta

I love the look of this interesting vegetable. Romanesco is bright green, beautiful, almost jeweled looking. While this broccoli has only been available in US markets for a few years, Romanesco broccoli was first documented in Italy (as broccolo romanesco) in the sixteenth century.

This is a simple recipe for an incredible pasta dish. You can use any pasta, I used some penne this time. You could also use cauliflower or tightly formed broccoli for this dish.

If you are not lucky enough to live in a place like Hawaii where we get fresh sweet corn all year, you can use good quality frozen corn for this. 

Ingredients:

1 head of Romanesco

2 heads of garlic with the tops sliced off

Olive oil (you will need about 4-5 tablespoons for roasting and 2 for sautéing.

2 small red onions or shallots sliced thinly

2 ears of fresh corn cut from the cob

½ cup heavy cream (optional)

¼ cup VSOP Cognac (optional)

Crushed red pepper, coarse black pepper and salt to taste

½ # thick pasta cooked  al dente (reserve ¼ cup of pasta water)

Preheat oven to 350. Use a silpat pad or parchment paper to line a large baking sheet.

Cut up the Romanesco florets in large chunks and toss in olive oil with a little salt and pepper, then pour on to the baking sheet. Add the two garlic heads and drizzle with olive oil.

Bake for 30-45 minutes until the garlic is soft and the Romanesco is starting to caramelize.  Set aside.

 Put the pasta water on to boil.

In a large skillet add remaining olive oil, corn and onions with a pinch of salt. Stir and heat till the onions start to get soft. Squeeze the roasted garlic into the center of the pan, stir well and then add the Romanesco. Stir and add the cream if using. Cook for a minute till cream starts to thicken. Add the cognac & simmer for 1-2 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon or spider, add the pasta to the pan and stir. If needed, you can add a little pasta water to the pan.

Serve with freshly grated parmesan and crushed red pepper.   

Southern Style Mac and Cheese

I have a lot of leftover Ham... and what goes better with ham than mac and cheese? This recipe is based on one from Mrs. Wilkes Boarding House in Savannah, GA. I have played with it over the years. I like to add some different cheeses to it, such as Brie and Goat Cheese, but this time it was pure cheddar. I only did a half recipe of this since I was feeding two (with leftovers for two more meals.)  I think that the main difference in this mac and cheese is the addition of eggs.

Southern Style Mac and Cheese

Ingredients: 

1 3/4 cups elbow pasta (or any noodle shape you prefer)

Salt

2 1/2 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese (cubed)

2 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon all- purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

2/3 cup sour cream

2 eggs that are lightly beaten

1/3 cup grated onion

1 1/2 cups half and half

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 1/2 cups grated extra sharp cheddar cheese (or your favorite cheese)

Method: 

1: Boil the pasta in salted water until tender. Remove and drain. Place the drained pasta into the baking dish of your choice. This recipe will fill a 9x13x2 baking pan. Mix in the cubed cheddar (Brie is even better here) cheese.

2: Preheat the oven to 350 F

 3: Take the flour, 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, and spices in a large mixing bowl. Stir them together so that everything is evenly mixed together.

4: Add the sour cream, and eggs. With a whisk mix all ingredients together until mixture is evenly incorporated.

5: Whisk in the onion, half and half, heavy cream, and Worcestershire until it is thoroughly blended together.

6: Pour this mixture over the pasta and cheese and then stir everything together. Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese on top and then place into the oven.

7: Put in the oven for 30-35 minutes and then let cool for 10 minutes, this will make serving easier as it will firm up a little. 

Gnocchi in Sage Cream Sauce

Last month I spent 36 magical hours at the Four Seasons Hualalai in Kona. During my visit I had the chance to dine twice at Beach Tree Restaurant and spend an afternoon with the charming Chef de Cuisine of Beach Tree, Nick Mastracusa.

I will be doing a further blog about him and the dining experience at Beach Tree, but this one is about something he taught me! I have made gnocchi before and eaten them in many forms at restaurants, but they always seem dense and doughy. Nick gave me and my friend Janet a lesson in the way his family makes gnocchi.

In Beach Tree Style, this included some awesome White Sangria

The secret is in using *00* super fine flour, ricing the potatoes and making the dough by hand. The result is a lighter fluffier pillow of pasta. When we made the Gnocchi with Nick he invited us to stay for dinner, where we would dine on the gnocchi with a slow cooked sauce made with braised oxtails. Unfortunately, I had another commitment, one which I was highly tempted to skip, but he packaged up our gnocchi, gave us sauce, fresh mozzarella and herbs and we took the goodies home to cook later. 

I made gnocchi again last night using his method, 3:2:1, three large russet potatoes, 2 cups of *00* Superfine Italian Flour, and one large egg. I had one little disaster the night before. I had set out the flour from my flour vault. We cannot buy this flour here in Hawaii and I have to import it from Italy. While I am normally a localvore, I do take exception when it comes to ethnic foods, where I believe ingredients are key and this is one of them. In the middle of the night, my kitten, Pili jumped up on the counter, grabbed the bag of flour, hauled it up two sets of stairs and across the bedroom where he proceeded to tear it apart and paint the floor with it. Fortunately I had back up flour.

For the dinner party last night, the gnocchi was a side dish and I used a Sage Cream sauce to top it. It was a gift of love to my guests.

The recipe is in this picture... a menu from the Beach Tree that Chef Nick gave me to make notes on.

Double click for detail... 

The sauce is easy too...
1/2 cup of butter
18 sage leaves chopped lightly
1/2 cup of heavy cream
1 cup of home made chicken stock.
1 cup of parmesan finely grated

While the gnocchi is boiling, melt the butter in a frying pan. Add sage leaves. When the leaves start to brown, add the cream and stock and reduce to about half. Then add the parmesan and stir for a few minutes. Add the drained gnocchi and serve. I think next time I may add some buttered bread crumbs.

Chestnut Pasta and Paradise Pesto

I have already posted about how to make chestnut pasta, so if you are interested in making your own go here. This post is more about what I topped it with last night... Macadamia Nut Pesto, or as I like to call it: Paradise Pesto.

Chestnut Pasta Drying

Paradise Pesto is very easy to make and keeps well in the refrigerator. You will need a food processor for this, or at least if you want to make it in an hour.

Macadamia Nut Pesto A.K.A. Paradise Pesto

1# of raw macadamia nuts *
2 large bunches of Italian Basil
1/2 bunch of flat leaf parsley
10-15 cloves of garlic (depending how much garlic flavor you like)
1/2 pound of freshly grated Parmesan
a pinch of crushed red pepper
Juice of one lemon
Olive Oil (about 1/2 cup)
Salt and Pepper to taste

*If you cannot find raw macadamia nuts, it is OK to use roasted, but omit the toasting of the nuts and do not add salt until you have tasted it.

In a dry frying pan, toast the nuts until they are just golden, remove from heat and allow them to cool.

In a food processor Place everything but the olive oil. Pulse a few times, then run the machine while you are pouring olive oil in. Check for texture, if it is very dry, you may add more oil. Taste and add seasonings if you think it needs some. Uses: Pour over pasta and toss, make bruschetta, make pesto rolls, put under the skin of a chicken before roasting, use as a condiment on sandwiches, pour over cream cheese for a dip, use as a sauce on pizza or just stick a spoon in it every once in a while!

Spaghetti with Gorgonzola Mac Nut Sauce

Last night I made a simple and absolutely delicious dinner. Whole wheat spaghetti with a Gorgonzola Macadamia Nut Sauce. Served with a light salad and some garlic bread, it was a meatless night. The leftover sauce will also be good on a steak when the time comes to grill one!

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons Olive Oil, divided 2:4
2 shallots diced
8 cloves of garlic rough cut
A handful of fresh Italian Basil
Juice and Zest of 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3/4 cup macadamia nuts
1/2 cup Parmesan Reggiano
1/4 # Gorgonzola Cheese crumbled or cubed
3/4 cup of heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Hot cooked whole wheat spaghetti

Method:

Dry roast the mac nuts in a frying pan and allow to cool completely.

In a large skillet heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil and sauté the shallots till translucent and just tinged with gold on the ends.

While cooking the shallots place the garlic, basil, mac nuts, lemon juice and zest, parmesan, red pepper and remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a food processor and process until you have a dry pesto.

Add the gorgonzola and cream to the frying pan with the shallots. Cook on low heat, stirring constantly until the cheese has fully melted. Add the pesto to the sauce and stir, cooking on low another 2 minutes to heat through. Taste and add salt and pepper. You may not need any salt at all because the cheeses are salty and the lemon adds spark. I use lots of black pepper though.

Add to the hot pasta and toss. Dress with a bit of fresh parsley and additional red pepper.

Eggplant Rollatini

Involtini di Melanzane con Salsiccia e Mozzarella to be exact! 

I had two big eggplants, some home made Italian sausages and lots of great herbs and tomatoes from the garden. I sent a note to my friend and fellow blogger Peter Francis Battaglia (whom I also call Saint Peter sometimes) asking him if he had a good rollatini recipe that did not require ricotta. He sent me one via messages on Facebook and I made it last night. I even had some for breakfast. I served it on spaghetti that was simply  tossed with butter, EVOO and some garlic. Here is the recipe pretty much as he sent it to me. I added just a couple of things in the mix.  This is a recipe that can be made *creatively* and you can easily increase the amounts if you want to. I had a little extra filling left, so I just stuffed it in around the rollatini before baking. FYI: I used 1 # of spicy sausage, removed from casings, 2 large eggplants and about 4-5 fresh ripe tomatoes. 

This takes a couple of hours to make, but it is not difficult and it is delicious, even better the next day and the day after! Well worth the time!

Saint Peter's Eggplant and Italian Sausage Rotalini

Involtini di Melanzane con Salsiccia e Mozzarell

Slice the eggplants longwise, and thin..make a francaise batter (2 eggs, 1/8 cup grated romano, fresh chopped parsley, fresh ground pepper), dredge the cutlets in seasoned flour with some fine panko crumbs, then the egg, then into 1/2 " of medium hot olive oil, about 3 minutes per side..drain on paper towels or a rack.

Saute the sausage in some olive oil, when almost done, add 1 sweet onion chopped finely, sauté for a minute. add 4 minced cloves of garlic, cook for a bit, then add 2 tbs. of wine, let this cook for 3 minutes..let it cool..add 1/2 cup small diced mozzarella, some chopped basil and parsley, 1/2 tsp. capers, 1 tbs. breadcrumbs, and 6 tbs. romano cheese, mix well.  Hold a cutlet in your hand and add a nice scoop to each of the cutlets. roll the cutlet around them. Secure with toothpicks.  

Make a sauce with chopped tomato, olive oil, diced onion, fresh parsley, some fennel seeds, salt, pepper...When it has cooked for 20 minutes...check for seasoning...Add a few basil leaves...in a pan, add some oil and sauce to the bottom, arrange the rollatini, pour the remaining sauce over, and cover with foil, bake in 350 for 25 minutes, uncover, add some chopped mozzarella and grated cheese, bake another 8 minutes uncovered till cheese is bubbly...