This is a public service announcement.
Lean muscle and trim waistline, beware. Your days are numbered.
The Thompsons have acquired an ice cream maker.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Monday, June 23, 2008
Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Sage Butter Sauce
Yes, this dish is every bit as good as it sounds. And a lot better than it looks in the picture above, because I am just not a good food photographer. ;)
(Give yourself some time for preparing this dish . . . the sage butter sauce takes a bit of tweaking to come out just right.)
You'll need:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 egg whites
2 t. cornstarch
1 lemon
3 T. olive oil
1 c. panko bread crumbs (or other coarse crumb)
1 T. chopped fresh parsley
1 t. kosher salt
1/4 t. ground black pepper
1/2 c. parmesan cheese, grated
1 shallot
1/2 c. dry white wine (Use a good Chardonnay with just enough oak to have a hint of butteryness... and I think I might have just made up that word. Oh well.)
1/2 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. low-sodium chicken broth
5 T. butter
1-2 t. minced fresh sage
salt, white pepper and cayenne pepper to taste
Prepare the chicken breasts by trimming off any visible skin or fat. Slice each half lengthwise down the center. Lightly pound each piece to an even thickness. Zest the lemon and set the zest aside for later use.
In a shallow dish, whisk together the egg whites, cornstarch and the juice from half of the lemon. In a second shallow dish, stir together the bread crumbs, parsley, kosher salt, ground black pepper, parmesan and reserved lemon zest.
Coat the chicken breasts in the egg mixture and then coat with the crumbs. Set aside to rest on a rack at room temperature for 20-30 minutes to allow crumbs to adhere.
Meanwhile, prepare the sage butter sauce. Mince the shallot and saute in 1 T. butter until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the wine, cream, broth and 1 t. lemon juice. Simmer until reduced by half, approximately 8-10 minutes. Then, whisk in 4 T. butter, one tablespoon at a time, stirring between each addition until the butter is completely melted. Finish with the fresh sage and add salt, white pepper and cayenne powder to taste. The sauce should have a little kick, but not so much so that it loses its slight sweetness.
Keep the sauce warm over the lowest possible heat so that it doesn't scorch. Preheat the oven to 450 F. In a cast iron skillet, heat the 3 T. olive oil and saute the chicken breasts on both sides, until golden brown and crisp. Carefully transfer skillet to the oven and roast the chicken until done, about 8 minutes.
When chicken is done, transfer to a serving platter and ladle the sauce over top. Garnish with fresh sage leaves. Serves 4.
I like to serve this alongside my rosemary roasted potatoes (recipe coming soon). In the photo above, I used purple potatoes because I like their smooth, buttery flavor and texture. Yukon golds and red potatoes also work well, and if you don't like 'em roasted you can bake 'em, mash 'em, fry 'em, or omit them entirely in favor of a healthier vegetable. ;)
If you're into wine, serve this with the same slightly oaky, slightly buttery Chardonnay you used in the sage butter sauce.
*** Recipe courtesy of Williamson Wines, Healdsburg, California.
(Give yourself some time for preparing this dish . . . the sage butter sauce takes a bit of tweaking to come out just right.)
You'll need:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 egg whites
2 t. cornstarch
1 lemon
3 T. olive oil
1 c. panko bread crumbs (or other coarse crumb)
1 T. chopped fresh parsley
1 t. kosher salt
1/4 t. ground black pepper
1/2 c. parmesan cheese, grated
1 shallot
1/2 c. dry white wine (Use a good Chardonnay with just enough oak to have a hint of butteryness... and I think I might have just made up that word. Oh well.)
1/2 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. low-sodium chicken broth
5 T. butter
1-2 t. minced fresh sage
salt, white pepper and cayenne pepper to taste
Prepare the chicken breasts by trimming off any visible skin or fat. Slice each half lengthwise down the center. Lightly pound each piece to an even thickness. Zest the lemon and set the zest aside for later use.
In a shallow dish, whisk together the egg whites, cornstarch and the juice from half of the lemon. In a second shallow dish, stir together the bread crumbs, parsley, kosher salt, ground black pepper, parmesan and reserved lemon zest.
Coat the chicken breasts in the egg mixture and then coat with the crumbs. Set aside to rest on a rack at room temperature for 20-30 minutes to allow crumbs to adhere.
Meanwhile, prepare the sage butter sauce. Mince the shallot and saute in 1 T. butter until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the wine, cream, broth and 1 t. lemon juice. Simmer until reduced by half, approximately 8-10 minutes. Then, whisk in 4 T. butter, one tablespoon at a time, stirring between each addition until the butter is completely melted. Finish with the fresh sage and add salt, white pepper and cayenne powder to taste. The sauce should have a little kick, but not so much so that it loses its slight sweetness.
Keep the sauce warm over the lowest possible heat so that it doesn't scorch. Preheat the oven to 450 F. In a cast iron skillet, heat the 3 T. olive oil and saute the chicken breasts on both sides, until golden brown and crisp. Carefully transfer skillet to the oven and roast the chicken until done, about 8 minutes.
When chicken is done, transfer to a serving platter and ladle the sauce over top. Garnish with fresh sage leaves. Serves 4.
I like to serve this alongside my rosemary roasted potatoes (recipe coming soon). In the photo above, I used purple potatoes because I like their smooth, buttery flavor and texture. Yukon golds and red potatoes also work well, and if you don't like 'em roasted you can bake 'em, mash 'em, fry 'em, or omit them entirely in favor of a healthier vegetable. ;)
If you're into wine, serve this with the same slightly oaky, slightly buttery Chardonnay you used in the sage butter sauce.
*** Recipe courtesy of Williamson Wines, Healdsburg, California.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Lobster and King Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
Here's a classy and delicious appetizer that is sure to be a hit at any dinner party. It combines the finest of the ocean with the earthiness of the mushrooms for a fantastic surf & turf combo.
What you'll need:
3/4 cup melted butter, divided
1 lb. of fresh mushrooms w/ stems removed.
1 cup crushed italian bread crumbs
1 cup shredded mozzerella cheese
1 large king crab leg (6-8 oz of meat)
1 pound lobster tail, cleaned and chopped
3 tablespoons minced garlic
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Brush a large baking sheet with 1/4 of melted butter. Arrange mushroom caps in a single layer over the baking sheet.
2) Cook the king crab leg on a cookie sheet in shallow water (steams the meat) in the preheated oven for approximately 5 minutes, or as needed to warm. Use a pair of heavy kitchen shears to cut the meat from the shell.
2) In a medium bowl, mix together the crushed croutons, remaining 1/2 cup butter, shredded cheese, crabmeat, lobster and garlic. Spoon into mushroom caps.
3) Bake for 10-12 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly browned on top. Sprinkle with additional cheese if desired and serve hot!!
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Apple Dumplings to Die For
Sooo . . . as you can see, we haven't exactly been too speedy about getting this thing off the ground. Dan has been working an obscene amount lately and hasn't cooked anything more challenging than boxed mac-n-cheese and frozen pizza. I have been busy shopping my favorite boutiques, getting pedicures and eating bon bons. Okay, not really, but I just thought I'd see how gullible you all were. You passed. ;)
Still, in an effort to keep this blog from dying out before it even gets going, I'm going to point you all over to a delightful, amazing recipe posted by my very favorite blogger, The Pioneer Woman, on her cooking blog. I made these apple dumplings last weekend. It was harder than I thought it would be. Using all that butter required some serious mental and emotional exertion on my part. I don't think I've used so much butter in one recipe since like, 1997. That would be why I was chubbier in 1997 than I am now. But I digress.
ANYWAY. These dumplings are amazing. Even if I did only let myself have one teensy little taste of a half of one. Dan ate two of them and I took the rest to my office, where they were instantly proclaimed the best apple dumplings anyone else has tasted, ever. And trust me, my coworkers are seldom wrong when it comes to food. What they may lack in secretarial skills, they make up for in epicureanism (is that even a word?). And I'm going to be in so much trouble if any of them actually read this blog.
Back to the dumplings. Go bake these today for that person in your life who you secretly wish would get fat.
Apple Dumplings
2 Granny Smith apples
2 cans crescent rolls
2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
cinnamon
1 small can Mountain Dew
Peel and core apples. Cut apples into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan. Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour over apples. Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.
Still, in an effort to keep this blog from dying out before it even gets going, I'm going to point you all over to a delightful, amazing recipe posted by my very favorite blogger, The Pioneer Woman, on her cooking blog. I made these apple dumplings last weekend. It was harder than I thought it would be. Using all that butter required some serious mental and emotional exertion on my part. I don't think I've used so much butter in one recipe since like, 1997. That would be why I was chubbier in 1997 than I am now. But I digress.
ANYWAY. These dumplings are amazing. Even if I did only let myself have one teensy little taste of a half of one. Dan ate two of them and I took the rest to my office, where they were instantly proclaimed the best apple dumplings anyone else has tasted, ever. And trust me, my coworkers are seldom wrong when it comes to food. What they may lack in secretarial skills, they make up for in epicureanism (is that even a word?). And I'm going to be in so much trouble if any of them actually read this blog.
Back to the dumplings. Go bake these today for that person in your life who you secretly wish would get fat.
Apple Dumplings
2 Granny Smith apples
2 cans crescent rolls
2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
cinnamon
1 small can Mountain Dew
Peel and core apples. Cut apples into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan. Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour over apples. Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.
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