Chicken Piccata

You gotta love the types of dishes that are interchangeable. You can do this dish with chicken or veal, and I think it (untraditionally, of course) would be rather tasty with a firm fish or even shrimp. It is also acceptable to use pork instead of chicken or veal. Vegetarians or vegans can prepare the dish using thin slices of tofu or eggplant. 

Piccata translates to piquant or piquancy, which (in one definition) means tart or zesty. Piccata does have a tart sauce, with traditional additions of lemon juice, white wine and capers. It’s also quite easy to prepare, especially in small batches. The dish takes about 20 to 30 minutes to make, so it's a speedy weeknight meal.


Pounding the meat to the desired thinness is probably the most time consuming process. Instead of spending more money at the grocery store for the already thin cutlets, I usually horizontally slice a  chicken breast in half and then pound it out to the thickness I want, usually about an 1/8 of an inch thick. You can reduce any chance of a flying chicken mess by placing the meet in a sealable plastic bag, or by putting it between two layers of plastic wrap.

If you want a good laugh, hand your kids the mallet and then let them do the flattening for you...hilarity will follow! Plus, it's a great way to have them (or you) work out any pent up aggression...

Seasoned and dredged chicken makes for sticky fingers.

Brown those birds, remove from pan and keep 'em warm while the rest of the magic happens.

Brown some shroomage - remove and set aside.

Add garlic and wine to the pan and reduce by about half.

Stir in broth-flour mixture, lemon juice and salt. Simmer and stir in parsley, capers and butter.

Bring chicken back to the party and heat through. We do have mushroom haters, so I only added the mushrooms to the party when those that do not like them were served. Otherwise, throw them in when you reintroduce the chicken.

Serve the chicken over pasta and smother with sauce!

Chicken Piccata

serves 4

1/3 cup all-purpose flour, divided
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 chicken cutlets, (3/4-1 pound total), trimmed
3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 10-ounce package mushrooms, sliced
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup white wine
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
2 teaspoons butter
Hot cooked angel hair pasta

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until just tender, 4 to 6 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse.

Meanwhile, whisk 5 teaspoons flour and broth in a small bowl until smooth. Place the remaining flour in a shallow dish. Season chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper and dredge both sides in the flour.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned and no longer pink in the middle, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; cover and keep warm.

Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, until they release their juices and begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add garlic and wine to the pan and cook until reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes.

Stir in the reserved broth-flour mixture, lemon juice and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, until the sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes.

Stir in parsley, capers, butter and the reserved mushrooms. Measure out 1/2 cup of the mushroom sauce. Toss the pasta in the pan with the remaining sauce. Serve the pasta topped with the chicken and the reserved sauce.

Sesame Chicken with Snap Peas and Jasmine Rice

It's no big secret that one of my biggest weaknesses is Chinese food. Any Chinese food. I am not picky when it comes to that. I could eat it every day for every meal and (probably - never say never!) not tire of it. The combinations, the flavors, the tastes...

Let's just say that I am just short of drinking soy sauce straight from the bottle and leave it at that, shall we?

Not to mention that stir fry is a fast, easy and inexpensive meal. Yeah, that always helps. Especially if you're me. Which you are not. And you wouldn't want to be me, trust me. Especially if you don't like stir fry.

This is an easy peasy one that is a snap (pun intended, thank you) to make and tastes out of this world.

I like to mix the marinade in a ziplock for less cleaning later.

Dice up your chicken.

Bathe it in soy saucy goodness...

Mix up the sauce.

Plate it up and go to town.

Sesame Chicken with Snap Peas and Jasmine Rice

serves 4

5 tbsp soy sauce
4 tsp dark sesame oil
2 tsp honey
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
6 tsp oil
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 tbsp grated or finely minced ginger
3 cloves minced garlic
1-1/4 cup chicken broth
3 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp chili paste (more if you like additional heat)
4 cups steamed snap peas
4 cups cooked jasmine rice
2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted

Whisk 3 tbsp soy sauce with 2 tsp sesame oil and honey. Add chicken and marinate 30 minutes or longer.

Heat 4 tsp oil on wok or skillet over medium high heat. Cook chicken until browned, 3-5 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and wipe wok or skillet clean.

Heat remaining 2 tsp oil over medium high heat. Add scallions, ginger and garlic; stir fry about 1 minute. Whisk together the chicken broth, sugar, cornstarch, vinegar, chili paste and remaining 2 tbsp soy sauce. Add mixture to skillet; stir and cook until thickened, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the remaining sesame oil.

Return chicken to pan, stir to coat and heat through.

Serve chicken with steamed snap peas and jasmine rice. Top with a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds.

Easiest Dinner Ever - Ranch Chicken with Red Onion and Parsley New Potatoes

Simplicity. Who doesn't need more of that?

This is one of the household staple meals.  Weather permitting, it's also fantastic done on the grill. There is some day before prep, but it's easy and it's worth it.

Ranch Chicken with Red Onion and Parsley New Potatoes
serves 6

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved horizontally and pounded thin
1-1/2 cup Ranch dressing (I like the Ranch with Bacon, but use any bottled Ranch flavor you like), plus more more dipping later
2 or 3 large red onions, each cut into 6 wedge sections
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp lemon pepper seasoning
1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
1/2 stick butter, cut into chunks
2 pounds new potatoes, halved

**The day before:  Combine chicken and Ranch in a large ziplock. Marinate until tomorrow night! Trust me, this makes all the difference in the world.

Place potatoes in stockpot and add enough water to cover.  Salt the water if you wish.  Bring to a boil. Reduce heat slightly and continue cooking until tender, about 20-25 minutes.

While potatoes cook, melt 2 Tbsp butter in saucepan. Add Onion and lemon pepper; stir to coat. Cover and cook over medium low heat to just soften the onions. Stir occasionally.

While potatoes and onions are cooking, heat a non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Spray with Pam. Add chicken (in batches) and cook until browned, about 5-6 minutes per side.

Drain potatoes.  Add 1/2 stick of butter to stockpot you cooked the potatoes in and return to low heat to melt the butter. Add drained potatoes and parsley, stirring to coat.

Serve 2 pieces of chicken (equals one whole chicken breast), sauteed red onion, potatoes and Ranch dressing for dipping the chicken and onion.

Sweet Chili Lime Wings and Bok Choy & Radish Stir Fry

Wings are an easy weeknight dinner, not to mention that I can cook the wings earlier in the day and warm them up for saucing later when everybody's hungry. And no one sees me sneak a cold wing or seven while waiting for said dinner time...

Normally I bake my wings, not fry them.  I do this for two reasons:


(1) Frying is not particularly healthy for you...yes, fried tastes better and yields a way, way tastier texture on the wings, but baking (if done right) can come pretty darned close. Not exact, but close.

(2) Deep frying frightens me. One day, I will blow something up by accident. Once I tried to deep fry fish nuggets in my trusty cast iron dutch oven and I either burned them or they didn't cook completely.  Deep frying is an art that I am still working to master.  I am much more comfortable skillet-frying my way into dinner.  Yet, I will continue to face my fear of frying in more than 2 inches of oil without whimpering in the corner.

I decided to fry the wings this time and face my fear of frying. It worked out pretty well. The texture was just about perfect and not too greasy.

I decided to experiment with a new sauce this time too. We always have the standard buffalo wing sauce, although the brand may vary from time to time.  We have tried (and liked):

* Crystal Hot Sauce and (melted) butter
* Budweiser Wing Sauce (even though I hate their beer other than American Ale)
* Crystal Wing Sauce

This time, however, I wanted to veer away from the traditional buffalo sauce and try something different.  I knew going into this that I was forbidden from making a strictly asian-type of sauce (i.e., using soy sauce in any way, shape or form) because the probability of Papa Bear eating them or liking them would drop below a 30% chance. He has issues with soy sauce that I shall save for another time...

I wanted sweet and spicy instead of just rip-your-tongue-out spicy. I decided on a maple syrup/chili sauce/lime sauce.  It was a little too sweet for Papa Bear and Crazy Artist, but everyone else thought it was pretty darned good. If you give it a try, let me know what you think.

Instead of the standard celery and carrot sticks with dressing, I decided to mix it up and do a quick stir fry with some bok choy and radish.  I cooked until just warm and slightly tender, but it still had a nice crunch to it. I also threw in a little shallot and lemon pepper for some zing.

All in all, this was really enjoyable.  Wings are always on our dinner rotation, and I think the sauce and stir fry side will be too...

Chili Lime Wings

3 pounds whole chicken wings
1 cup real maple syrup (not pancake syrup!)
1 cup chili sauce
2 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp dijon mustard
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp salt
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp chili powder
Oil for frying

Cut the wings into three sections and discard the wing tips. In a deep skillet or dutch oven, heat oil to 375.  While the oil is heating, combine flour, salt, paprika, pepper and chili powder in a large ziplock bag and shake to combine. Add wings a few at a time and shake to coat.

Fry wings in batches for 8-12 minutes or until no longer pink, turning once. Drain on paper towels. You can stop at this point if you choose. You can refrigerate the wings until you're almost ready to eat; just heat your oven to 375 and heat the wings on a single layer on a baking sheet for 15-20 minutes. If you can't wait for wing-y goodness, continue to the next step.

In a medium saucepan, combine maple syrup, chili sauce, lime juice and mustard and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook until liquid has reduced to about 1 cup.  Transfer hot wings to a big bowl; add sauce mixture and toss to coat. Eat immediately or serve to your family...


Bok Choy & Radish Stir Fry

2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 head of Bok Choy
15-20 radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
3/4 tsp salt
2 tsp lemon pepper seasoning

Cut off root end of bok choy; you can use this as a garnish (as I did) if it looks particularly pretty.  If not, discard the root end. Cut leaves from stalks and cut into one inch slices. Cut stalks into one inch pieces.

In a large skillet, melt butter with oil over medium high heat.  When butter is melted, add bok choy and cook for 5 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Add the radishes, shallot, salt and lemon pepper. Cook and stir for about 3-4 minutes or until heated through.

The Wicked Garden Project

It has been mulled over, fantasized about, dreamed about, discussed and wanted for a long, long time. Things that constantly held me back were (1) the cost to begin, (2) my inherent lack of gardening skills - I kill plastic plants, (3) space constrictions, and (4) craptastic Florida soil and weather - I hate heat. But there are lots of positives that really outweigh the negatives. The health benefits, the long term cost savings, the family time putting it together...and the list continues to grow.

I love using fresh herbs in just about everything.  All I can envision in my chef's minds-eye is the ultimate herb garden 20 feet from the kitchen where I can go snip whatever I feel like using. You may have your Brad Pitt / Tom Cruise / Celebrity Hunk-o-the-Month dreams....I have my herb garden dreams. Strange, I know. But it's who I am.
Well, it's happening now and there's nothing I can (or want to) do to stop it. Here we go! We're starting a food garden.


The main reason that I want to start this project is health. Papa Bear and Granma need to seriously watch what they eat now. Papa Bear needs to control his cholesterol and lose weight, and Granma needs to watch her salt intake and lose weight. They have been medically 'warned' to do these things. I need them around for a lot longer, so I need to do what I can to help.  By growing our own herbs, veggies and fruits, we can somewhat control the freshness/organic-ness of the food we eat, save money by not having to pay through the nose for some of these items at the grocery store, and teach ourselves and the kids about the whole growing your own food process, while sneaking in mild exercise.


Just because I have not been formally advised by a doctor to watch my cholesterol, salt intake or loose 5,000 pounds does not mean I don't need to follow suit and do the same - I do need to. So this endeavor will not only benefit the two who need to be healthier, but it will be good for everyone in the house.

Here is the portion of the yard where the magic will happen:

This is the eastern corner of the back yard. It gets the most full sun during the day. I figured this would be the optimal spot to build, since most of the food I plan on growing requires full sun.  Papa Bear will be building a greenhouse of sorts, or really more of a shelter for most of the garden, as the back yard is Grand Central Station for squirrels, possum and a wide variety of feathered friends.

Granma was generous enough to offer not only a huge chunk of her back yard, but to purchase the lumber and nails for the structure last weekend, so we are all set there.  Last night, Papa Bear sprayed weed and grass killer and began cutting the lumber for construction. He is projecting a completed structure by the end of this weekend.  I have purchased several varieties of seeds and two of those Jiffy Greenhouse things with the peat moss pellets. Little Lawyer and I spent yesterday afternoon planting 144 seeds....

There are 72 peat pellets in each tray, with 12 rows of 6 pellets.  I decided to pick 24 different seeds and plant 6 of each.  Here is what has been planted (and is currently germinating on the porch):

Tray #1 (7-14 day germination)                          Tray #2 (10-28 day germination)
     Tendergreen Bush Beans                                            Mustard Greens
     White Silver Queen Sweet Corn                                 Leeks
     Icicle Radishes                                                           Scallions
     Red Radishes                                                             Lavender
     Swiss Chard                                                              Flat Leaf Parsley
     Cherry Tomatoes                                                       Cayenne Peppers
     Grape Tomatoes                                                        Serrano Peppers
     Carrots                                                                      Tarragon
     Thyme                                                                        Rosemary
     Sweet Basil                                                                Banana Peppers
     Cilantro                                                                      Mammoth Dill
     Bouquet Dill                                                               Eggplant

I have also ordered (but have not gotten yet) other types of herbs, as well as some saplings for blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, two varieties of tomato plants and a dwarf banana tree.  I am also considering other varieties of dwarf fruit trees to add, such as lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit and avocado.

I thought it might be fun to document the progress, including the disasters and failures (in my world, there is bound to be an abundance of those!) as well as the successes and fruits of our labor. If anyone out there has ideas, tips, suggestions or just wants to tell me that I have bitten off way more than I can chew, then step up and say something!

Last night we celebrated the beginning of The Wicked Garden Project with a dish that can (and will) use tons of fresh herbs and veggies when they're ready...

Chicken Tandoori

8 skin-on bone-in chicken thighs
Juice of one lemon
Kosher salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp plain yogurt
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and rough chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
1-3/4 tsp plus 1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp sour cream
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

Early in the day, make small shallow cuts in the chicken thighs with a sharp knife. Toss the chicken with the lemon juice and about 2 teaspoons of salt in a large bowl. Let stand while you get the rest of the prep done.


Pulse 2 tablespoons of yogurt, olive oil, red onion, garlic, ginger, tomato paste, coriander, cumin, 1-3/4 teaspoon paprika and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor to form a paste. Smear this fragrant concoction over the chicken in the bowl, making sure it's slathered everywhere. Cover and refrigerate. Marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes.  I like to marinate this longer if possible.  If I make this early enough in the day, I will let in soak in the flavors until dinner. You can also do the marinade the night before and let it go all night.

Combine the remaining 1/2 cup yogurt with 1/4 teaspoon paprika, cilantro, sour cream and a pinch of salt in medium bowl. Store in fridge until ready to serve.

Preheat oven to 450. Heat a large, well oiled (2 tbsps of olive or vegetable oil will work) cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.  Add chicken skin side down and cook until skin browns, about 5 minutes. Add the rest of the marinade to pan. Turn the chicken over and cook another 5 minutes. Place skillet in preheated oven and cook 30-35 minutes.

Plate the chicken and top with your premade yogurt sauce in the fridge. I like to serve with jasmine rice and a veggie.

Family Traditions - Birthdays

We have had a tradition in our family of the birthday person choosing what they want for their birthday dinner for years.  My Mom has done this for me since I was old enough to speak, and I have continued this tradition with my girls. It's fun to see what they come up with. There are NO rules when making the choice, so it's basically a free-for-all buffet.

As far back as I can remember, I have always requested that my Mom make pirogi for my birthday dinner. My Grandmother (my dad's mom) used to make them and showed my Mom how to make them them. I love them. They are so simple and straightforward, but have the ability to be versatile as well. These packages of joy can be filled with yumminess beyond imagination.  Mom makes two different kinds - ones with cabbage and ones with sauerkraut. I love the sauerkraut perogi floating in a pool of butter, sprinkled with minced scallion, salt, pepper and a dollop of sour cream on the side. Don't get me wrong! I like the cabbage, but refuse to eat them until I have demolished the sauerkraut.

They take Mom about ten to twelve hours to make, as she makes upwards of 150 to 200 of each variety (not counting making the dough the night before) and we (well, I do more than anybody else) eat them for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, and midnight snack for the three or four days after my birthday (can we say pan-fried pirogi in butter? Oh yes...yes we can!).  Mom probably hates my birthday and is fervently grateful that it is only a once per year occurrence...but when we all sit around the table to eat? Let's just call that a George Bailey moment because we're all glad I was born to request this as my birthday dinner choice after that first heavenly bite.

March is a double birthday month in our world. The Drama Queen turned 15 and the Crazy Artist turned 17.  I'm slowly learning how, from a parental perspective, birthdays evolve.  We started with Winnie the Pooh, Strawberry Shortcake, Pirates and Butterflies and now we have mall trips, more expensive tastes and no parties. Thank goodness my Little Lawyer doesn't have her birthday until September. I still feel like the poor girl gets 'gypped' on the birthday front sometimes. When Drama Queen and Crazy Artist were little, we had money to spare, so they got the royal treatment. Spoiled, they were. Even now, the older kids get in on the tax refund benefit. Little Lawyer gets to go through her childhood with poor parents who don't have enough energy to walk around the block, much less put together an extravagant kids birthday party...but we try to make it with whatever money and energy we can muster!

Drama Queen's birthday was a blast. I love her version of a good time! Alice In Wonderland opened on her birthday (Karma or coincidence? Hmmm...) so we drove an hour to one of her favorite restaurants, Bahama Breeze, and had dinner, and then saw the movie in 3D on an IMAX screen. She got to bring a friend along for the festivities that night and a trip to the mall the next day.  For her birthday dinner, she chose Thai Chicken Pizza and requested a Mad Hatter Hat cake (which we neglected to take a photo of because to us it looked nothing like Johnny Depp's hat in the movie...it resembled more of a Mardi Gras/Saint Patrick's Day Leprechaun-looking hat...thing. Cake decorating is so not my forte.). 

Crazy Artist is a potato freak. Really.  The last 3 years, the child has requested nothing but a potato smorgasbord for her birthday dinner. This year, she added one non-potato dish request to her request. And she did not want a traditional birthday cake. She requested a coffee cake from Troyer's. Did I mention that she is crazy? Yeah...but we love her.  We had her favorite potato dishes - Loaded Potato Casserole and TGIF Potato Skins, along with a new favorite I make that she loves - Strawberry Soup. Granma picked up a coffee cake and cinnamon rolls from Troyer's. We surprised her with tickets to see Fiddler on the Roof at our community theater - she's the only kid I know that could recite the movie word for word.

Little Lawyer is already dreaming of a Totally Chocolate dinner.....and who knows what else!

Here's to birthday dinners!!

Thai Chicken Pizza

1 large pizza shell (like Boboli)

1/4 cup smooth peanut butter

3 tbsp water

2 tsp soy sauce

2 tsp rice wine vinegar

2 tsp minced ginger

1 tsp oil

8 oz boneless skinless chicken breast, trimmed and diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

3 scallions, thinly sliced

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Whisk together the peanut butter, water, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger and garlic in a small bowl.

Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring, until cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add bell pepper, scallions and 1 tablespoon of the peanut sauce to the chicken; toss to combine.

Remove the crust from the package; spread evenly with the remaining peanut sauce. Top with the chicken mixture, then sprinkle with cheese. Bake on the middle rack until the crust is crispy and golden and the cheese is melted, 11 to 13 minutes.

Loaded Potato Casserole

 

4 cups mashed potatoes

7 oz tub of garlic and cheese spread

1/2 cup milk

1 pkg real bacon bits/pieces

1 tsp pepper

1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar

Fresh chives. chopped

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine potatoes, cheese spread, milk bacon bits, pepper and three quarters of the cheddar in a 11x7 casserole/baking dish. Sprinkle top with remaining cheddar.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Garnish with Chives.

TGI Friday's Potato Skins* (with my calorie-laden Sour Cream Dill Sauce)

*I just use a family-sized box of TGI Friday's potato skins (in the freezer section of your grocery store), but any brand will do. Just make as package directs.

The sauce I make consists of sour cream, ranch dressing, dill and 4 or 5 chopped scallions. I never measure this recipe, so when I do throw it together, it all depends on whether I am more in the mood for a sour cream taste or a ranch taste (usually the sour cream wins out in that competition..and it gets a 2:1 ratio). For a kick, I will sometimes add a splash or two of hot sauce and/or sprinkle with crushed wasabi peas after the mixture is dolloped onto the skins.

Strawberry Soup

1 pound fresh or frozen strawberries

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1/2 cup milk

1 tbsp lemon juice (optional)

Garnish with:

Sliced Strawberries

Whipped Cream

Wash and cut the strawberries and place in a blender or food processor.  Process until the strawberries are pureed.  Add the sugar, yogurt, milk, and lemon juice and process until combined. 

Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with whipped cream and sliced berries.