Week One

Hi!  (Believe it or not) I’ve been doing a pretty good job sticking to all of my “self-improvement goals” J This past weekend I made my something new – Chicken Piccata.  It was surprisingly EASY and QUICK to make.  There are not but a few ingredients and the end results were (in my opinion) really really good.  I followed the recipe to a T except I doubled the amount of sauce (o, and I didn’t use as much butter or olive oil as it called for).  When I first try a recipe, I do my best to actually follow it, then the next time I make it, I know what I need to add or take away depending on the results the first go round.  Sometimes I am disappointed that I didn’t spread my wings and change it up the first time, but I usually come up with a better variation of the recipe because of it.  Speaking of variations, I haven’t tried it, but I bet if you replaced the chicken for veal you would have yourself a wonderful, simple Veal Piccata.

Here's a picture.  I served Frank Stitt's Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Herbs alongside the piccata.  They were soooo good as well!

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I must have been living under a rock for the past 24 years of my life, because I did not realize that citrus season fell during the winter months.  For some reason or another, I thought that oranges, grapefruits, etc. were the sweetest during the summer months – wrong! 

This is my new favorite snack that I cannot seem to get enough of – grapefruit segments (and juice) + fresh blueberries poured over fat free vanilla-flavored Greek yogurt!!  It is soooo good and refreshing! 

Phillip and I have a busy weekend ahead of us.  We are moving out of our two-bedroom apartment into a one-bedroom apartment in the same complex J  It’s basically a money thing (we’ve decided we want to put some more in our pockets) J so this seems to be a good solution.  Mind you, it is going to be a huge pain in the you-know-what, but it’ll be worth it in the end (at least, that’s what we keep telling ourselves).  So, that being said, I am off to the packaging store to buy a few boxes to help make our kitchen haul a little less infuriating. 

I’ll take pictures of our new home once we’ve gotten settled.  I don’t think we’ll miss the extra space too much.  Our guest bedroom served its purpose and housed quite a few visitors, but our couches are going to have to take its place for the meantime J

I hope y’all have a wonderful week/weekend…TOMORROW’S FRIDAY!!!!

Be back soon!

Here are the recipes I used:

Chicken Piccata

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast, butterflied then cut in half

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

All-purpose flour, for dredging

6 tablespoons butter

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/3  cup fresh lemon juice

½ cup chicken stock

¼ cup brined capers, rinsed

1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil.  When butter and oil start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes.  When the chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes.  Remove and transfer to plate.  Melt 2 more tablespoons butter and add another 2 tablespoons olive oil.  When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the other 2 pieces of chicken and brown both sides in same manner.  Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the plate.

Into the pan add the lemon juice, stock, and capers.  Return to stove and bring to a boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor.  Check for seasoning.  Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes.  Remove the chicken to platter.  Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously.  Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley.

Recipe from:  Giada De Laurentiis

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Herbs

2 cups halved fingerling potatoes (1 pound)

1 garlic bulb, cloves separated but not peeled

6 to 10 bay leaves

1 teaspoon thyme leaves

1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary leaves

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 to 3 tablespoons fruity extra virgin olive oil

Set an oven rack in the highest position and preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Put the potatoes in a medium bowl, add the garlic, herbs, sea salt, and pepper to taste, and oil, and toss to coat.  Transfer to a baking sheet and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, giving the pan a shake halfway through cooking.  The potatoes are done when slightly charred and tender when pierced.

Serve with all the garlic cloves, so your guests can squeeze out the delicious roasted pulp.

Recipe from:  Frank Stitt, Bottega Favorita