Manic Mondays

Does my title have you singing yet? I'll go ahead and apologize if the Bangles are stuck in your head all day. 

I don't know very many people that get excited for a Monday. Even though I'm not really working at the minute, Sunday nights are still filled with a little bit of dread over the coming day. It's just something about the world waking up from its mini vacation and heading back into the trenches that makes everyone a little uneasy.

I generally don't pick up a newspaper, turn on the computer, or even phone friends on the weekends. By Monday, I feel completely out of touch (which is precisely the feeling I'm looking for). It's amazing how much catching up there is to be done when you take 2 whole days away from the world at large. So today I'm filing mail, paying bills, calling (or should I say staying on hold with) the incompetent tv repair shop that I've been dealing with for the past 2 months, and getting in the 11-miler that is on my running calendar. Ugh.

So if you're like me, and know that at 6 pm you will be in no mood to spend and hour in the kitchen, take a look at this quick and delish dinner option. It's like you spent all day roasting a chicken...only  you didn't. :) The skin gets crisp and flavorful, which is really the best part. And you can spend the 20 odd minutes that's it's baking away in the oven to prep rice and a veggie. Easy peasy and perfect if you have a manic Monday as well.

Lemon-Oregano Chicken

Adapted from Gourmet Magazine

Serves 4

2 garlic cloves

3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

2 tablespoons lemon juice, divided

8 chicken thighs with skin (about 1 3/4 lb.) - I bought 4 larger thighs

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1/2 cup reduced sodium chicken broth

1 tsp dried oregano

• Preheat oven to 450℉, with rack in center.
• Mince and mash garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt, using the back of a knife.
• In a small bowl, whisk together garlic, 2 tablespoons of oil, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Pat chicken dry with a paper towel, then pour lemon mixture over top, being sure to get some under the skin.
• In a medium skillet over medium-high, heat 1 tablespoon of butter and remaining oil until foam subsides. 
• Brown chicken, skin side down for 5-6 minutes (it will not be fully cooked).
• Transfer to a 4-sided sheet pan, skin side up.
• Using tongs and a paper towel, remove any excess oil or burnt pieces from the pan. 
• Add broth and remaining lemon juice and cook for 2 minutes, or until reduced by half.
• Whisk in remaining butter and oregano, then pour over chicken on sheet pan.
• Roast chicken in oven for 20 minutes, then season with salt and pepper.

Chicken Paillard

Is anyone else enjoying the weather as much as me?? It has been absolutely beautiful in NYC! We spent this whole weekend outside, and I already started today off with a run through the park. Even little Suki seems energized by the weather change. 

With bathing suit season quickly approaching (or here!), I think we could all use a little healthy eating. I know everyone spent the whole winter eating carrots and celery just so they could fit into that itty-bitty-bikini. Ha! I certainly ate my way through winter comfort food, and am now realizing that macaroni and cheese is not, in fact, its own food group. So here's a nice and light dish that is delicious and healthy. I especially love this recipe because after making it once you will practically have the whole thing memorized, ingredients and all. This comes in very handy when you are standing in the grocery store with no idea what to make. Plus it's totally painless and you only have to stand over the stove for a few minutes. Major plus for those of us who don't yet have their AC turned on. 

Chicken Paillard with Lemon Arugula Salad

Adapted from Cooking Light

Serves 2

zest and juice of half a lemon

1 teaspoon EVOO

1/2 garlic clove, crushed

2 cups salad greens

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

S&P

cooking spray

1/2 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup dry white wine

• In a large bowl, whisk together the first 3 ingredients, and set aside.
• Place each chicken breast between 2 sheets of plastic wrap, and using a meat mallet, pound each out till it is 1/4 inch thick.
• Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high and coat with cooking spray. 
• Add chicken to skillet and cook for 4 minutes on each side or until cooked through. 
• Place chicken on a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.
• Add halved tomatoes and white wine to the pan and cook for 2 minutes, or until the liquid is nearly evaporated.
• To serve, toss salad greens in lemon juice mixture, and place greens on top of chicken. Top greens with tomatoes.

Chicken Saltimbocca

I will be the first to admit that I'm not exactly a huge chicken fan. I just think it's a bit bland, and would much rather be eating its red meat counterpart. That being said, I am currently in serious need of a detox. I visited one of my nearest and dearest in Nashville this weekend, and literally ate my way through the city. From BBQ and cheap and greasy Mexican to lots of gravy and late night taco bell - people, it's amazing I even made it to the plane without having a heart attack.

That being said, full on healthiness at this point would be way too much of a shock to the system. So, I give up the read meat and get a little cheese/prosciutto. Not too terrible a trade off. And, because the chicken is pounded out nice and thin and loaded with yummy tasting stuff, it was anything but bland. In fact, it was so filling that I didn't even crave dessert (I did have a glass of wine though - like I said, I don't want to totally throw myself into a tizzy).

I have reined in the recipe a bit to 4 servings of chicken (from the original 6), but Brad ate more than one piece, so if you have hungry guys (or gals!) at home, you might want to make a bit more.

Chicken Saltimbocca

Slightly Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

4 (3-ounce) chicken cutlets, pounded out thin and even

salt and pepper

4 thin slices prosciutto

1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1 (14-ounce) can low-sodium chicken broth

juice from half a lemon

• Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.
• Place one piece of prosciutto on top of each chicken cutlet.
• Strain thawed spinach, and squeeze with hands to remove excess water.
• In a small bowl, combine spinach with 1 tablespoon oil and salt and pepper.
• Place a thin layer of seasoned spinach on top of prosciutto.
• Evenly sprinkle Parmesan over all 4 cutlets.
• Roll each cutlet up like a jelly roll and secure in the middle with a toothpick.
• Heat remaining olive oil in a skillet over high heat.
• Brown chicken on both sides (just a few minutes per side).
• Add chicken broth and lemon juice, and scrape browned bits off bottom of pan.
• Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to medium for 8-10 minutes.
• Set chicken aside and tent to keep warm.
• Turn heat to high and simmer liquid until it is reduced to about 2/3 cup (about 5 minutes).
• Season liquid, if desired.
• Place chicken on plate and remove toothpicks. Top with sauce and serve.

New Orleans ain't so proud of me....

So the other day when I told you about the amazing fig cake, I neglected to mention the disaster that was the beginning of that meal. A little embarrassing considering we had company over (don't worry, they are good friends and are always given a fair warning that they will be used as guinea pigs). Most of my friends up here have never really had good southern cookin', so when given the chance, I like to introduce them some of my favorites. Since today most of the southern world will be spilling out huge pots of gumbo, I thought this would be the perfect time to share with you my own gumbo experience, and hope that yours will go much better! :)

I should go ahead and let you know that I really have no credentials to be cooking southern food, except for the fact that I've eaten my fair share. I grew up in north Florida, which is a combo of traditional southern types but also a lot of beachy, typical Florida people. Mom is from Tampa & Dad is from the backwoods of North Carolina. So I guess that heritage makes me half qualified. I didn't really get into my "southern roots" until I spent 4 glorious years in the wonderful town of Oxford, MS. People, you just don't get more southern than Ole Miss. If you've never been down there, I suggest you pull up next year's football schedule and book a ticket. You will be happy you did.

Anyways, I've already introduced the majority of my yankee friends (my husband was actually dubbed a "super yankee" by my best friends since he is from Canada) to things like biscuits and gravy and red beans and rice, but I thought I would do something a little more intense for dinner the other night. In the spirit of Mardis Gras, I decided to make a chicken-andouille sausage gumbo.

First off, I had to take apart a whole chicken - which I have no idea how to do. Good thing the chicken was just shredded to bits in the end because it was looking a little scary by the time I was done attempting to butcher it. I boiled the chicken down, creating a really nice stock, and then things began to get a little crazy. The recipe called for cooking oil and flour until it turned a dark caramel color. Well in about half the suggested time, mine had turned totally black (see the picture!). Ooops. Everything else went fine, but this black gunk made the whole dish taste bitter and slightly oily. It also stuck to everything and made for a serious clean-up session.

It's so disappointing when something so labor intensive and promising turns out like this. But I wanted to share since experiences like this, although unpleasant, are just part of learning to cook. Guess I have to get a little more in touch with my southern roots before I try something like this again! I'm not going to post the recipe, because at this point I don't know if it was me or it that caused the debacle, but if you would like it please let me know and I would be happy to add it for you. The one good thing that did come out of this meal, aside from the wonderful company, was some great made-from-scratch cornbread that I will share with you soon!

Hope everyone gets a big slice of King Cake today served up along side of a Hurricane (and no hangover tomorrow)!

Ellie's Maple-Mustard Chicken & Orange Sweet Potatoes

As of yesterday, the soon-to-be-hubby and I are exactly 2 months away from our wedding. That means that not only is it time for me to crackdown on the last little details, but it's also time for us to switch into healthy eating mode - pronto. Neither of us are out of shape and I already run 5 days a week, but there is just something about a wedding that makes you want to look and feel your best. I think the whole few hundred people watching you, coupled with pictures that will be immortalized amongst your family for many years to to come would probably get to anyone. Plus, my first dress fitting is tomorrow and bloated is not the feeling I'm going for.

So last night we decided to start our healthy eating kick with a dish from the Food Network's very own registered dietitian, Ellie Krieger. Ellie always cooks with an eye towards health, but also makes food that looks pretty darn appetizing. I'm a pretty hard critic when it comes to "health food" though. I don't want something that just tastes good, I want something that tastes just as good as the full-fat, high-calorie, oh-so-delicious meal it's trying to replace. Girl has to have her standards. We went to Canyon Ranch once and ate nothing but healthy meals the whole time we were there. People always rave about their food, but let me tell you, by the end of 5 days you will be begging for a piece of white toast.

Due to my overwhelming fear of that big white dress I have to put on tomorrow though, I decided to give it a shot. We made maple-mustard chicken thighs with a side of mashed sweet potatoes with orange essence. The chicken thighs are really simple to make, just coat the thighs with some of the sauce and throw 'em in the oven for close to an hour. The chicken comes out of the oven super moist and almost falling off the bone. The maple-mustard sauce forms a thick coating and definitely gives the meat some flavor. Although I'm a big fan of mustard, I personally found the mustard flavor a bit overpowering. It's very intense, so if I was to make it again I might cut back on the amount of sauce I coated the thighs in. If you do not absolutely love mustard, then this probably is not the recipe for you.

Now for the potatoes -- oh what to say. These suckers were anything but fantastic. They had a really strange flavor with the combination of the buttermilk and orange juice, and I personally didn't care for it in the least. Hubby-to-be didn't eat more than one bite (and that says a lot!). All in, my advice is to steer clear of this recipe and just bake yourself a nice sweet potato with a good pat of butter.

Okay, strike one for the healthy meal ideas. We might need to wait a little while before we try that again...

Ellie's Maple-Mustard Chicken Thighs (all nutritional information can be found at this link)
Adapted from Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger - Ellie Krieger

4 large bone-in chicken thighs, with the skins removed
2 tablespoons French mustard (grainy kind)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
2 tablespoons maple syrup

• Preheat the oven to 375° F.
• After removing the skin from the chicken, rinse each thigh under water then dry with paper towels.
• In a small bowl, mix together the 2 mustards, chopped garlic, marjoram and syrup.
• Place the thighs in a glass baking dish and spread the maple-mustard mixture on top of each piece.
• Bake for 45-50 minutes, and make a small cut in one thigh to ensure the chicken is cooked all the way through (no pink).
  

Ellie's Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Orange Essence
Adapted from Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger - Ellie Krieger

4 sweet potatoes
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 teaspoons orange zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon butter (for topping if desired)

• Bring a pot with a steamer attachment to a boil.
• Peel the potatoes and cut into a large dice.
• Place the potatoes inside the steamer and steam for about 8 minutes, or until they are fork tender.
• Transfer the potatoes to a medium sized bowl and stir in the buttermilk and orange juice.
• Mash the potatoes with a fork so that they are smooth but with a few chunks.
• Add in the zest, salt and nutmeg and stir to combine.
• Serve immediately and top each individual serving with a pat of butter, if desired.

Potato Chips for Dinner!

Robin Roberts, from Good Morning America, was on Emeril the other day whipping up a few of her favorite southern inspired dishes. This one mimics fried chicken with a crunchy crust, but is baked not fried. Don't get too excited though, cause this sucker falls a little short of healthy. First, each piece of chicken is dunked into a pool of melted butter and then liberally coated with smashed up potato chips. The great news is that the whole dish is literally that simple. Just add a little salt, pepper, and garlic, pop in the oven, and a few minutes later you have a great chicken dinner that even the kids will eat. I'm no expert, but I bet serving your kids potato chips for dinner might just win you the "Coolest Mom in the World" title (at least until you switch and become "Bedtime Enforcer" later in the evening).

The chicken actually tasted amazing too, and I am not a chicken person. It was moist and tender and had great flavor. The recipe calls for you to use chicken breasts, but I used chicken cutlets (which Robin recommended on the show) instead. They ended up being a sort of modified chicken tender. At first I had grand ambitions of making the mashed potatoes that she makes on the show as well, but I decided one new dish was enough for a week night and settled for a bagged salad instead. The recipe includes the mashed potatoes though, so please have at it and let me know how they are!

Please visit the link below for the recipe:

Robin's Potato Chip Chicken
Adapted from Emeril Live - Robin Roberts