Saturday, December 20, 2008

Winter Wonderland




As I forgot to take pictures of the yummy dinner we made last night, I thought I would entertain you with pictures of the snowstorm instead :)
Dinner last night was Parmesan-panko baked chicken, oven roasted broccoli and watercress salad with a roasted tomato dressing courtesy of Tyler Florence....I was napping during this part so can't take any credit for the dressing! In fact, to be honest, the only thing I did do was the broccoli! Here are the recipes anyway...The chicken was delicious and perfectly cooked even though it did look slightly anemic....we choose a lower oven temp so the kitchen wouldn't fill with smoke! Check previous posts for the oven roasted broccoli recipe.
Roasted-Tomato Dressing
Ingredients
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 clove garlic, smashed
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling, plus 1/4 cup for the dressing
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
Handful fresh parsley leaves
2 bunches hydroponic watercress (feathery variety)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Take a roasting dish and lay the tomatoes out with the garlic. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in the oven and roast for 15 to 20 minutes until the tomatoes have burst and juices are slightly caramelized.
Remove from the oven and place in a blender with all the pan juices. Add the red wine vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil, sugar, parsley, and salt and pepper. Pulse until well combined. Set aside to cool. in the refrigerator. Once cool, drizzle the roasted tomato dressing over mounds of watercress.


Parmesan-Panko Crusted Chicken (From Ana Pump's, "Summer on a Plate")
Ingredients
3 large skinless/boneless chicken breasts
3 Tbsp peanut oil
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup dijon mustard
1 1/2 Tbsp honey
1 1/2 cups panko or dry bread crumbs
2 Tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Directions
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F (we used 425 degrees F). Brush a metal sheet pan with 1 Tbsp of the peanut oil and set aside.
Combine the mayo, mustard, and honey in a small bowl. Mix together the panko, salt, pepper and parmesan on a large sheet pan. Cover both sides of the chicken breasts, first with the mayonnaise mixture, then generously coat each breast wuth the panko mixture. Place the chicken on the oiled sheet and drizzle with the remaining peanut oil. Bake 20-25 minutes ( depending on what temperature you choose).

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

I'm back :)

Exactly 11 months after my last post, I am back! Keep an eye out for more regular posts :)