Polenta Crusted Chicken, Tricolor Salad, Bartlett Pear, Toasted Hazlenuts

Chicken and salad is about as basic as it gets.  With a little more effort you make that ordinary dish amazing. This recipe feeds three, costs about $15 dollar and takes 30 minutes or less.

Polenta Crusted Chicken
1 cup fine ground polenta (cornmeal)
1 cup all purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
3 thin sliced chicken breasts
salt and pepper
1/3 cup vegetable oil


In a large frying pan start the oil on medium heat and let heat for 10 minutes.  While heating the oil, mix the polenta and the flour.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper and dredge in bowl with beaten eggs, then coat the breast with the polenta mixture.  Push hard  for a good crust.  Dust off excess crust and fry in heated oil for about 5 minutes on each side or until golden.  Let sit on paper towel.


Tricolor Salad
1 head of Radicchio
1 head Belgian Endive
1 bunch of arugula
1 Bartlett pear, diced
1/4 cup of hazelnuts, chopped and toasted


Balsamic Vinaigrette
3 tablespoons real 25 yr old balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1/2 small shallot, diced
1 pinch marjoram
salt and pepper
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil


Mix the ingredients for the dressing in a large salad bowl.  Add Salad season with a little salt and pepper and toss with the vinaigrette.  Serve the Chicken Down and the salad on top.  The warm chicken and salad combo makes for a tasty and health dinner.  Thanks to Pad and Dre for coming thru to enjoy.  Buon Apetite!!

Panzanella Salad

This simple, classic salad is refreshing and easy to make. The main components of panzanella are dry or semi stale bread soaked in water or vinaigrette and fresh tomatoes. This salad cost $15, feeds two and takes 20 minutes or less.

Panzanella Salad

1/4 piece of italian or french bread, toasted to dry or semi stale, large chunks

1 organic garden tomato

1 package organic arugula

1 piece fresh buffala mozzarella

Sherry Vinaigrette

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon fresh herb (thyme, oregano, basil or whatever)

salt and pepper

Start by making the vinaigrette. Then add the tomatoes and the bread to the vinaigrette and toss. Let sit 5 minutes. Chop the mozzarella into small cubes and then toss the mozzarella and arugula into the tomatoes and bread. Season with salt and pepper. Buon Apetito!!

Alaskan Halibut with Wild Rice, Zucchini and Arugula Puree

I have really been getting back into eating fish. Its delicious, nutritious and easy to prepare. Halibut is a cold water fish that is very delicate. It can easily be over cooked and ruined so pay attention to the cook time and the fish itself while cooking. I had this beautiful organic wild rice also so I decided to make them a team. This dish takes 45 minutes, costs $20 and feeds one.

Pan Seared Alaskan Halibut
1 6oz Alaskan Halibut Filet
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon butter
salt and pepper

Pre heat the oven to 350. Start a saute pan on medium high heat. Add oil and butter the season the fish with salt and pepper on each side. Once the pan is hot add the fish and let cook for 4 to five minutes or until golden. Turn the fish and place the whole pan in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove and delicately serve.

Wild Rice Pilaf
1 cup long grain organic wild rice
3 cups cold water
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

Rinse the rice well in cold water. Start a sauce pan with 3 cups of water and a cup of the wild rice. Bring to a boil then cover and turn down to simmer. let it cook for 45 minute to an hour or until rice grains have popped and are tender. Drain then add salt and the chopped basil. Serve warm or cold.

Butter Poached Zucchini
1/4 cup yellow squash, chopped
1/4 cup zucchini, chopped
1/8 cup red onion, chopped
1/8 cup fresh tomato, chopped
1/8 cup vegetable stock
3 tablespoon butter

Start a small saucepan on medium low. Add stock, butter, onions, zucchini and squash. Let cook for 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Then add the tomatoes and let cook ten more minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Arugula Puree
1 cup arugula, rough chopped
1/8 cup vegetable stock
1 teaspoon onion, finely chopped

Add all ingredients to a small saute pan and turn to medium. Let cook ten minutes or until arugula is very soft. Puree in a food processor then strain. You as a garnishing sauce.

After putting this all together I was pleasantly pleased at how well it all worked together. The buttery vegetable with the buttery fish was rich and the earthyness of the wild rice made a great combination. Buon Apetito!!

Ham and Fontina Panini

Ham and cheese is a classic. I used Boarshead Maple Glazed Ham and some slightly aged Fontina. Fontina is a soft, cow's milk Italian cheese from the Aosta Valley in North West Italy. It is soft when young, but aged Fontina becomes hard and more pungent. Its great either way but for a panini the younger and softer is better. I also used some arugula, sliced red delicious apple and a strawberry mustard dressing as toppings. 2 Sandwiches for about $5. Takes 10 minutes.

Ham and Fontina Panini

4 slices of 5 grain Italian Bread, 3/8" slice
1/4 lb maple glazed maple, split between the two sandwiches
1/8 Fontina cheese, thin sliced, spilt between the two sandwiches
1/2 red delicious apple, thin sliced
1 handful fresh arugula

Strawberry Mustard Dressing

1 tablespoon olive oil mayonnaise
1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
1 teaspoon strawberry preserves

Dress all four pieces of bread on one side. Lay ham down, folding it into three. Top it with the sliced apple then arugula. Now lay two slices of cheese on top. Press for 2 to 3 minutes on the panini press. Let it rest on a baking rack for a few minutes to cool. Slice and serve with some grapes for a great lunch.

Turkey and Smoked Gruyère Panini with Arugula Salad

Who doesn't love a salad and a sandwich for lunch? Here is a quick fix in 15 minutes. The parsley gives the sandwich a bright and fresh taste to compliment the bold cheese.

Turkey and Smoked Gruyère Panini

4 slices of onion multi-grain loaf
1/2 lb of Boarshead Cracked Peppermill turkey
1/8 lb Boarshead Smoked Gruyère Cheese
Handful of fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, rough chopped

Mustard Aioli
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon white balsamic vinegar
1 drop of agave nectar

Dress all four pieces of bread with the aioli. Place turkey, then chopped parsley, then cheese. Spray or brush the top of the bread with olive oil. Put in on the panini press and cook for 5 minutes. Let it rest on a baking rack or it will become soft on the bottom.

Arugula Salad

1 package of fresh washed arugula
1 roma tomato, chopped

Vinaigrette
1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon of white balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon of fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons of EV olive oil

In a large bowl combine the vinaigrette ingredients except the olive oil. Once well combined, slowly whisk in the olive oil. Toss the tomatoes in with the vinaigrette and mix well, then add the arugula and toss. Add salt and fresh pepper to taste.

Slice the panini cross wise and stack, toss the salad and you have a quick lunch for a great price. Enjoy

Spice Rubbed Pork Chop with Wilted Arugula and Apple-Thyme Butter

This quick and tasty dish take less then 30 minutes to make and hits all the right taste buds. Plus it feeds two people for about $10. So today I made this for lunch instead of overpaying at a bad restaurant.

Spiced Rubbed Pork Chop

2 bone-in pork chops (about 8 oz with bone)
1 teaspoon of Agave nectar or honey
1 teaspoon of Chinese 5 spice powder (or garam masala)
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon of coriander
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
2 oz vegetable oil

Start the oven at 350. Put a large frying pan on medium high heat (7 of 10) and add the oil. Coat the chops in the agave or honey and coat with the spice rub. Once the oil is hot place the pork chops in the pan, bone side to the center. Let cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until the pork gets a little charred. Turn the chops over and place the whole pan directly in the oven. Let that cook for 12 to 15 minutes depending on the thickness of the chop. Remove from the oven and let it rest at least 7 minutes before serving.

Apple-Thyme-Butter Sauce
1 red delicious apple skinned, cored an diced
1/2 stick of salted butter
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 pinch of 5 spice powder (or garam masala)

Start butter in a small saute pan on medium low heat (4 of 10). Once the butter has melted and started to brown, add the diced apples and let them cook together for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and add thyme and 5 spice powder.

Wilted Arugula
2 big handfuls of arugula, about 10 oz
1/4 onion, diced
1 oz olive oil

Start a medium sauté pan on low add olive oil and onions. Let that cook for at least 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the pork has finished resting and the apple sauce is done, addthe arugula to the pan and toss with the oil and onions for about 1 minute. Remoive from the heat and add directly to the plate.


The plating is simple with the pork on the plate and the sauce over the top. Fill the greens on to the bone side of the chop and it looks better then anything else you would see from a restaurant for lunch today.

Chicken Milanese

This is another one of those fast, cheap and delicious recipes that never gets old. You should be able to go from start to finish in under 45 minutes, an hour if you take your time. You can substitute pork, veal or turkey for the chicken and it remains just as awesome.

Chicken Breasts

4 free range chicken breasts, trimmed of the fat
2 cups of AP flour
2 cups Panko bread crumbs (sub white or Italian)
2 eggs, scrambled and heavily seasoned with salt and pepper
1 cups of Italian bread crumbs
3 oz of vegetable oil

First get set up by laying out three large baking dishes, i like to use 9" pie rounds or squares. Put them next to each other and fill the 1st with the flour, the 2nd with the eggs and the 3rd with the breadcrumbs. Put a baking sheet at the end, covered with wax paper for your completed chicken breasts.

Then, place a single chicken breast on a large cutting board and cover with a piece of plastic wrap. Lightly pound the chicken breast with the smooth side of a mallet, starting at the center and working outward. They will be about 3 times bigger then when you started, or about 1/2" thick. Don't hit it to hard or it will start to break up, practice makes prefect on this one.

Dredge the chicken breast in the flour and shake off the excess, dredge it in the egg mixture and drain off the excess, then dredge it in to the bread crumb mixture making sure to press the breadcrumbs firmly into the chicken breast. Set aside on the baking sheet and finish the remaining breasts. Start a large frying pan on medium high heat (6 of 10) and add the oil. Once the oil is hot add the chicken breasts one or two at a time so you do not over crowd the pan. They are ready quickly, about 5 minutes on each side or until they are golden brown. Place on a paper towel on the baking sheet.

Balsamic Viniagrette

3 oz good aged balsamic vinegar
3 oz extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon fresh marjoram or other aromatic herb (basil, thyme, oregano)
salt & pepper to taste

This is the best and easiest salad dressing to make ever. Mix all of the ingredient except the oil and whisk together. Slowly add the oil and keep whisking. Thats it, perfection is easy sometimes.

Salad

5 roma tomatoes, cut into 1/8 sections lengthwise
4 hand fulls of arugula or Italian salad blend (I prefer to use a blend of treviso, endive and arugula but this is what I had)
1/2 sweet vidialia onion thin sliced

Make the balsamic vinaigrette in a large salad bowl. Cut the tomatoes and onions and add them to the balsamic vinaigrette and let them soak at least 15 minutes. Once the chicken is done, add the salad mix to the tomatoes and toss. Place one piece of chicken on each plate and top it with your salad. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to the whole thing and garnish with a lemon wedge.

This recipe feeds 4 people and costs under $20. Add a few bottles of your favorite wine and you have a perfect double dinner date. I want to give a big thanks to Josue, for kitchen work, and Laura & Nicole for clean up. Good Times!

Classy Egg and Cheese on a Bagel

Egg and cheese sandwiches are probably the most popular breakfast food on the go. I decided to take this classic and move it up the class scale to get a new take on the old standard. I used 1 egg and about the same amount of pure egg whites and scrambled them into the size and shape of my bagel. The cheese is Brillat-Savarin (brie would be an easy sub). I toasted a whole wheat bagel, hit it with a little creme fraische and topped the whole thing with some tomato, fresh marjoram and arugula. From ordinary to extraordinary in the same amount of time as the ordinary. Yum breakfast!

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