Pecan Crusted Chicken

Have you ever wanted to marry your food?  Beware- you might want to marry this chicken.  While I was making it, I was just going over the proposal in my head..

My husband had texted me while he was at Whole Foods and asked me if I needed any meat.  I quickly grabbed my Cook's Illustrated Cookbook to find the fried chicken I wanted to try, but before I found it, I was sidetracked by the Pecan Crusted Chicken in the index.  I immediately went to that recipe and never looked back.

This chicken was relatively easy to make and well worth any extra effort it took (grinding pecans in food processor). Since there are toasted nuts and panko crumbs for the coating, this baked chicken still came out crispy and flavorful. The hint of lemon from the zest and the thyme really complimented the flavor, I was tempted to just eat the coating on its own!  It was such a hit at dinner, my grandmother told me it was the best chicken she's ever had (and she's 83!) If that's not a compliment, I don't know what is.

Add this to your menu for next week, you'll be glad you did!

Pecan Crusted Chicken:


Oven:  350'

4 boneless breast chicken, tenderloins removed
4 TBSP unsalted butter
1 shallot, chopped finely
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup pecans, coarsely ground (about 20 pulses in food processor)
1 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1 tsp thyme
1/2 cup flour
3 eggs

Preheat oven to 350' and set wire baking rack over a cookie sheet, set aside.

1) Prepare chicken by removing tenderloins, set aside.

2) Melt butter in 12 inch skilled until browned and bubbly.  Add the chopped shallot and salt and stir until fragrant, about 4 minutes.  Next, add chopped pecans and panko crumbs, occasionally stir until golden and toasted, about 8 minutes.

3) Remove pan from heat, pour crumb mixture into a shallow dish, such as a pie pan.  Mix in the lemon zest, thyme, and pepper.  Stir.

4) Put about 1/2 cup flour in a medium bowl.  Evenly coat the chicken in the flour.

5) Beat the eggs in another medium bowl.  Dip and coat the floured chicken with the egg mixture.

6) Place the egg coated chicken in the pie pan with the crumb mixture, evenly coat each piece with crumbs, lightly press to set the crumbs.  Place the chicken on a wire baking rack set over a cookie sheet and bake in oven for 20-30 minutes.

7) Serve with lemon wedges and enjoy!

Source:  Adapted from Cook's Illustrated Cookbook

Thin Crust Pizza (take two)

Every Friday since we lived in Japan, I make homemade pizza.  Since moving into our new house, for some reason, I really haven't been happy with how the pizza has been turning out.  I have been experimenting with different crust recipes, different procedures, and different cooking temps.  Be prepared to see pizza on here a lot in the upcoming month.  I have found two delicious ways to make deep dish pizza, and three different ways to make a thin crust, depending on what you're looking for.

The pizza restaurant I worked at through high school and college, had a pretty fluffy crust and thin, crispy bottom.  This is what I have achieved with this recipe.  The solution to my problem of a dry burnt cheese on top came to me about a month ago.  I was putting the pizza on a cold stone into a hot oven.  At the restaurant, the pizza went right into a hot oven on a hot surface- cooking the bottom faster, to help create a crispier texture.

I posted about pizza before, but I hate the picture I took and I found a different crust recipe that I think is easier and makes more dough.  This crust is of course, from America's Test Kitchen- Family Baking Book.

Pizza Crust:

4 cups bread flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 tsp yeast (1 packet)
2 TBSP olive oil
1 1/2 cup warm water
corn meal for dusting the bottom of the dough

1) Put pizza stone in oven.  Preheat to 450'.  Put flour, salt, and yeast in bowl of food processor fitted with the dough blade.  (If you don't have a food processor, you can use a stand mixer with the dough hook).  Pulse to combine

2) Add olive oil, pulse a few times to combine.  Pour in water, mix to combine into a ball, about 30 seconds.  Let rest for 30 seconds, then mix for two minutes to knead the dough.

3) Grease a bowl and place the dough in the bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm area until doubled, about 2 hours.  (I found that letting it go that extra 1/2 hr rising, makes a difference in the texture of the dough when cooked.  I usually make the dough at 2 in the afternoon for a 5 o'clock dinner).

4) Remove dough from bowl, divide in half.  Using one piece at a time, roll it on a counter lightly sprinkled with cornmeal (you can use a rolling pin or spread it with your hands, which will require more cornmeal).  Once dough is shaped, and you use your fingers to pinch a crust around the edges, careully lift the dough and place it on a lightly cornmealed pizza peel ( I still don't have a pizza peel, so I've been using a large cutting board- you can use the bottom of a rimmed cookie sheet too).  The cornmeal helps the pizza slide off the surface when you shake it into the oven.

5) Gently swirl sauce and sprinkle cheese and toppings onto pizza.  Carefully open the oven, pull out the rack with the hot stone on it.  Starting at the back side of the stone, slowly wiggle the peel or cutting board, the pizza should slide off of it onto the hot stone.  Close oven door and bake about 10-15 minutes until crust is light brown.

Source:  America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book

Black Bean Burritos

Ok, if you know me, you might be thinking, "did she seriously make and eat black bean burritos?"  Yes, I did and in fact, I have made them MANY times!  All of my kids but one will eat them and it literally takes all of ten minutes to make- that sold me on the recipe right there.

When I was a kid, my mom made this 1,000,000 bean soup - no lie, there were that many beans in it.  She would not let us leave the table until we ate it.  It took some serious strategy to figure out how to make it disappear without eating it, but luckily I was sitting relatively close to the trash.  Since then, I have been averse to beans, with the exception of course to Boston Baked Beans.

This winter, I made some chili, which I will post about later, that had black beans in it.  They were surprisingly good.  I'm really trying to make more quality healthy meals for my family and I thought this recipe sounded good and I know beans are healthy.  I'm glad I tried it because I truly enjoyed it.  If you like black beans, give this a try, or if you've never cooked with them, give this a try- you might surprise yourself too.

Black Bean Burritos:
(Note:  this recipe can easily be cut in half, I have done that too)

2 cloves garlic
2 tsp canola oil
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp minced chipotle chili in adobo sauce (I omitted, but if you like spice, put it in)
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/3 cup water, chicken broth, OR vegetable broth
2 15-oz cans black beans, draine and rinsed
6 TBSP salsa

To serve:
flour tortillas
shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream
sliced green onion
lettuce

1) Heat oil in skillet.  Add minced garlic into pan, along with chili powder, minced chipotle chili, and salt.  Cook until fragrant 30-40 seconds.

2) Add beans and water or broth to pan, bring to a boil over medium heat.  Reduce heat to a simmer for ten minutes, stirring occasionally.

3) Remove pan from heat, stir in salsa, and slightly mash up some of the beans with the back of a spoon.

4) Lay a tortilla on a plate, put on lettuce, cheese, and sour cream.  Scoop on the bean mix, top with chopped onion, roll up, and enjoy!

Source:  adapted from Pink Parsley, who adapted it from Cooking Light, January 2010

Skillet Lasagna

Monday nights I take a class and I need to leave home by 5:45.  I need to have dinner made and kids eating before I leave, so I usually like to have something quick and easy. Recently, I started making my way through the Skillet Meals chapter in my America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook.  This lasagna will be the fourth skillet meal I've made within the past month.

Let's put it this way, this lasagna was so good and easy to make, I may never make one in the oven again. In less than one hour, I started to make the meal, photographed it, and had it on the table.  One thing I don't like about making lasagna is that the noodles always stick together and rip when cooked and you are trying to layer them.  Even if you use the non-cook noodles, you still have to layer and it just takes time.  Even a novice can make this and have it taste good too.

The hardest thing in the recipe was dicing the onion- seriously!  If you've never made lasagna before, or are intimidated by it, I'd suggest you give this a try.  It's going to be added to our family's regular meal rotation, that's for sure!

Skillet Lasagna:

1 28 oz can diced tomatoes (I only had crushed, so that's what I used)
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 medium onion
3 garlic cloves
1 TBSP olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
pinch red pepper flakes
10 lasagna noodles (broken into 2 inch segments)
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 lb ground beef
3 TBSP fresh basil (I used a few tsp dried)

1) Put diced tomatoes in a 4 cup measuring bowl.  Add water until it reaches the 4 cup mark- set aside.

2) Heat olive oil in 12 inch skillet.  Add in diced onion and salt, then saute until shiny, about 4-5 minutes.  Add in minced garlic and red pepper flakes, stirring until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Mix in ground beef, and saute over medium heat until meat is no longer pink, about 5 minutes.

3) Place broken lasagna noodles on top of beef.  Pour the diced tomato/water mix on top of the noodles, and then add in the tomato sauce.  Cover, and let simmer for 20 minutes over medium low heat.  Stir occasionally.

4) Remove from heat, add in all but 3-4 TBSP of parmesan cheese, mix to combine.  Drop spoonfuls of ricotta cheese on top of the lasagna, sprinkle with basil, and serve topped with a sprinkle of the remaining parmesan cheese.

Roasted Garlic and Cauliflower Soup

I realize it's been quite some time since I actually posted a recipe that wasn't a dessert or breakfast.  This soup is sooo delicious!  In fact, it's so good, that I have probably made it once a week since first trying it before Thanksgiving.  I haven't posted it yet because I was never happy with how the pictures turned out.

I'm happy to say that yesterday, my budding 4 year old photographer and I got a good shot.  As I was pouring the hot soup, she set up the chair by the window, with a cloth on it, and even carried the bowl of soup over without even being asked.  When I turned around I was surprised to see the shot all set up, so I went with it.  So, what you see is all Hazel's doing.  She even asked to use the remote so she could "take the shot".

This soup is loaded with vegetable goodness and won't disappoint.  You can top it with crumbled bacon or serve with toasted bread. (or in this case, a toasted homemade bagel-recipe to come).  When I said I made it about every week, I'm not kidding, I've eaten it for lunch 3 out of 5 days every week- even Hazel loves it.  If you're looking for a way to sneak veggies in to unsuspecting picky eaters, this might be the way.

One time, I found "carnival cauliflower" at the grocery store- it was purple.  I thought it would be fun- see photos below of the purple cauliflower in the simmering soup.  When it was pureed, I thought it would be an awesome purple, but with the celery and carrots, the color got muted to a grey mauve.  It still tasted just as good.

Roasted Garlic and Cauliflower soup:


Source:  Cooks Like a Champion, who adapted it from GoodLifeEats

Oven:  400'

1 head cauliflower
1 head garlic
1 TBSP olive oil
3 oz bacon (or 2 TBSP butter)
1 medium carrot
1 1/2 celery stalks
1 small onion
1 TBSP flour
1/4 tsp thyme
1/8 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup white wine
1 bay leaf
2 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup half and half

1) Preheat oven to 400'.  Cut cauliflower florets off head and place on baking sheet, toss with olive oil, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.  Cut top off garlic head, so the tops of the cloves are exposed.

Drizzle a little bit of olive oil on top of garlic.  Wrap garlic head in aluminum foil and place on baking sheet with cauliflower. Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes.  Take cauliflower out and leave garlic in for 5 more minutes, then remove from oven to cool. Once garlic is cool, squeeze the cloves out of the head, discard the head.

2) In stockpan, cook bacon until crisp- remove bacon and let drain on a paper towel.  Discard all of the grease, except for 1 TBSP.  Put the 1 TBSP grease back in the pot.  If you are vegetarian or do not have bacon on hand, you can simply melt 2 TBSP butter in the pan and use this for the grease.

3) Dice the onion, carrot, and celery, add to pot, and saute for about 10 minutes.  Add in spices and flour, stir for about 30 seconds.  Add in the white wine and water, then mix, until simmering, about 2 minutes.  Add in garlic, bay leaf, and chicken stock, let cook at a simmer for 10 minutes.

4) Add cauliflower and let cook five more minutes.  Discard the bay leaf.  Place soup in your blender and puree to desired consistency.  If you like chunky, you might want to only puree half. I like mine smooth, so I pureed it all.

5) Return soup back to pan, add in the half and half, mix to combine, then serve.  Top with crumbled bacon, season with salt and pepper and serve.

Even the baby enjoyed the soup- nothing like a nap on a full stomach with your favorite stuffed animal!