Santa Barbara has an amazing farmer's market, which is just another reason I love this town so much. Last weekend, I had plans to visit my family down south and knew I would be doing some cooking, so I made sure to stop at the Saturday morning market to get some fruits and veggies on my way. I picked up some gorgeous green beans, white corn, and tomatoes for a veggie sauté, and some yukon gold potatoes to make garlic mashed potatoes. There was a ton of beautiful apples as well, and when I found a pear stand, I knew I had to make an apple and pear crumble. Nothing is better than cooking with and for loved ones + using fresh local produce... when it comes to cooking, the final product is only as good as what you put into it.
Parmesan Chicken with Arugula, Sautéed Vegetables, and Garlic Mashed Potatoes
This meal has a lot of steps, but nothing about it is difficult. The key is doing as much prep work in advance as possible, which I explain how to do below. And of course, if you can, get your friends or family to help you out, which always makes things more fun. My mom and brother, Michael, got to work with me, and it was so much more enjoyable cooking with them by my side. Plus, Michael was my personal food photographer throughout the night, which was amazing. Thanks Michael : )
Ingredients: (serves 6)
3 big or 6 small chicken breasts
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 cup all purpose flour
3 eggs, beaten with a tablespoon of water
2 cups arugula
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
2 lbs yukon gold potatoes
3 garlic cloves
1/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons butter
1 yellow onion, diced
3 ears white corn, kernels cut off the cob
1 bunch green beans, ends trimmed and cut in half
1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1 tablespoon olive oil + 1 tablespoon butter
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Prep work:
On a large cutting board, prep all your veggies so they're good to go when it comes time to cook them. Chop the onion, slice the corn off the cob, and slice the tomatoes and green beans in half.
For the arugula salad, which goes on top of the chicken, roughly chop up the arugula (unless you bought it prepped for you) and place in a bowl. Make the lemon vinaigrette by combining the lemon juice, olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place the vinaigrette in the fridge and wait to toss it over the arugula until it's time to serve the dinner.
Grab three large plates and line them up on the counter. Fill the first plate with the flour, the second with the beaten eggs, and the last plate with the breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese mixed together.
Take the chicken breasts, pat dry with paper towels, and place in between two pieces of wax or parchment paper. Using a meat mallet or rolling pin, pound out the chicken to 1/4 inch thickness. If the breasts are large, cut them in half so you now have two portions. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
Prepare a baking sheet with a wire wrack on top. Using tongs, take each chicken breast and dredge each side in the flour. Shake off the excess flour then place in the beaten eggs, and finally coat in the breadcrumb mixture. Put the chicken breasts side by side on the wire wrack.
(cover and place in the fridge if you're prepping hours in advance)
Wash the potatoes, then cut them into quarters. Place in a large pot and fill with cold water. Remove the skin from the garlic (smash the flat side of a knife with your hand in a fist onto the garlic clove and the skin will come right off) and throw the whole cloves into the pot.
I always do any chopping or other prep work in advance, sometimes even hours before, so that I'm not stressed when it comes to the actual cooking, and everything comes together with ease.
When you're ready to start cooking, drizzle the chicken breasts with olive oil. Place in the preheated oven and cook for 25 - 30 minutes.
Once the chicken is in the oven, begin cooking the potatoes. Season the pot with a good amount of salt (this is the key to great mashed potatoes. You must season the potatoes very well BEFORE they begin to cook). Turn the heat on the stove up to high, and bring the potatoes to a boil. Reduce the heat to a low boil and cook until the potatoes begin to break apart when you stab them with a fork, about 20 minutes.
Now onto the veggies. Fill a small pot up with water, and bring to a boil on the stove.
Place a large saute pan on another burner over medium low heat, and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. Allow to heat up for a minute.
When the pan is ready, first add in the onion, and cook for 5 minutes. Next, add in the corn and stir around. At this point, drop the green beans into the boiling water and allow to boil for about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, pull out the green beans and throw into the pan with the onions and corn. Cook for 2 more minutes then add the tomatoes. Season everything with salt and pepper, give the pan a good stir, then turn the heat to very low so everything stays warm, but doesn't overcook.
Once the potatoes are tender, drain them into a colander. Place the pot back on the stove with the heat on low and add the 1/4 cup milk and 3 tablespoons butter. Allow the butter to melt, then throw the potatoes back into the pot. Using a large fork or potato masher, mash up the potatoes. Season with a little salt and a lot of fresh cracked pepper. Taste and season more if necessary. Turn off the heat and put a lid on the pot to keep the potatoes warm.
Once the chicken comes out of the oven and everything is done, toss the arugula with a drizzle of the lemon vinaigrette. Top each chicken breast with some arugula, and serve with the veggies and potatoes.
Apple and Pear Crumble
Ingredients:
Filling:
3 granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced small
3 pears, peeled and diced small
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Topping:
1/3 cup old fashioned oats
1/3 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of salt
6 tablespoons chilled butter butter, cut into small pieces
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all the ingredients for the filling and place in a medium sized baking dish.
For the topping, combine all the dry ingredients, then mix in the butter using your fingers, and crumble all over the filling.
Bake for 35 - 40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream.
Mmmmm fall baking at it's best!
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