Pork Cutlets with Arugula & Jammy Tomatoes

This is another wonderful dish that showcased my CSA greens. Arugula is my favorite item to receive in my weekly share. I supplemented my CSA arugula with Trader Joe’s wild arugula to make this salad.

This light Italian dish was adapted from Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food. I modified the proportions, method, and plating. Delicious!

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

• 3 T fresh lemon juice, plus wedges for serving (2 lemons)
• 9 T extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 boneless pork chops (about 2 pounds total), cut in half horizontally to make six 5 to 6-ounce chops, fat trimmed
• 6 T all-purpose flour
• 2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
• 3/4 pound arugula, thick stems trimmed
• shaved Parmesan, for serving

1. Make the Dressing: In a small bowl, combine lemon juice and 6 tablespoons of oil. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. One at a time, place pork chops between two large pieces of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet or the bottom of a small heavy pan, pound until 1/4 inch thick.
3. On a plate, combine flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
4. Coat each cutlet with flour mixture, shaking off excess. Set aside.
5. In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high. (I used a 12-inch cast iron skillet.)
6. Add tomatoes, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Remove tomatoes and season with salt and pepper; set aside.
7. In same skillet, heat another tablespoon of oil over medium-high. Add 3 cutlets; cook until browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn over; cook until opaque throughout, about 30 seconds more.
8. Transfer to a plate; cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm.
9. Repeat with remaining 3 cutlets, using another tablespoon of oil.
10. Toss arugula with the dressing, using as much as desired. (I had extra dressing.)
11. Place arugula on a platter and top with cutlets, sautéed tomatoes, and shaved Parmesan. Garnish with lemon wedges, if desired.

Ina Garten’s Parmesan Chicken

This second breaded chicken dish is one of Ina Garten’s favorite weeknight meals, second only to roasted chicken. It has a wonderful balance between the crispy meat and lemony greens. We loved it!

The recipe was adapted from Barefoot Contessa Family Style by Ina Garten, via Barefoot Contessa.com. I substituted a combination of boneless chicken thighs and legs for chicken breasts, of course. 😉 I also used large eggs and modified the proportions in the dressing as well as the presentation. We ate it with roasted asparagus and rice. It was an absolute crowd-pleaser.

Yield: Serves 6 to 8

For the Lemon Vinaigrette:

Yield: Makes 3/4 Cup

• 4 T freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1 to 2 lemons)
• 6 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Reserve.

For the Parmesan Chicken & To Serve:

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs and 7 boneless skinless chicken legs
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large eggs plus 1 egg white
• 1 1/4 cups seasoned dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving (I used Parmigiano-Reggiano)
• 2 T unsalted butter, divided (I used 1 T per batch)
• 2 T extra-virgin olive oil, divided (I used 1 T per batch)
• salad greens
• lemon vinaigrette (recipe above)

1. Pound the chicken meat between 2 layers of plastic wrap, to 1/4 inch thick. You can use either a meat mallet or a rolling pin.
2. Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a dinner plate or in a glass pie dish.
3. On a second plate or dish, beat the eggs and egg white with 1 tablespoon of water.
4. On a third plate or dish, combine the bread crumbs and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese.
5. Coat the chicken on both sides with the flour mixture, then dip both sides into the egg mixture and dredge both sides in the bread crumb and cheese mixture, pressing lightly.
6. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet or sauté pan (I used a 14-inch skillet) and cook 3 to 6 pieces of chicken, depending on size, on medium-low heat 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until lightly browned and cooked through, 165 degrees in the center.
7. Lightly salt the hot chicken after removing it from the pan. Place in a warm oven or warming drawer while cooking the next batch.
8. Add more butter and oil and cook the rest of the chicken as above. (I cooked the chicken in 2 batches.)
9. Toss the salad greens with lemon vinaigrette.
10. Place a mound of salad on the center of each individual plate and top with extra Parmesan and hot chicken. (I used shaved Parmesan as topping and sliced the chicken.) Serve.

Chicken Saltimbocca with Crunchy Pea Salad

I have several weeknight chicken dishes to share. I’m starting with this classic Italian dish.

This is a home-cooked version of an incredible restaurant dish, substituting chicken for veal. Saltimbocca translates to “jumps in your mouth,” the perfect description for this amazingly flavorful prosciutto and sage wrapped meat.

The recipe was adapted from Bon Appétit, contributed by Aaron Crowder, Katie Jackson, and Nick Perkins. I substituted chicken thighs for chicken breasts and used a combination of parsley and cilantro instead of fresh mint. We ate it with sautéed broccoli rabe and roasted potatoes. The chicken was crispy on the outside and moist and tender on the inside. Delicious!

Yield: Serves 4

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs or 2 (8oz) skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 3 large eggs, beaten to blend
• 2 cups panko
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• Kosher salt
• 8 sage leaves
• 4 to 8 thin slices prosciutto (enough to wrap the chicken)
• 2 cups vegetable oil
• 4 scallions, very thinly sliced on a diagonal
• 8 oz sugar snap peas, strings removed, thinly sliced
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup parsley, cilantro, and/or mint leaves, torn if large
• 2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 1 T fresh lemon juice
• 1 T extra-virgin olive oil
• flaky sea salt
• lemon wedges, for serving

1. If using chicken thighs, place a thigh on a cutting board between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Gently pound as thin as possible without tearing the meat, about 1/4-inch thick. Repeat with remaining thighs. (If using chicken breasts, place a chicken breast on a cutting board. Holding a knife parallel to board and working along a long side, cut through center of breast until you are ½” from the other side. Open like a book and place butterflied breast between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Gently pound as thin as possible without tearing meat—about 1/4″ thick and 8″ wide is ideal. Repeat with remaining breast.)
2. Place eggs, panko, and flour in separate shallow bowls (cake pans or pie plates work great).
3. Season meat lightly with kosher salt.
4. Working with 1 piece of chicken at a time, press 2 sage leaves onto both sides of meat.
5. Wrap 2 pieces of prosciutto around each cutlet to make a belt that holds in the sage. (I used about 2 1/2 pieces per thigh.)
6. Dredge in flour, shaking off excess.
7. Dip in eggs, letting excess drip back into bowl.
8. Coat in panko, pressing lightly to help it adhere, then shaking off excess.
9. Place cutlets on a rimmed baking sheet.
10. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high until very hot (an instant-read thermometer should register 350°–375°).
11. Carefully lower 1 breast along the side of the skillet closest to you and let it slide into oil so it’s lying flat. (I cooked 2 thighs at a time.) Swirl oil in skillet carefully so that cutlet is submerged and cook just until bottom side is golden brown, about 2 minutes.
12. Using tongs, carefully turn and cook until golden brown on the other side, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; season with kosher salt. Let sit 5 minutes. Repeat with remaining meat.
13. Toss scallions, peas, herbs, lemon zest and juice, and olive oil in a medium bowl; season with kosher salt.
14. Arrange chicken on a platter and top with pea salad. Sprinkle with sea salt; serve with lemons.