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.

Pasta with Sausage, Basil, & Mustard

Happy Mother’s Day to all of the mom’s out there! ❤ I have a moment to share a recipe with you while my husband is making our celebratory pancake breakfast. 🙂

This is another dish from Food and Wine magazine’s 40th Anniversary Special Edition titled “Our 40 Best-Ever Recipes.” I’ve already made it twice because my son is obsessed! 😉

The recipe for this quick, easy and very tasty dish was adapted from British cookbook author Nigel Slater. I used a combination of sweet and hot Italian sausages. Fabulous!

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

• 1 pound penne, rigatoni or medium shells
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 hot Italian sausages, meat removed from casings and crumbled (about 3/4 pound)
• 4 sweet Italian sausages, meat removed from casings and crumbled (about 3/4 pound)
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons grainy mustard
• pinch of crushed red pepper
• 1 cup thinly sliced basil

1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente; drain.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet. Add the sausage meat and brown over moderately high heat, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the wine and simmer, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom, until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the cream, mustard and crushed red pepper and simmer for 2 minutes.
5. Remove the skillet from the heat, add the pasta and basil and toss to coat. Serve at once.

Italian Easter Bread Wreath

Happy Easter! I made this sweet and tender orange-scented bread to serve for breakfast with our hard-boiled Easter eggs. The texture was similar to panettone without the dried fruit.

As an aside, I have to share a photo of my Easter cat with his catnip carrot. ❤ We are all very festive in my house!

Because I live in fear of overbaking my sweets, I was disappointed that this loaf was slightly overdone after I had already significantly reduced the baking time in the original recipe. Don’t worry! We still gobbled it up, but, I modified the recipe below. The sweet orange glaze made it a crowd-pleaser.

This recipe was adapted from King Arthur Flour. I weighed all of the dry ingredients and used vanilla and orange extract instead of Fiori di Sicilia. I also reduced the baking time and tented the loaf during baking. Pretty.

Yield: One 10-inch round loaf

For the Starter:

• 120 g (1 cup) Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 cup (113 g) cool water
• 1/8 teaspoon instant yeast

For the Dough:

• 269 g (2 1/4 cups) Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 67 g (1/3 cup) granulated sugar
• 4 tablespoons (57 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/4 teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract + 1/4 teaspoon orange extract or orange oil
• 1/4 teaspoon ground anise seed, optional (I omitted it)
• grated peel of 1 large orange

For the Glaze:

• 113 g (1 cup) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 2 to 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
• sprinkles or nonpareils, for decorating

1. To make the bread: Mix together the starter ingredients, cover the bowl, and let rest at room temperature overnight, or for up to 15 hours.
2. Next day, combine the bubbly starter with all the remaining dough ingredients. Mix and knead, using a mixer or bread machine, until the dough is elastic and satiny. We don’t recommend preparing this dough by hand, as it’s quite sticky and challenging to bring together. (I used the beater until the dough came together and the dough hook for about 7 minutes on medium speed to knead the dough.)
3. Grease a large bowl and let the dough rise for 1 to 2 hours, until it’s noticeably puffy. (I used a proofing oven.)
4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly greased surface, divide it into three pieces, and shape each piece into an 18″-long rope. Braid the ropes together, and connect the two ends to form a wreath.
5. Cover the wreath and allow it to rise until puffy, about 1 to 2 hours. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 375°F, preferably on convection.
6. Bake the wreath for 10-15 minutes, then tent the loaf with aluminum foil and reduce the oven heat to 350°F and bake for an additional 8-15 minutes. The finished loaf will be golden brown, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center will register at least 190°F. (I baked it at 375°F for 15 minutes, and 350°F for 10 minutes and the internal temperature of the loaf was 205°F.)
7. Remove the wreath from the oven, and transfer it to a rack to cool.
8. To make the glaze: Stir together the sugar and 2 tablespoons of the milk or orange juice. Add more liquid 1/4 teaspoon at a time, until the glaze is thin and pourable.
9. Drizzle the glaze onto the cooled braid, then decorate with sprinkles, if desired.

Meyer Lemon Pizzelle

I love a crispy pizzelle! I was first introduced to these traditional Italian cookies by a friend who made them every year for our kids’ preschool Christmas celebration. They were so pretty and delicious that I put a pizzelle iron on my holiday wishlist. 🙂 Eating them with ice cream made me understand why my husband loves waffle cones too. This is a wonderful version with subtle lemon flavor.

This special dessert recipe was adapted from a Food 52 community pick, contributed by Hilarybee. I used lemon extract but may try orange next time. I also increased the amount of Meyer lemon zest and added salt.

The original recipe also recommends serving them filled with pastry cream or mousse or sandwiched with a little bit of lemon curd. Yum!

• 3/4 cup plus 2 T granulated sugar
  
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature (I place them in a bowl of warm water)
  
• 1 stick of unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  
• 1/2 teaspoon pure orange or pure lemon extract
  
• zest of 2 Meyer lemons
  
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
  
• 1/8 tsp coarse salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  

1. Whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
2. Combine the sugar and eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes until well incorporated. Note: The eggs must be at least room temperature; cold eggs will result in an unworkable batter.
3. Slowly drizzle the melted butter into the mixture, while mixing on medium speed.
4. Add the extracts followed by the zest.
5. On low-speed, add the flour mixture 1/2 cup at a time. Alternate between medium and low-speed while beating in the flour. (I turn it to low while pouring in the flour; medium to incorporate the flour before adding more).
6. The batter should have a satin sheen to it, but should be light and stiff. If your batter is too liquid, add more flour, a tablespoon at a time until the batter is stiff.
7. Using a tablespoon scoop, place dollops of batter into the iron. The cookies take about 25-30 seconds in the iron.

Note: Fresh, hot cookies can be rolled or shaped into cups. I shaped them into cups by placing a hot cookie on the base of a juice glass and then topped it with an inverted glass prep bowl. The cookies cool very quickly and maintain the shape.

Cauliflower Parmesan

I have made this wonderfully cheesy dish a couple of times already- just to get the proportions right. I knew that I had to increase the amount of simple and flavorful sauce after making it the first time.

This recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by Melissa Clark. I lightened the dish by baking the cauliflower after coating it instead of frying it. We ate it over linguini fini with sautéed broccoli rabe on the side. Wonderful!

Yield: Serves 6 to 8

For the Simple Tomato Sauce:

• 6 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon red Chile flakes, optional
• 3 (28-ounce) cans whole or diced plum tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
• 3 sprigs basil or 1 bay leaf
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
• scant 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• Parmesan rind, optional

1. In a large, straight-sided skillet over medium heat, warm the oil. (I used an enameled cast iron pot with a glass lid.)
2. Add garlic and cook until just lightly golden.
3. Add chile flakes if desired and cook 30 seconds.
4. Stir in tomatoes and juices, basil or bay leaf, and salt and pepper.
5. Bring sauce to a simmer, add the Parmesan rind, if using, and cook until sauce is thick and tomatoes have mostly fallen apart, about 30 to 40 minutes. Adjust heat as needed to keep at a steady simmer. If using whole plum tomatoes, mash them up with the back of a wooden spoon or a potato masher to help them break down.
6. Remove sauce from heat and discard basil or bay leaf.

For the Cauliflower & To Finish the Dish:

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 cups panko or plain unseasoned bread crumbs
• Kosher salt, as needed
• freshly ground black pepper, as needed
• 1 large or 2 small/medium heads cauliflower, trimmed and cut into 2-inch florets (I used 1 small and 1 medium)
• olive oil, for drizzling
• Simple Tomato Sauce (recipe above)
• 1 cup finely grated Parmesan, preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 3/4 pound fresh mozzarella, torn into bite-size pieces
• linguine fini or other pasta, optional, for serving

1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees, preferably on convection roast.
2. Place flour, eggs, and panko into three wide, shallow bowls. (I used glass pie dishes.) Season each generously with salt and pepper.
3. Dip a cauliflower piece first in flour, then eggs, then coat with panko. Repeat with remaining cauliflower.
4. Place on 2 parchment paper-lined, rimmed baking sheets. Roast coated florets for 22-24 minutes, or until nicely browned.
5. Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees, preferably on convection.
6. Spoon a thin layer of sauce over the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.
7. Sprinkle one-third of the Parmesan over sauce.
8. Scatter half cauliflower mixture over the Parmesan and top with half the mozzarella pieces.
9. Top with half the remaining sauce, sprinkle with another third of the Parmesan and repeat layering, ending with a final layer of sauce and Parmesan.
10. Transfer pan to oven and bake until cheese is golden and casserole is bubbling, about 30 to 40 minutes. While the dish is baking, prepare the pasta, if desired.
11. Let cool a few minutes before serving. Serve over prepared pasta, as desired.

Meyer Lemon Martini

Every year I say that I am going to make something with Meyer lemons but always seem to miss them. I am happy to report that I was able to get them this year and put them to good use. 🙂

This recipe for this bright and fresh cocktail was adapted from Food Network.com, contributed by Scott Leibfreid. I’m a lightweight, so I drank mine over ice. It was simple, perfect, and minimally sweet.

Yield: 1 cocktail

• 2 ounces vodka (I used lemon vodka)
• 1 ounce Meyer lemon juice
• granulated sugar on a small plate to coat the rim of the glass
• 1-2 Meyer lemon slices, for garnish

1. In a martini shaker, combine all ingredients except the lemon slices and sugar with a generous amount of ice.
2. Shake vigorously for a few seconds.
3. Rub the rim of the glass with a lemon slice and coat with sugar.
4. Strain the libation from the ice into a martini glass.
5. Serve over ice and garnish with a lemon slice, as desired.

One-Pan Bucatini with Peas, Baby Greens & Pancetta

The first time I made a one-pan pasta dish, I was skeptical about the results. Now I know that this technique is absolute genius. Cooking the pasta in the pan results in fabulously creamy sauce. The bonus is the ease of producing a great dish with minimal cleanup.

This recipe was adapted from America’s Test Kitchen’s book, Cook It in Your Dutch Oven, via Cups and Spoonfuls.com. I literally started making the dish within an hour of reading the post. 🙂 It’s a perfect quick dinner made with pantry items- all in a single pot. Great!

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

• ½ cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 ½ ounce of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, about ¾ cup, divided
• extra virgin olive oil, for toasting the bread crumbs
• freshly grated zest from one lemon, divided
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 slices of thick-cut bacon or 2 ounces of pancetta, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 2 ½ cups water, more as needed
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 12 oz (3/4 pound) bucatini
• 5 ounces of mixed baby greens (baby chard, kale, & spinach), about 5 cups
• 1 cup frozen peas

1. Toast breadcrumbs in a small skillet with a bit of olive oil until golden brown.
2. Next, mix together toasted breadcrumbs, ¼ cup of Parmesan, 1/2 of the lemon zest, ¼ teaspoon of coarse salt, and ¼ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper in a small bowl.  Set aside.
3. Cook bacon or pancetta in your Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 4 to 6 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, remove and place on a plate lined with a paper towel.  Set aside until ready to serve pasta.
4. Add garlic and remaining lemon zest to Dutch oven and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds or so.
5. Add wine, scraping any browned bits and cook until the wine is almost evaporated, about 4-5 minutes.
6. Add water and stock and bring to a boil.
7. Stir in pasta and return to a strong simmer.  Cook pasta, stirring often until the pasta is tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.
8. Add greens and peas.  Stir and continue to cook until the vegetables are tender, about 4 minutes.
9. Add remaining Parmesan and stir until pasta is creamy and completely coated about 30 seconds.
10. Add extra hot water if pasta seems too dry.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.
11. Serve and sprinkle each serving with crispy pancetta and lemon panko breadcrumbs.