CHICKEN PICATA
by Tara Morris
Ingredients
2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, butterflied and then cut in half
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour, for dredging
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup brined capers, rinsed (these totally make the dish!)
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Directions:
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.
In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate. Melt 2 more tablespoons butter and add another 2 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the other 2 pieces of chicken and brown both sides in same manner. Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the plate.
Into the pan add the lemon juice, stock and capers. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Check for seasoning. Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley.
This meal tastes great with pasta or my personal favorite, couscous. Peas or broccoli also make a great side dish.
STEAK FAJITAS
by Melanie Ewell
Flank Steak (buy as much as you think your family will eat)
Red and Green bell peppers and onion
Salt, pepper, cumin, garlic powder, and lime juice to season steak
Shredded cheese
Sour cream
Pico De Gallo Salsa
Guacamole
Tortillas
Chips
Rice and Beans
For the steak:
Heat up the grill, drizzle olive oil on the steak. Cut the onion and the bell peppers in half. Once grill is nice and hot, grill the meat and the peppers and onions to your liking (medium should take about 10-15 minutes, depending on how hot your grill is). Once steak is cooked to your liking and the peppers and onions are tender, place steak on cutting board and cover with foil, let rest for about 10 minutes. This seals in the juices and locks in the flavor. Slice peppers and onions in strips. Slice meat against the grain (this keeps it very tender) and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, and lime juice. Serve meat and veggies in warm tortillas with shredded cheese, salsa, guacamole, and sour cream.
For the beans:
Pinto beans
Water
Garlic cloves
Vegetable oil
Salt and pepper
Ham hock
Soak pinto beans the night before in a pot of water. The next morning, rinse well and refill the pot with water, enough to cover the beans. Add a tablespoon of vegetable oil, salt, pepper, 3-4 minced garlic cloves, and a ham hock for flavor (if you have it). Bring the pot to a boil, stir, and then reduce to a simmer. Let simmer uncovered all day, checking during the day to add more water if beans become too thick. Add salt and pepper as needed and remove ham hock. Serve either as whole beans or mash for refried beans. By the way - I like to make a lot of beans and freeze portions of them in freezer ziplocs - then they're on hand for other meals later!
For the rice:
2-3 T. Butter
½ Onion chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1 C. long grain rice
2 C. (1 can) beef or chicken broth
1 can petite diced tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
Melt butter in saucepan, and add onion, season with salt and pepper; sauté 5-10 minutes until onion is tender. Add rice and cook for 5 more minutes, then add broth and tomatoes and about a teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Bring to a boil, put the lid on the pan, reduce heat to low, and simmer 20-30 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
Pico De Gallo Salsa:
2 medium rip tomatoes (squeeze out the juice or the salsa will be too runny)
1/2 c. canned tomato sauce
1/4 medium onion
leaves from 3-4 sprigs cilantro
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp. salt
1 juiced lime
1 jalapeno, roasted
Chop (by pulsing) in a food processor or hand chop until finely diced. Taste with a chip and adjust the seasonings. I usually double this recipe for our family so it lasts for more than one dinner!
To roast the jalapeno:
Just put it on parchment paper (you have awesome time-saving parchment paper, right?) on a cookie sheet and broil it in your oven for a few minutes. Then put the jalapeno in a grocery produce bag (like the one it came home from the store in) and let it sweat in there for a couple of minutes, just on your counter. Then peel the skin off and put either chop or put in chunks in your food processor. Two words of caution - jalapeno gets on your hands and it will burn your eyes, etc. after you've handled it. Either wear gloves when you handle it or wash your hands several times after ytou've worked with it, cause it's rotten to get it in your eyes. The other is to add just a portion of the jalapeno-like a quarter or half, unless you want it really hot. It can be really spicy! But it's great roasted, and I roast several at a time and put the rest in a freezer ziploc in my freezer, to make salsa or use in recipes whenever I need it!
Homemade Guacamole:
3 avocadoes, peeled and cored and placed on cutting board
1 lime
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. chooped onions, or you can add salsa if you like, or a bit of jalapeno for heat
Mash all ingredients together with a fork. Taste with a chip and adjust seasonings (and hopefully stop eating it so it can be served for dinner).
