Chicken Milanese

This version of Chicken Milanese is full of lemon and Parmesan flavors; an elegant dinner without the fuss. 

Ingredients:

For Chicken

4 small chicken breasts (pounded thin)

4 Tbs spoons flour (seasoned with salt and pepper)

2 eggs (whisked)

2 cups of Italian Breadcrumbs

1 tsp of garlic

1 tsp of onion

1 Tbs of grated Parmesan cheese

Zest of 1 lemon

oil for pan frying

For Arugula Salad

4 cups of baby Arugula

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tsp Dijon Mustard

1 Tb olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Shaved Parmesan cheese

Have three separate plates with the following ingredients: 

First plate: flour with salt and pepper, second plate: whisked eggs, third plate: Breadcrumbs with garlic and onion powder, Parmesan cheese, lemon zest combined.

Heat a pan for frying with a layer of vegetable oil to fry in. 

Coat each piece of chicken in flour mixture, then eggs, and finally breadcrumb mixture. Add to pan and fry on medium heat until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Lightly salt and pepper the chicken as soon as it comes out of the pan. 

Let rest on a tray lined with a paper towel. 

In the mean time make salad by doing the following: 

Add baby Arugula to a bowl. In a separate bowl combine lemon juice, Dijon, salt and pepper, whisk in olive oil until it comes together as a dressing (you may need more or less oil depending on how much oil you like).

Slowly dress the Arugula (add about a tablespoon of the dressing at a time to the salad while tossing. Do not over dress the salad, you may find that you will not use all the dressing). Add shaved Parmesan cheese and toss.

Place a piece of chicken on a plate and top with 1 cup of salad.

Makes 4 servings. 

Mediterranean Chicken Marinade

Mediterranean Chicken Marinade

 This marinade is full of citrus flavor with a hint of warm spices that make it perfect for the grill. We like to eat it with grilled veggies, hummus, and on either orzo or couscous, or wrapped up in a pita. A dinner that is so full of flavor that you forget it's good for you. 

To make this marinade, combine the following ingredients in a gallon size zip lock bag. Add chicken thighs or breasts and let sit in the fridge for a couple hours. After grilling, to really add flavor, let the chicken rest for 10 minutes and add a drizzle of olive oil and an extra squeeze of lemon before slicing. 

Ingredients:

2 lemons - zest and juice

1 tsp of dried oregano or 2 springs of fresh oregano (light chop)

2 springs of fresh mint (light chop)

3-4 cloves of garlic (light chop)

1 tsp of onion powder

1/8 tsp of cinnamon

1/8 tsp or clove

1/8 tsp of allspice or 5-6 whole allspice

1/2 tsp of turmeric

1 tsp of paprika

1/4 tsp cumin 

1Tbs honey
1 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of ground black pepper

This will coat approximately 4 chicken breasts or 8 chicken thighs.

We like to grill red onion, bell peppers, zucchini, eggplant, cherry tomatoes in a grill basket along side.

Serve on top of orzo, couscous, or in a pita. Top with kalamata olives, feta cheese, and hummus or tzatziki sauce. 

Summer Berry Meringues

Blow everyone away with this beautiful light and airy summer dessert. It seems like work, but it is really very simple and stores well for a make ahead dessert. It would be perfect to take to a weekend BBQ with friends. No one would know how easy it was with how elegant it tastes and looks.  

Instructions:

For Meringues

8 egg whites

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1/4 teaspoon of cream of tarter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 225 F

For Meringues:

Step 1: Add egg whites to electric mixer. Mix on medium until egg whites are frothy. 

Step 2: Add sugar and cream of tarter.

Step 3. Mix on high for approximately 10 minutes or until peaks are shiny and stiff.

Step 4: Mix in vanilla on low. 

Step 5: Line baking sheets with parchment paper and divide egg mixture into 8 even dollops. Smooth dollops gently and shape into cups by gently and slowly twirling spoon into center of each dollop. Smooth the edges.

Step 6: Bake at 225 F for 2 hours. Turn oven off and allow meringues to cool and dry out in oven for at least 1 hour. 

In the meantime mix up the berry compote

For Compote:

2 cups of berries (I used blackberry and raspberry)

Zest and juice of one small lemon (or zest of lemon and tablespoon of Lemon liqueur)

2-3 Tablespoons of sugar (depending on how sweet your berries are)

Add ingredients into a saucepan and simmer on low for 5-10 minutes until some berries have macerated and juice has thickened some from sugars. (Note: Do not over mix. You want to leave some berries whole to add texture to your dessert). Chill in fridge until ready to serve. 

For Whipping Cream:

1 small container of heavy whipping cream

3 tablespoons of sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla

Mix on high for 2-3 minutes or until stiff peaks. Do not over mix (you don't want it to become butter.)

Composing the dish:

Place meringue on a plate. (Optionally you may want to spread a tablespoon of lemon curd on the center of the meringue). Add a heaping spoonful of whipped cream and top with berry compote. 

For a chewier consistency of meringues bake at 250 F for 1 hour and let rest in oven for at least 1 hour. 

Serves 8