Chicken Parmesan

As you know, tomatoes are at their peak this time of year. As wonderful as they are served freshly sliced in a caprese salad, per esempio, it’s really not a tragedy to simmer them into a thick marinara sauce. In fact, doing so concentrates their already sun-condensed sugars even more to create a lusciously sweet tomato sauce that you would swear had a teaspoon of sugar tossed in for good measure. But there’s not. Tomatoes are running the show here and they wouldn’t stand for it. In this case, I used two pints of grape tomatoes, which are very sweet – the perfect foil for the Parmesan breaded chicken.

Eggplant Parmesan is a dish that I often helped my mother make when I was growing up. By high school I’d mastered the Parm and it became a frequent go-to dish when I lived on my own in college. Though we rarely made Chicken Parmesan when I was a kid, I ventured to make it on my own.

I recently asked my mother why it was that we mostly stuck to eggplant, and her response was quite logical, “I hardly ever make Chicken Parmesan, nor did my Mother make it often.  I always felt that chicken can be done so many ways more than eggplant.” Excellent point, Mom.

For the chicken pieces, I use chicken tenderloins, pounded to one quarter inch in thickness. This allows the meat to cook quickly so that the breading doesn’t get too dark as it fries.

As nice as it is to try new things and experiment with different flavors in cooking, sometimes a classic comfort food is nice too. And to me, Chicken Parmesan fits the bill.

Chicken Parmesan - serves 3 – 6

1 lb chicken tenderloins
1 C buttermilk
1 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed and diced
2 T tomato paste
1 – 8 ounce can of tomato sauce
1 t finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 pints grape tomatoes, halved
1 C plain bread crumbs
3/4 C finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 C flour
1 T dried oregano
1 egg
1 – 8 ounce ball of fresh mozzarella
1 lb cooked pasta
Grapeseed or canola oil

Start by pounding the chicken tenderloins with the flat side of a meat tenderizer (or the bottom of a pan) until they are about 1/4 inch in thickness. Place in a shallow bowl or marinating dish. Pour buttermillk over the chicken, being sure each cutlet is coated. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Meanwhile, start on the sauce by heating the diced garlic in olive oil over medium heat. Stir in tomato sauce and paste. Bring to a simmer. Add diced tomatoes, cover and bring to a low boil. Lower heat slightly and allow to simmer for 2 hours, covered.

Beat the egg in a small bowl. In a large, shallow dish, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, flour and dried oregano. Working one piece at a time, dip the marinated chicken cutlets into the egg. Allow excess egg to drip off before dredging in the bread crumb mixture. Press each cutlet between both hands to help the moisture from the egg absorb into the bread crumbs. Allow the the pieces to rest for 5 minutes. Doing so allows gluten strands to form between the moisture and gluten in the crumbs, which will help the breading to stick to the chicken and not fall off.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Pour the oil into a saute or frying pan to 1/4 inch depth. Heat the oil to 350 degrees. Carefully place the the cutlets into the oil, two pieces at a time. Fry for 2 minutes on either side until the crumbs turn golden brown. Drain on a dish or cooling rack lined with paper towels.

Arrange the chicken cutlets in a baking dish. Top with mozzarella cheese slices and a little bit of the tomato sauce.

Bake for 10 minutes until the cheese is melted. Toss the pasta with the sauce and plate with one to two pieces of chicken per person.

Grilled Maple Teriyaki Chicken

We had friends over this weekend to barbecue and one friend requested that we incorporate my Maple Teriyaki Sauce into the meal somehow. I decided to marinate chicken breast in the sauce and grill it on skewers.

The meat tenderizes and brines as it marinates in the teriyaki sauce. Maple flavor absorbs hints of smoke from the barbecue and fresh ginger adds just a enough spice to make things interesting. A final application of teriyaki sauce caramelizes and thickens, resulting in savory-sweet goodness – a nice change of pace from the usual barbecue players.

Maple Teriyaki Barbecued Chicken – serves  4

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
Yankee Cook’s Maple Teriyaki Sauce (below)

Prepare the sauce as directed and reserve 1/4 cup. Cut the chicken into 2″ pieces and place in a shallow, non-reactive dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the meat so that all of the pieces are well coated. Allow to marinate for at least 2 hours.

Skewer the chicken, 3 to 4 pieces per stick. Place on a 400 degree grill and allow to cook 3 to 5 minutes. Flip the skewers and allow them to cook for another 3 minutes. Brush with the reserved sauce. Flip again and brush the other side.

Serve with a salad or grilled vegetables.

Yankee Cook’s Maple Teriyaki Sauce – makes about 1 1/2 cups

1/2 C tamari soy sauce
1/2 C mirin
4 T maple syrup
2 T toasted sesame oil
2 T grated ginger

For marinade: Whisk all ingredients together until well blended. Pour over meat or fish in a shallow non-reactive dish. Allow to marinate for at least 2 hours.

For thick teriyaki sauce: If making just the sauce, continue by simmering over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, thickening to desired consistency.

Stuffed Chicken Rolls

Boneless skinless chicken breast is known for being a good source of lean protein, which is just great for boneless skinless chicken breast. However, what lies behind this truth is a seedy underbelly: a mean reputation for being bland and dry. [Shriek!] I like to un-enhealthify things with that kind of reputation. It’s like I’ve said about wonderfully healthy, but sometimes un-loved vegetables like Brussels sprouts and beets: they just need a muse. Like cheese.

Goat cheese offers its tang and sun-dried tomatoes sweeten the deal. White wine makes a flavorful sauce. With the exception of the sauce, the last 15 minutes are spent in the oven, and once construction gets going it’s easy to double or triple the recipe, making this dish a valid contender for dinner parties. And people always seem impressed buy stuffed meats, don’t they?

Stuffed Chicken Rolls – serves 4

4 boneless skinless chicken breast
1 – 4 ounce log of goat cheese, sliced into medallions
4 sun-dried tomato pieces in olive oil (about 1 inch in length), diced
2 T olive oil, reserved from the tomatoes
1/2 t salt
1/2 C flour
1/2 C white wine
1 T butter

Mix four with salt in a shallow bowl and set aside.

Pound the chicken breasts to flatten. Place one medallion in the center of each. Top with diced sun-dried tomatoes.

Fold sides up around the cheese and tie like a present, using an 18 inch piece of kitchen string for each.

Dredge each parcel in flour and shake off the excess. Allow to rest in the refrigerator for ten minutes.

Heat the reserved olive oil in a 10 inch oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place the chicken rolls in pan, seam-side down to seal. Cook 5 – 7 minutes and, using tongs, carefully, carefully turn each piece. Allow to brown another 5 – 7 minutes, watching to be sure the cheese isn’t seeping through. If the cheese isn’t running out at this point, carefully sear the sides of each piece, using the tongs. Return each piece to their seam-side up positions (this will create a little bowl so that the cheese will not flow directly out.

Transfer skillet to oven and bake for 15- 20 minutes.

Remove from oven (Hot Tip: Wear your mitts on both hands from this point on so that you don’t accidentally grab the hot skillet handle! That thing stays hot for a good hour, depending on you pans. I may or may not know this from experience. A hot tip indeed, my friends. A hot tip indeed.) Gently shake the pan to loosen the chicken and transfer to a warmed plate. Carefully cut and remove the string.

Over medium heat on the stove top, deglaze the pan with the wine, scraping up all the bits. Bring to a simmer and allow the the alcohol to cook off. Add a teaspoon of butter and swirl to thicken. Whisk together to form a sauce.

Top the chicken with the sauce and serve.

Ingredient origins: Organic chicken – Unknown; sun-dried tomatoes – California; olive oil – Italy; salt – Italy; flour – Vermont; white wine – California; capers – Italy

Yankee Cook’s Chicken Soup

Somehow, whenever I’m feeling under the weather, no matter how tired I may feel, I find myself in the kitchen making this soup. Partly because for me, cooking is a relaxing activity and I hardly notice the effort, but also because I see chicken soup as a valid cold remedy. Honey doesn’t hold a candle to schmaltz in soothing a sore throat.

The thing with using chicken soup as a cold remedy is that not just any chicken soup will do. Opening up a can of chicken soup isn’t going to cut it. It has to be homemade. Simmering fresh vegetables and chicken into a stock creates a deep steep of flavors, fat and chicken essence that will clear the head better than any over the counter decongestant. Boneless, skinless chicken breast isn’t going to cut it either, because the end result misses the beneficial extracts from the chicken’s skin and bones.

I like to use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs to get the benefits of simmered chicken bones, but ease of removal once the stock is complete. I also like to utilize larger, tougher vegetables for the stock and save the smaller, sweeter ones for the soup. The thinner carrots and inner ribs of celery are much sweeter, more tender and make for a better texture in soup. A quick ten minute simmer once the soup is assembled, rapidly braises the vegetables without cooking all of the vitamins away.

Noodles add texture and act as a vehicle for all of the goodness, and along with hearty morsels of chicken and sweet vegetables, you have a what may be the closest thing to a cure for the common cold. Up next, Yankee Cook creates a recipe for world peace…

Chicken Soup -Makes 8 – 10 servings

2 lb bone-in, skin-on chicken thigh
4 celery ribs – two tougher outer ribs and two soft inner ribs
1 celery heart (the inside of the celery bunch, leaves and all)
4 carrots – 1 large and 2 thin carrots
2.5 quarts water
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
6 sprigs of parsley
1 t sea salt
2 cups fine egg noodles

Begin by making the stock. Loosely chop the two outer celery ribs and the large carrot. Rinse the chicken if desired and place in a large stockpot. Add celery, carrots, three sprigs parsley, salt and water.

Cover and bring to a simmer. Lower heat and adjust the lid so that steam can escape. Simmer for 1. 5 hours.

While the stock simmers, prepare the vegetables for the soup. Peel the two thinner carrots, split lengthwise and cut into 1 inch strips. Split the celery ribs and also cut into 1 inch strips. Remove leaves from the last 3 sprigs of parsley and finely chop.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the thighs from the water to a cutting board to cool for 10 minutes. Meanwhile uncover the stock and simmer on medium for an additional 15 minutes. Remove vegetables and discard. Season to taste. Allow to rest off heat for about 5 – 10 minutes to allow the excess fat to rise to the top.

Remove the skin from the cooled chicken thighs and discard. Harvest all meat and loosely chop.

Using a ladle or spoon, remove any excess fat from the top of the stock. Raise heat to medium. Add chicken, noodles and vegetables. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.

Serve hot and feel better.

Ingredient origins: Organic Chicken – unknown; Organic celery – unknown; Organic carrots – California; Onion – unknown; Parsley – Massachusetts; Sea salt – Maine; Egg noodles – Missouri

Tarragon Chicken Salad

Whenever I roast a chicken, we always have lots of meat left over. Reheating is fine, but not ideal because the meat tends to dry out.

This recipe makes good use of the leftover dark and white meat from roasted chicken without the need to reheat. Tarragon’s mellow flavor is a good match for the balsamic vinegar’s sweet tang, and the mayonnaise holds down the fort. Tarragon Chicken Salad makes a great lunch when served on bread with spinach.

Note: I like to finely chop the dark meat and cube the white meat to preserve its texture.

Tarragon Chicken Salad – makes 4 – 6 servings

2 1/2 – 3 C chopped roasted chicken – dark and white meat
2 T chopped fresh tarragon
2 t balsamic vinegar
1/3 C mayonnaise
salt to taste
In a large bowl, mix the mayonnaise with tarragon and balsamic vinegar. Add white and dark chicken meat. Combine thoroughly until the mayonnaise mixture is well incorporated into the chicken.

Serve on the bread of your choice or with a salad.