Lemon-Cilantro Chicken
Prep and cook time: About 15 minutes
Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (5 to 6 oz. each)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves , peeled and minced
2/3 cup chicken broth (skim off fat)
1 teaspoon lemon peel , grated
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (original recipe lists as hot chile flakes)
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro , chopped
salt and pepper
lemon wedge
Directions:
BASIC CHICKEN SCALOPPINE (first three ingredients).
Rinse 4 boneless, skinned chicken breast halves (5 to 6 oz. each); pat dry.
Sprinkle both sides lightly with salt and pepper.
Place halves between sheets of plastic wrap; with a mallet or a rolling pin, gently pound chicken to an even 1/4 inch thick. Peel off wrap.
Put about 1/2 cup all-purpose flour in a shallow container. Turn each piece of chicken in flour to coat lightly.
Set a 10- to 12-inch nonstick pan over medium-high heat; when hot, add 2 teaspoons olive oil. Lay 2 pieces of chicken in pan; cook, turning once, until no longer pink in the center (cut to test), 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a platter or plates and keep warm in a 200° oven.
Repeat to cook remaining chicken in 2 more teaspoons oil.
LEMON-CILANTRO CHICKEN SCALOPPINE (last 9 ingredients).
You'll need to use the Basic Chicken Scaloppine (see above) and then continue with remaining directions below.
Keep basic chicken scaloppine warm in a 200° oven.
Add olive oil and garlic to hot pan used to cook chicken (don't wash) and stir over high heat until garlic is slightly limp, about 15 seconds.
Add chicken broth, lemon peel, lemon juice, and chile flakes to pan; stir until mixture is boiling. Boil, stirring occasionally, until juices are slightly reduced, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, then stir in fresh cilantro.
Spoon sauce evenly over chicken. Add salt and pepper to taste, and garnish with lemon wedges.
Quick Pastitsio
Use any short pasta--ziti or rotini also work.
Ingredients
8 ounces uncooked penne (tube-shaped pasta)
Cooking spray
1 pound ground sirloin
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
5 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 cups fat-free milk
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup (4 ounces)
1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1 (3-ounce) package fat-free cream cheese
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Preparation
1. Preheat broiler.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add beef to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Remove beef from pan; drain. Wipe pan clean with paper towels. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion; sauté 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add beef; sprinkle with salt. Add flour; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in milk, tomatoes, and cream cheeses, stirring until smooth; bring to a simmer. Cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Stir in pasta.
4. Spoon pasta mixture into a 13 x 9-inch broiler-safe baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle mozzarella evenly over top. Broil 4 minutes or until golden. Sprinkle with parsley.
Bacon, Tomato, and Arugula Pizza
Ingredients
1 pound refrigerated fresh pizza dough
Cooking spray
5 applewood-smoked bacon slices
2 cups grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup lower-sodium marinara sauce (such as McCutcheon's)
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 cup baby arugula
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 450°
2. Place dough in a bowl coated with cooking spray; let dough stand, covered, for 15 minutes
3. Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon; crumble. Add tomatoes and pepper to drippings in pan; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Sprinkle a baking sheet with cornmeal; roll dough into a 12-inch circle on prepared baking sheet. Spread sauce evenly over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Top with tomatoes and bacon. Sprinkle cheese over top. Bake at 450° on bottom oven rack for 17 minutes or until crust is golden. Combine arugula and remaining ingredients; top pizza with arugula mixture.
Skillet Baked Eggs with Mushrooms and Spinach
16 ounces fresh baby spinach or 1 (12-ounce) bag thawed frozen leaf spinach
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion, preferably Vidalia, finely chopped
6 ounces mixed mushrooms (such as cremini, chanterelle, morel, shiitake, and white button), thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, very finely chopped
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (1/2 ounce)
Position the oven rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 450°F. Prepare an ice-water bath by filling a large bowl with ice and water.
To cook the fresh spinach, heat 1/2 inch water in a large skillet over high heat. Add half the spinach and cook until wilted, about 30 seconds. Add the remaining spinach, cover, and cook over medium-high heat until tender, about 60 seconds. Drain well in a colander, then set the colander with spinach in the ice-water bath to set the color and stop the cooking, making sure the spinach is submerged. Remove the colander with spinach to drain.Working with a handful at a time, squeeze the freshly cooked, or thawed frozen, spinach between two dinner plates or by hand to remove any excess liquid.
Set aside.
In the same skillet, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the mushrooms, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and any liquid is released, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 45 to 60 seconds. Add the cream, nutmeg, and spinach. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.
Remove the pan from the heat.
Using the back of a spoon, make 4 nests in the spinach-cream mixture in the skillet. Break an egg into each indentation. Season the eggs with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny, about 8 minutes. Serve immediately.
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
