Chicken Briciole
3 large chicken breasts, butterflied and pounded extremely flat (you want cutlets here)
4 slices white sandwich bread
2 big handfuls pine nuts
3 cloves garlic, rubbed over a microplane
one big handful of parsley
the zest of one lemon
1 15 oz can of tomato sauce
~1 cup good white wine
~4 tsp basil
Salt & pepper to taste
3 large chicken breasts, butterflied and pounded extremely flat (you want cutlets here)
4 slices white sandwich bread
2 big handfuls pine nuts
3 cloves garlic, rubbed over a microplane
one big handful of parsley
the zest of one lemon
1 15 oz can of tomato sauce
~1 cup good white wine
~4 tsp basil
Salt & pepper to taste
In a food processor, pulse up the torn bread, the garlic, the pine nuts (toasting them prior makes them especially delicious), the lemon zest and the parsley until they resemble corse bread crumbs. Set aside. Butterfly your chicken breasts (I just hacked mine into whole thin breasts by cutting them in two lengthwise), then pound them out using a skillet or meat tenderizer under a plastic storage bag until they're about 1/4 inch thick. Now spread the breadcrumb mixture evenly on top the chicken, roll up each cutlet, and secure the seam with toothpicks. Place these rolls into a slightly oiled pan on medium-high-ish. Cook about 5-6 minutes per side, until all sides are browned. Once each side is browned (but doesn't need to be entirely cooked yet), remove the chickens to a platter. Deglaze the pan with the wine (stand back!) scraping up all the stuck on chickeny bits. Add the can of tomato sauce, the basil, the salt and pepper to taste. Simmer the sauce for about 5 minutes, then add back the chicken, cover, and let cook on medium-low for about 10 more minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Make sure to occassionaly rotate the chicken so it's all covered in saucy goodness.
Polenta Triangles with Mushroom Ragu
Polenta:
2 cups chicken stock
1 Tablespoon butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
1/2 cup quick-cooking polenta
all-purpose flour for dusting
canola oil for frying
Ragu:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large package sliced baby bella mushrooms, coarse chopped
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
2 cloves garlic, minced
1.5 cups dry white wine
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
For the polenta: Bring the water, 1 tablespoon butter, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil in a heavy medium saucepan. Gradually whisk in the polenta. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir constantly until the polenta thickens, about 5 minutes. Pour the polenta into a greased 9 by 9-inch pan, spreading so that it is 1/3-inch thick. Cover and let stand at room temperature until set, about 15 minutes. Once cool, cut the polenta into triangles. Dust each triangle with flour on all sides, and place in a frying pan with canola oil (oil should come up about 1/4 of depth of pan) until both surfaces are browned, ~ 4 minutes/side. Place on a wire rack to cool until ready to serve.
For the Ragu: Heat the oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and onion. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper and saute until the juices evaporate, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until the mushrooms are golden brown, about 2 minutes longer. Decrease the heat to medium-low. Add the wine. Cover and simmer until the wine has reduced by about half, about 5 minutes. Add the parsley and cook another 1 minute. Wisk in the flour and cover and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, and add a touch of cream until the ragu has a nice velvet texture. Season the ragu, to taste, with more salt and pepper and spoon on top of the polenta triangles.
Now just add a side of steamed broccoli, and you have a lovely dinner. Brad joked with me over our meal that this may be the first meal I have ever made that didn't have any cheese in it. He didn't even know it was possible for me to cook without cheese! I'm full of lovely surprises these days.
Polenta:
2 cups chicken stock
1 Tablespoon butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
1/2 cup quick-cooking polenta
all-purpose flour for dusting
canola oil for frying
Ragu:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large package sliced baby bella mushrooms, coarse chopped
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
2 cloves garlic, minced
1.5 cups dry white wine
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
~2 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
For the polenta: Bring the water, 1 tablespoon butter, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil in a heavy medium saucepan. Gradually whisk in the polenta. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir constantly until the polenta thickens, about 5 minutes. Pour the polenta into a greased 9 by 9-inch pan, spreading so that it is 1/3-inch thick. Cover and let stand at room temperature until set, about 15 minutes. Once cool, cut the polenta into triangles. Dust each triangle with flour on all sides, and place in a frying pan with canola oil (oil should come up about 1/4 of depth of pan) until both surfaces are browned, ~ 4 minutes/side. Place on a wire rack to cool until ready to serve.
For the Ragu: Heat the oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and onion. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper and saute until the juices evaporate, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until the mushrooms are golden brown, about 2 minutes longer. Decrease the heat to medium-low. Add the wine. Cover and simmer until the wine has reduced by about half, about 5 minutes. Add the parsley and cook another 1 minute. Wisk in the flour and cover and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, and add a touch of cream until the ragu has a nice velvet texture. Season the ragu, to taste, with more salt and pepper and spoon on top of the polenta triangles.
Now just add a side of steamed broccoli, and you have a lovely dinner. Brad joked with me over our meal that this may be the first meal I have ever made that didn't have any cheese in it. He didn't even know it was possible for me to cook without cheese! I'm full of lovely surprises these days.
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