More Fun with Panko! (Panko Chicken Tenders and Glazed Carrots) April 10, 2008

Every once in a while, I suffer a total foodie breakdown and crave those simple foods of childhood, something that I can eat with my hands that may or may not involve the use of ungodly imitation dairy products.  I took advantage of the panko crumbs I had leftover from my herb crusted salmon and resisted the strange temptation of Velveeta mac.  Change the channel to Cartoon Network, it’s chicken fingers night!

Panko Chicken Tenders

1 cup panko crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 egg
1 lb chicken tenders
salt and pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine Parmesan cheese, panko crumbs, and parsley.  Spread breading mixture on a large plate.

Beat egg in a small bowl with 1 tsp of water and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Dip each chicken tender in egg, then in the breading mixture, pressing gently to help the breading stay on the chicken.  Place chicken pieces on parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Bake until cooked through, 15-18 minutes, turning the chicken tenders halfway through cooking.

Serves 2-3

If you want a dipping sauce to go with this dish, I like Otafuku Okonomi sauce for an Asian spin, combining sour cream and curry powder for an Indian spin, or combining sour cream, Dijon mustard, and a little honey for a creamy honey mustard dipping sauce.

Glazed Carrots

2 carrots, sliced into rounds
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp sugar
salt

Place carrots in a large sauce pan.  Dot with butter and sprinkle with sugar and a pinch of salt.

Add 1/2 cup water (about halfway up the carrots).

Simmer over medium-low heat until carrots are tender and liquid has reduced to a glaze, about 20 minutes. 

Serves 2-3

Herb Crusted Salmon for Good Friday March 21, 2008

Think salmon is boring?  Try this simple recipe that adds the crunch of Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) for a little excitement.

1/2 cup Panko (found in the international foods aisle)
1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp dried tarragon
2 tbsp olive oil
3 lb salmon filet, skin on
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Preheat oven to 475.

In a small bowl, toss panko with parsley, tarragon,  and 1 tbsp of the olive oil.

Place salmon, skin down, on parchment paper lined baking sheet.  Spread evenly with Dijon mustard.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle with panko and herb mixture, gently patting the mixture down to coat the salmon completely.  Drizzle with the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil.

Roast salmon until it flakes with a fork, about 20 minutes.  With a large spatula, loosen the salmon from its skin (which should stick to the parchment paper).  Serve with wedges of lemon.

Serves 6

Best Stew Ever? (Chickpea and Sausage Stew) March 13, 2008

This is the best bowl of soup/stew I’ve had in a while (and unfortunately one of the worst photos I’ve taken in a while).  Something about the subtle sweetness of the Italian sausage highlights the savory profile of the stew so well.

12 oz Italian sausage, casing removed
1 large sweet onion, finely chopped
2-15 oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
10 oz package frozen spinach, thawed
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
salt and pepper

Heat olive oil in a dutch oven (or large sauce pan) over medium heat.  Add in onions and cook until soft, about 4-5 minutes.  Add in Italian sausage and brown, crumbling the sausage with a wooden spoon (about 8-10 minutes).  Add in tomato paste, parsley, and cilantro, and cook 2-3 minutes.  Add in vegetable broth and chickpeas and bring stew to a boil.  Add in spinach and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Simmer covered for 10 minutes. 

Serve with crusty bread.

Serves 4

Strip Steak Sandwiches with Balsamic Onions and Blue Cheese March 6, 2008

Balsamic vinegar and blue cheese in one sandwich, what’s not to like?

1 lb strip steak
1 tbsp Worchestershire’s sauce
2 Roma tomatoes
1 medium red onion
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
4 oz crumbled blue cheese
4 kaiser rolls (or French bread, or any kind of crusty bread)
salt and pepper

Combine strip steak and Worchestershire’s sauce in a large ziplock bag.  Seal and shake, until strip steak is coated in Worchestershire’s sauce.  Let marinate in refrigerator for at least 15 minutes. 

Preheat broiler.

Meanwhile, cut red onion into thin slices.  Combine sliced onion with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a medium bowl.  Toss to coat onion with vinegar and oil.

Slice Roma tomatoes.  Set aside.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Place strip steak on one side of the baking sheet, sprinkling a pinch of salt and pepper on either side.  Place balsamic covered onion strips on the other side of the baking sheet.  Broil steak and vegetables until desired doneness (about 6 minutes per side for medium doneness).

Remove steak from baking sheet to cutting board to slice into “fajita” strips.  Top each bottom half of the kaiser roll with steak strips, balsamic roasted onions, a couple of slices of Roma tomato, and a sprinkle of crumbled blue cheese. 

Makes 4 sandwiches

Two Quickies for Party Hosts February 28, 2008

Sick of serving the same old pigs in a blanket and onion dip at a party?  Try these two recipes (from the January 2008 issue of Real Simple) for something healthier and more grown up.

Chickpea and Mint Spread
(served with skinny French loaf slices, you could also use crostini or crackers)

15.5 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 scallions, chopped into small rounds (green part only)
1/4 cup fresh mint, finely chopped
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mash with the back of a spoon (or a potato masher) until well blended.  A mortar and pestle set (as shown in the photo) works well for this recipe if you do it in batches.

Proscuitto Wrapped Pears with Arugula and Blue Cheese

2 Bosc or Bartlett pears, cored and sliced (about 8 wedges per pear)
2 tsp lemon juice
3oz crumbled blue cheese
6oz thinly sliced proscuitto, cut in half lengthwise to form skinny long pieces
1 cup arugula (approximately)

Toss pear wedges with lemon juice.

Roll up a couple of arugula leaves, a small spoonful of blue cheese, and a pear wedge inside the proscuitto slice.