Pecan Crusted Chicken

Chicken that tastes like fried chicken, but isn't fried?! I can handle that... (FYI, I have a pretty serious aversion to frying things. It's not healthy - I'd rather have dessert if I'm not going to be healthy - and it stinks up the house and makes a huge mess... but it just tastes so darn good!) Needless to say, my brother (who has the palate of a 5 year-old) loved this chicken. In his words, "I ... actually LIKE this!" If that seal of approval isn't enough to convince you, maybe the pictures will do the trick:

Pecan Crusted Chicken

Greens dressed with homemade Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

Baked Sweet Potatoes with Cinnamon Honey Butter

My dear friends, while this recipe takes a tad more time than the average recipe, it is a culinary showstopper. It tastes amazing, is very healthy, takes little effort, and it fills you without making you feel stuffed. (Translation: leaves room for dessert!!) If you make nothing else, try the honey mustard dressing - it is so easy and so much better than any other honey mustard out there! (Except for Rush Street in Kingsport, of course.) This meal serves 4, but it is easy to scale down portions or add extra servings as necessary.

Pecan Crusted Chicken

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved lengthwise and pounded slightly
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 egg whites
2 tsp. cornstarch
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 c. ciabatta breadcrumbs, toasted in 200* F. oven for 10-15 minutes
3/4 c. very finely chopped pecans
1/2-1 tsp. cayenne pepper (or to taste)
3 Tbsp. olive oil

Pat chicken dry with a paper towel. Season both sides of each chicken breast half with salt and pepper. Set up a dredging station (I use pie tins or shallow dishes):

1) Flour
2) Egg whites, corn starch, and lemon juice, whisked together
3) Breadcrumbs, pecans, and cayenne

Dip each chicken breast half in flour, shaking off excess. Next, dip in egg white mixture (make sure chicken is well-coated), then into breadcrumb mixture. Put chicken breasts on a paper towel-lined wire rack to rest for 20 minutes.

Heat oven to 350* F. In a large ovenproof skillet, heat olive oil over medium/medium-high heat. Once oil is shimmering, sear chicken breasts for about 3 minutes on one side. Turn chicken and put into oven for 5-7 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Remove from oven (do yourself a favor and put a towel on the handle of the hot skillet to keep yourself from burning your hand!), and serve immediately.

Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

1/4 c. honey
3 Tbsp. dijon mustard
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. finely minced shallot
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix together all ingredients in a shaker. (Don't put the honey in the shaker first - it will take a lot more effort to get it off the bottom!) For an extra treat, dress a big bowl of greens with this dressing, and slice and serve chicken on top of the greens. The chicken is surprisingly good with this dressing.

Baked Sweet Potatoes with Cinnamon Honey Butter

4 sweet potatoes, washed
4 Tbsp. butter, softened
1-2 tsp. honey, or to taste
1/4-1/2 tsp. cinnamon, or to taste
Pinch salt

Heat oven to 450* F. Wrap potatoes in foil and bake for about an hour, or until fork-tender (depends on thickness of potatoes). Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. (This is the perfect time to turn down the heat and put the chicken in the oven.) Meanwhile, mix together butter, honey, cinnamon, and salt. Split potatoes and serve with 1 Tbsp. butter.

Cantonese Orange Stir Fry

Beautiful. Simple. Comes together quickly, and presents pretty well! You can serve this with rice - since it was just me eating and it's hard to cook for one, I just left the rice out and ate the whole thing by myself. :) This would also be delicious with broccoli.

Cantonese Orange Stir Fry (Courtesy of Fine Cooking's Create Your Own)

For the Sauce:
1-1/2 tsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. soy sauce
1/4 c. homemade or lower-salt canned chicken broth
2 Tbsp. thawed frozen orange juice concentrate
1-1/2 tsp. oyster sauce
1 tsp. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. minced fresh ginger

For the Stir-Fry:
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of any fat or sinew
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
Ground white pepper
1 c. sliced carrots (I used pre-cut matchsticks)
1 c. green bell pepper strips (2x1/3-inch strips)
1 c. sliced shiitake mushroom caps (I used cremini)
1 c. sliced red onions (1/2-inch slices)
2 Tbsp. very thinly sliced scallions
2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
2 tsp. minced garlic

For the Sauce:
In a measuring cup, combine the cornstarch with the soy sauce, whisking to blend. Then whisk in the chicken broth, orange juice concentrate, oyster sauce, sugar, and minced ginger.

For the Stir-Fry:
Cut the chicken across the grain into 1/4-inch slices, then into pieces 2 inches long and 1 inch wide. Season the chicken with kosher salt and a dash of white pepper; toss to combine. Fill a small bowl with water and keep it near the stove. Heat a 12-inch skillet or a stir-fry pan over high heat for 2 minutes. Add 1 Tbs. of the vegetable oil, swirl to coat the pan evenly, and heat until the oil just barely begins to smoke, about 30 seconds (only a light haze is necessary). Add the seasoned chicken. Let it sear for about 15 seconds and then begin to stir occasionally (every 10 seconds or so) until its raw appearance is gone but the center is slightly undercooked — 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Add the remaining 1 Tbsp. oil to the pan and swirl to coat evenly. Add the carrots, green bell peppers, mushrooms, and red onions and 1 Tbsp. water and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the scallions, ginger and garlic and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the vegetables are crisp-tender, 1 to 4 minutes. If the bottom of the pan looks like it's starting to burn, add more water, 1 Tbsp. at a time.

Stir the chicken back into the pan and cook for another 30 seconds to reheat and blend the flavors. Whisk the sauce to recombine it. Pour the sauce into the pan, stirring well to coat evenly, and cook until it thickens, 15 to 20 seconds. Transfer the stir-fry to a bowl and serve immediately.