Chicken Francaise

This dish is super easy and really tasty! Definitely keeping this one in the rotation. I mean, who doesn't like a butter wine sauce?!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Flour for dredging
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 3 Chicken Breasts (I used chicken thighs)
• 2 Eggs plus 2 tablespoons Water (whisked)
• 2 Garlic cloves (sliced)
• 1/2 cup White Wine
• 1/2 cup Chicken Stock
• 1 Lemon (zest and juice)
• 1/3 cup Capers
• 6 tablespoons Parsley (roughly chopped)
• 3 tablespoons Butter

Directions:

• Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat.

• Season the flour with a generous amount of salt and pepper and whisk together in a baking dish. Lightly coat the chicken breasts in the seasoned flour and then dip in the egg wash. Gently place in the hot oil and fry for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Flip the breast and fry for another 2 minutes until golden.   

• Add the sliced garlic to the pan and cook for about 20 seconds. Deglaze with the wine, scraping up brown bits with a wooden spoon. Stir in the broth, lemon juice and capers and allow to reduce for 1 to 2 minutes.

• Add the lemon zest, parsley and butter and swirl to emulsify. Plate the chicken with the sauce and serve.

I served the chicken with mashed potatoes. Yum!!

Lately

 Beautiful blooms in the front yard

 I agreed to go to Cabela's with Brian but only if I can hang out on this ridiculous camo chair. If it wasn't camo I would have seriously considered buying it. It was THAT comfy!

 Brian smoking a stogie and cutting the lawn for the first time

 And I was there for moral support :)

 I had to document this blue sky

 Brian's bonsai mini worlds

 Red vans ready for some summer strolling

 Record player slowly being assembled

Baked Salmon & Broccoli Mash

After a weekend of eating pretty poorly I was ready for something more on the healthy side. Salmon and broccoli mash did just the trick! I had never made broccoli mash before and I was very happy to find it was delicious and will definitely make it again!

Salmon 

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 2 tsp dark sesame oil
• 2 oranges (juiced)
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 scallions (chopped)
• 1 tbsp red chili pepper (minced)
• 2 cloves garlic (minced) 
• 2 tsp sesame seeds (toasted)
• 1 tsp sriracha
• 2 salmon filets (skin on)
• non-stick cooking spray

• Mix together all of the ingredients except the salmon. Place the salmon in the marinade and cover in the fridge for 2 hours
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet with non-stick spray.
• Remove salmon from the fridge while oven is preheating. Transfer salmon to the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until done. 

Broccoli Mash

• 3 large bunches broccoli
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• salt 
• pepper

• Steam 3 large bunches of broccoli in a pot with water until tender
• Saute 4 cloves of garlic in a pan with olive oil and butter, until golden
• Add broccoli, garlic with oils, 1 cup of ricotta cheese to a blender or food processor and season with salt and pepper to taste. Blend to consistency of mashed potatoes. 

Served with pillbury crescent rolls...because I love them!! 

Dream Vacation

There are too many places on my list of dream vacations but lately I keep seeing tons of people vacationing in Mexico. I have always wanted to go, especially to Mexico City and visit Frida Kahlo's house, and now after seeing these pictures the capital of Yucatán. Here are a couple of my favorites, but you can see all of them from the link.

http://www.cntraveler.com/food/2012/07/photos-merida-yucatan-mexico-food-art-culture-mayan-ruins_slideshow_item2_3