Chicken Cutlets With Orange & Arugula + Lemon Risotto

Oh yeah, we're whipping out the big guns.  I wasn't expecting to have an update for the blog today but the husband texted me with a lemon risotto proposition yesterday afternoon.  And I never pass up his risotto.  It's just one of those things.  This is a meal we've made a handful of times and it's our favorite date-night-in dinner.  I handle the chicken and the salad and he babies that risotto for a good hour.

These 3 recipes are all from Rachael Ray's Look + Cook.  I don't push cookbooks, but I think this one is really great.  I like that there are photos of each step in the cooking process, for us visual learners.  Plus, I've probably made 10 or so recipes from this cookbook and every one was easy and delicious.  (The matzo ball soup recipe did not come from this cookbook, LOL.)  If you like to cook, this book is a keeper.

THE MISSION: 

THE INGREDIENTS: For the chicken cutlets - 1.5 cups bread crumbs, 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, nutmeg, handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves chopped finely, zest of 1 orange, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 3 eggs beaten, 4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves, S&P, olive oil for frying.

For the salad - 2 seedless oranges, 2 seeded and diced yellow or orange tomatoes, 1 finely chopped sprig of fresh oregano (dried oregano works just fine), 1/2 small red onion chopped, 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, 4 cups baby arugula leaves.  (Note - This is enough for 4 servings - and it doesn't keep very well in the refrigerator - so if you're just cooking for 2 people, divide each item in the ingredient list in half.)

For the risotto - 1 quart chicken stock, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 small to medium onion finely chopped, 2 garlic cloves finely chopped, 1 cup aborio rice, zest and juice of 1 large lemon, 1/2 cup dry white wine, S&P, 2 tablespoons of butter cut into small pieces, 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese, handful of shredded fresh basil leaves.

The risotto recipe says that the total cooking time for the risotto will be 18 minutes.  To which I say, "Hey, Rachael Ray!  In your dreams!"  It always takes at least an hour and you really can't do anything else while you're cooking it.  It needs 100% of your attention.  So the husband handles the risotto and I take care of everything else.  Let's start with the chicken.  

Combine the breadcrumbs, cheese, nutmeg, parsley, and orange zest in a shallow bowl.  Place the flour in a second dish and the eggs in a third, positioned between the flour and the bread crumbs.  

I always use Panko bread crumbs when I make this recipe or chicken parmesan.  I find that those bread crumbs stay really crunchy and hold up especially well.  I've also learned that you want to make sure to season every layer whenever you fry something.  So add S&P to both the flour and egg layers, too.  If you happen to be short on an egg you can add a splash of milk to the eggs instead and it will work just as well.  

Cut into the chicken and across horizontally to butterfly each piece open.  Lightly pound the chicken between wax or parchment paper into 4 large, very thin cutlets.  Season the cutlets with S&P and coat them with the flour, eggs, and bread crumb mixture.  Heat 1/2 inch of frying oil in a very large skillet over medium-high heat.  When the oil is hot, cook the cutlets for about 2 minutes per side, or until golden brown.  Place cooked chicken pieces on a baking rack or paper towels to drain.  

When breading the chicken, it's important to shake off any excess flour, egg mixture, or bread crumbs.  If you don't, the fried chicken will be lumpy and heavy.  I also use only one hand to bread the chicken.  That way I always have a clean hand in case I need to grab something quickly.  The above photo is of the first batch of breaded chicken frying in the pan.  

I always place the fried chicken on a baking rack over a baking sheet.  For one, if you choose to let the pieces drain on a paper towel then you chance losing some of the breading.  Also, my trick to ensure that the chicken is cooked through, especially crispy, and hot whenever the risotto and salad is ready is to have an oven preheated to 250 degrees.  Then whenever all the chicken is fried, I place it in the oven and forget about it until the rest of the meal is ready to go.  And that's what I did last night.  Now onto the lemon risotto!

In a medium saucepan, heat the stock and 2 cups of water over medium-low heat.  In a risotto pot or large skillet with rounded bottom, heat the olive oil over medium to medium-high heat.  Add the onions and garlic to the risotto pot and saute to soften for 3 to 4 minutes.  Stir in the rice and add the zest of lemon, then heat the rice for 1 to 2 minutes before adding the wine and cooking to evaporate.  

  

Here's where it gets fun...

A few ladles at a time, add the warm stock and stir for a minute each time to develop the starches (this will make the risotto creamy).  Keep adding stock each time the pan starts to become dry at the edges.  

When the rice is cooked to al dente, season with S&P, and stir in the butter, lemon juice, cheese and basil.  Serve immediately.  

Oh, it's so beautiful.  Making risotto is a lesson in patience.  It's really tough watching something cook for an hour that smells so delicious.  When J says there's about 10 minutes left on the risotto's cooking time, that's when I get to work on the salad.  

Peel and section the oranges and dice.  Combine with the tomatoes, oregano, onion, olive oil, and S&P.  

J got me some fancy-shmancy olive oils.  One from Australia and one from Spain.  We only use it on "special occasions."  Last night was one of those.  I never thought splurging on something like olive oil would be worth it but, boy, can you tell the difference between that and the stuff I get a quart of for, like, $9.  

Gently mix in the arugula and serve immediately.

  

It was time to eat!  We received some wonderful gift cards as wedding gifts and so I bought some "home-y" things that I had been wanting.  So why not have a candlelit dinner with cloth napkins and place mats with a big bottle of wine on a Tuesday night?  

I love date nights.  Best part about having a date night in your own home?  You get to eat dinner in your pajamas.  

MISSION COMPLETE: 

DEBRIEFING: Timing and patience is key with this meal.  If you're not in the mood for spending a solid hour stirring a pot, skip the risotto.  (Though you'll be missing out on something super, super delicious!)  The chicken and salad are easy to make, quick, and tastey.  I especially like to top the piece of chicken with the salad and eat them together.  They really compliment each other.  

Baby arugula is an interesting vegetable.  It's bitter and tastes almost peppery.  Worth a try.  Mix it in with anything sweet or sour to add a bit of bite.  

This meal is just one of those really comforting and satisfying ones.  I could actually eat it every day.  Okay, enough with the raving.  Just try it! 

Heading to WI this weekend to visit family before I'm a working girl.  I see my dad's jambalaya in my future.  And yours, too!  I also have a recipe for Dreamy Oreo Brownies, so those will probably be the next 2 updates.  Looking forward to it!  

Cheers,

Rachel  

        

Johnathon's Mai Tai

A new chapter of my life is beginning.  I got a job!  I am no longer an unemployed twenty-something learning to cook.  I am now an employed twenty-something learning to cook!  It's all very exciting.  And I will now have an income to support this cooking adventure.

I decided that while testing out new recipes and cooking techniques, I will occasionally include some of my favorites.  And since my new husband and I just came back from a glorious trip to Maui, we're doing Mai Tais.  While we were there, we found that the Hawaiian Mai Tai tends to be more lime-y, ie. more sour.  We love pineapples and thought it was something that would taste really good in the drink.

There are hundreds of different Mai Tai recipes, and this is ours.  

THE MISSION: Johnathon's Mai Tai

THE INGREDIENTS: Ice, Dark Rum, Orange Curacao, Sweetened Lime Juice, Orgeat Syrup, Orange-Pineapple Juice.  If you don't like the pineapple flavor, just use regular O.J.

In a (smaller) martini shaker, mix together the ice, 6 shots of rum, 2 shots Orange Curacao, 2 shots Orgeat Syrup, and a splash of Sweetened Lime Juice.  Fill the rest of the shaker up with Orange-Pineapple Juice and "shake it like a polaroid picture."  Pour into a glass over ice.


MISSION COMPLETE:

I know you're thinking: What is that?  Well, out of all the amazing things I could have brought back from Maui, I chose to buy a $5 INCREDIBLY AWESOME old-school tiki glass.  We went to an open-air market and there was a stand with hundreds of them.  This one was the most unique and I like his funny face.  Drinking Mai Tais out of this little guy really takes you back to the islands.

Isn't he great?!  I have similar surprises for four special ladies who spent a very special day with me on June 4th.  You know who you are.  Check your mailboxes next week!

Off to the lake this weekend.  We'll be sure to *perfect* this Mai Tai recipe, if you know what I mean.  And if you don't know what I mean, I mean that we drink a lot when we we're at the lake.  Lol.  And the in-laws have challenged my husband and I to a croquet game.  I'll need to have a couple of drinks before that, as it improves my not-acting-like-a-horrible-sore-loser abilities.

Cheers to the weekend,
Rachel

PS: Have I introduced you to my sous chef, Aldo?

He doesn't do much to help, other than ensuring that I trip constantly, strategically placing himself between me and anything I need to get to.  I <3 him.

Welcome! + Matzo Ball Soup

Well, here it is.  Another food blog.  With so many out there, what makes this one any different?  I can't really promise that it is any different.  But I'll tell you something: this cooking blog will start out on a complete cooking failure.

Go ahead, you can admit it.  You've been there.  You take time to pick out the perfect recipe, drive to the store, select only the best ingredients (and dump an unreasonable amount of money for one meal), spend hours over the stove and...ruin.  That's where this story begins.  But we'll get to that.

A little bit about me: I'm not a homemaker, I'm not a professional chef or a line cook.  I'm a twenty-something female in Minneapolis who has realized that cooking is one of the best stress relievers.  And as a recent Master's graduate looking for full-time employment, I have a little bit of time on my hands.  So here we are.

Over the last year I've come up with a list of rules to follow while cooking:

1. Drink:  Whether it be a glass of white wine, a Skinny Girl Margarita, or a Vodka Shirley Temple (and no, those are not random selections, those are my go-tos), cooking should be both relaxing and enjoyable.  And after a long day of doing whatever it is that you do, you deserve it!  
2. Prep:  Before I even pre-heat the oven, I read over my recipe.  I do all of the prep work that is necessary before I begin cooking.  That way I'm not madly chopping or dicing to get something in the oven before the timer goes off and lose a finger.  I'm a big prepper.
3. Clean-as-you-go: No one wants to spend an hour or two cooking to have to tackle a massive pile of dishes.  If there is any down-time in a recipe, I load the dish washer or wash what needs to be washed by hand.  Then when it's time to sit down and enjoy a meal, I don't have dirty dishes nagging at me the whole time.  

When it dawned on me this morning to start a cooking blog, I decided to tackle the Holy Grail of Jewish cooking: Matzo Ball Soup.  With a year of cooking behind me and a bunch of brand new tools in the kitchen, I decided to follow in the footsteps of my grandmother and great-grandmother.  Believe me, I knew it wouldn't be easy.  It's one of those things that Jewish women spend their whole lives trying to perfect.  And though I don't want to foreshadow too much, I'm glad I was following rule number one on my first try.  

THE MISSION: Matzo Ball Soup, adapted from Linda Doeser's 1 Stock, 100 Soups.  (Yes, I just cited a book in a blog post.  Can't take the 'nerd' out of 'grad student.')

THE INGREDIENTS: For the soup: 2 chicken quarters, 11 and 1/4 cups vegetable stock, 2 chopped onions, 2 chopped celery stalks, 2 chopped carrots, 2 fresh parsley sprigs, 2 ounces of Vermicelli, S&P.  For the Matzo balls: 4 tablespoons of butter, 1/2 grated onion, 1 egg, 1 egg yolk, 1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh parsley, 1 tablespoon of water, 2 cups crushed Matzo crackers, S&P.  

RACHEL'S MOST IMPORTANT COOKING TOOLS FOR THIS RECIPE: Skinny Girl Margaritas and two episodes of 'Judge Judy.'  I may or may not have watched an episode or two of 'The Real Housewives' as well.

The recipe has you make the matzo balls first, to give them time to come together in the refrigerator while you're working on the chicken and stock.  This was very exciting for me because it provided me with the first opportunity to use my new mixer.

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a small skillet, add the grated onion and cook on low heat for about five minutes.  Remove from the heat and let cool.  While the onion is cooking, beat the remaining butter in a bowl until fluffy and then gradually beat in the egg and egg yolk.  Add the parsley onion, S&P, and mix well.  Then beat in the water.  Mix in the matzo crumbs until thoroughly incorporated, cover, and let rest in the fridge for about 30 minutes.  

Put the chicken in a large, deep pan (or stock pot, if you have one) and pour in the vegetable stock.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to medium-low heat, skimming off any foam that forms on the surface.  Simmer for 15 minutes.  Add chopped onion, celery, carrots, and parsley and season with S&P.  Reduce the heat and cover, simmering for 50-60 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.  

With about 15 minutes left on my cooking time, I took the matzo mix out of the refrigerator and started shaping the matzo balls.  

As I started to shape the matzo balls - and after nearly 2 hours of work - I started to feel slightly nervous that this might just not pan out as well as I thought it would.  The matzo balls didn't feel sticky and were difficult to form.  But as a novice at this whole making-matzo-balls thing, I really had no ideas about what they were supposed to be like.  So I made 12 and put them back in the fridge, hoping that the extra time in there would help solidify them.  

Yeah, I'm with you...something just doesn't seem right here.  

Strain the soup into a clean pan, reserving the chicken.  Remove and discard the skin and bones and dice the chicken into bite-size pieces.  Add the chicken, pasta, and matzo balls to the pan, cover, and simmer gently for 20-30 minutes.  

Here is where my heart really sank.  After straining the stock and chopping the chicken, I attempted to add my amateur matzo balls to the soup.  Immediately they dissipated.  Not one of them held together.  All I could see in my mind was a window opening and money flying right out of it.  Even so!  I added the vermicelli and chicken and cooked it, per the directions, for about 25 minutes.  

MISSION COMPLETE:

Yes, it looks awful.  I know.  It looks more like a curry than matzo ball soup.  My grandmother and great-grandmother are probably a little disappointed that their little Rachela doesn't have a natural gift for making matzo balls.  But that's okay.  Because, more than surprisingly, it actually tasted really good.  The broth was fantastic and it was kind of like eating 10 mini matzo balls in each bite.  

Not to say that it was perfect.  Far from it.  But there are lessons learned.  

DEBRIEFING: 

In hindsight, I probably should have made an executive decision and chucked the first batch of matzo balls.  When I tackle this recipe again (or if you make a go at it!) make sure the crumbs are very, very fine.  I think my biggest mistake was that I didn't make the crumbs small enough.  I'd probably also add another egg to this recipe as an extra binding agent.  They just wouldn't stick together as well as I wanted them to.  

Also, the recipe calls for 2 chicken quarters.  I've made other soups using chicken breasts and I actually liked them better.  I think I would substitute chicken breasts for the quarters.  

My goal is to keep this blog up, with at least one post a week (hopefully more).  I'm not exactly sure that anyone will read it (outside of my parents, Hi Mom!  Hi Dad!) but I know I'll enjoy it.  And I hope my cooking will continue to improve.  I strive to be my Grandma C.  She's one of those special ladies who can just see a bunch of ingredients - often leftovers -, throw them together, and serve you the best meal you've ever tasted.  She's my inspiration for this cooking adventure.  

I know there are tons of people just like me out there, so let's learn to cook together.  And on the one-year anniversary of this blog, I will tackle matzo ball soup once again.  And will make the crumbs more fine, of course.  

Cheers,

Rachel