Double header: Chicken Piccata; Rosemary and Chevre Mashed Potatoes

Hello loyal follower(s)
Tonight was a very successful  adventure for Mr Nut.   But as usual Mr Nut had to make changes to both of the recipes used for tonight's dinner.  What was Piccata ?  Mr Nut knew it was an Italian word, but what did it mean?  And there was Chevre which was  goat cheese.  Mr Nut has been expanding  his vocabulary.
Cyndy has a meat mallet which had a square head which was not ideal for the job.  The corners tended to cut up the breast meat.

Mr Nut purchased a man size tool without square corners to better beat the hell out of the chicken breasts.

 Cyndys  toy meat mallet is the one on the bottom.

The chicken recipe was reality simple even for Mr Nut.  It was not difficult dredging the beat up chicken breast (now called cutlets, another new word for MR Nut.

The cutlets were then sauté, here they were flipped and the second side is up.







Cyndy loves mashed potatoes thus the successful
attempt at a great mashed potato recipe.   However, Mr Nut's timing was a little off, the mashed potatoes were done too early.   What to do to keep the warm??  

Of course, a heating pad,  Mr Nut used this trick when fermenting bread dough.

The Rosemary and Feta cheese  mashed potatoes were a hit.

The cutlets also look perfect.

The final result.  The rd and green were asparagus and red peppers with a special sauce.




BOTH recipes follow:

À bientôt,

Mr Nut

Chicken Piccata

From a recipe from Cuisine at Home magazine

Makes 2 servings

If you like fresh lemon, tender chicken, and a quick recipe, then this classic Italian dish will fit perfectly on your dinner plate.

Part of piccata's charm is that it only requires basic cooking skills to prepare. You get professional results, even for Mr Nut. To make this recipe even more enticing, much of the preparation can be done hours ahead of serving ( beating the meat into submission)

Because cutlets are lean and cook in just a few minutes, they produce very little drippings to use in a sauce. A light coating of flour will act as an emulsifier and thickener, while a simple addition of fresh lemon juice and white wine, create the classic piccata flavors.

Per serving: 449 cal; 28g total fat ; 129mg chol; 259mg sodium; 3g carb; Og fiber; 41 g protein

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise and pounded into cutlets, 

 Salt and black pepper 

All-purpose flour

 Nonstick spray

2  Tbsp. vegetable oil

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 tsp. minced garlic

1/2   cup low-sodium chicken broth

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter 

Fresh lemon slices. (optional) 

Chopped fresh parsley

1. Flatten out the breasts: Place a chicken breast half between TWO pieces of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, pound meat (smooth side down) lightly, aim for at about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Work from the center outward.  Remove plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining chicken.

1. Brine:  Dissolve 3 tablespoons salt in 1 quart cold water in large container. Add flatten breasts, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 30 minutes.
2. Season cutlets with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour. 
3. Coat a saute pan with nonstick spray, add oil, and heat over medium-high. Saute cutlets 2-3 minutes on one side. Flip cutlets over and saute the other side, covered, 1-2 minutes.
4. Transfer cutlets to a warmed platter; pour off fat from the pan.
5. Deglaze pan with wine and add minced garlic.
6.  Cook until garlic is slightly brown and liquid is nearly evaporated, about 2 minutes. 
7. Add broth and lemon juice.. Return cutlets to pan and cook on each side for 1 minute. 
8. Transfer cutlets to warm plates. Finish sauce with butter and lemons. 

Once butter melts, pour sauce over cutlets. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve 

immediately.

Rosemary and Chevre Mashed Potatoes

Modified from Cuisine at home

Per cup: 284 cal; 12g total fat (8g sat); 29mg chol; 856mg sodium; 38g carb; 4g fiber; 7g protein

Makes about 6 cups;

While we're not dealing with the most complex of dishes here, there are some things you can do to make mashed potatoes easier to prepare and taste even better than they already do.

First, pick the right potato. Some varieties make a better mash than others. The high starch content of russets gives them the perfect fluffy texture when mashed. An all-purpose variety like Yukon gold adds its own buttery flavor to typical mashed potatoes.

Once you've picked the right potato, three things ensure an above-average bowl of mashed: 

1. Cutting potatoes into even cubes speeds up cooking and makes mashing easier.
2. After draining, dry the potatoes well so they can absorb the flavors you're adding — even if that's only butter or cream. 
3. Make sure the ingredients you're adding to the mashed potatoes are warm. The potatoes will be better able to absorb the flavors of those ingredients and will mix together easier.

To test potatoes for doneness, insert a knife into the center — if the potato slides off the knife, it's done. Overcooking causes the potatoes to become waterlogged.

2¹/2 lb. Russet  potatoes, peeled, cut into 2-inch cubes

3 sprigs fresh rosemary; (3 inch pieces)

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
4 oz. chevre (goat cheese) or Feta cheese

1/3  cup buttermilk or sour cream

1 Tbsp. minced fresh rosemary

1 tsp. minced lemon peel

1 tsp. Sea salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

Boil potatoes and rosemary sprigs in salted water until tender, 15-20 minutes. Remove sprigs

and drain potatoes. Return potatoes to the pan and dry briefly over medium heat, stirring often

to prevent scorching. Remove pan from heat.

Mash potatoes and stir in butter to coat. Add goat cheese and stir until melted. Fold in

buttermilk or sour cream, minced rosemary, lemon peel, salt, and pepper.

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