Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Sage-Sherry Butter Sauce

I'm very picky about crusted chicken, or crusted ANYTHING for that matter. It makes no sense to me that anyone would want to use that dried powdery under seasoned store bought dried bread crumbs when just for a tad bit of effort, you can make your own flavorful bread crumbs that make the perfect crust for meats and vegetables.

Start with a rustic type of bread such as ciabatta, (almost all super markets carry rustic type loafs of bread in their bakery sections) cut bread into cubes leaving the crust on, and process into crumbs in a food processor. The crumbs will be different sizes from small to pea size, this is fine because the goal is not uniformity.
Dry the crumbs on a baking sheet in a 200 degree oven  for 10 - 15 minutes until they are dried but not toasted. Freeze any unused crumbs in a freezer bag. When ready to use, thaw and add desired fresh herbs.

PARMESAN CRUSTED CHICKEN 
WITH SAGE-SHERRY BUTTER SAUCE

Recipe:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into half

1 cups dried bread crumbs *see above

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated

1 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Zest of 1 lemon

2 egg whites

2 teaspoons cornstarch

Juice of 1/2 lemon

3 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Prepare chicken breast by cutting in half lengthwise and pounding to 1/2 thick *Doing this ensures that the coating doesn't burn before the chicken is cooked through.

Combine breadcrumbs, parsley, salt, pepper, lemon zest and Parmesan in a shallow dish

Whisk egg whites, cornstarch and lemon juice in another shallow dish.

Dip both sides of prepared chicken into egg mixture. Transfer the chicken to the crumb dish, pat crumbs on both sides of chicken. Air-dry chicken on rack for 20 minutes, this helps to set the crumbs. *Don't skip this important step, it ensures that the crust will adhere to the chicken while cooking.

Heat oil in a large, nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat, add chicken and cook for 3 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp.
Carefully turn chicken with a spatula and transfer the skillet to the oven to finish cooking. Roast chicken just until done, about 8 minutes more.

SAGE-SHERRY BUTTER SAUCE

1 1/2 tablespoon shallot minced
1/4 cup good sherry *not cooking sherry
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 - 2 teaspoon fresh sage, minced
Salt, white pepper, and cayenne to taste.

Saute shallot in butter in a small saucepan over medium heat just until soft, 2 -3 minutes.
Add sherry, cream, broth and lemon juice. Simmer until reduced by half, 8 -10 minutes.
Whisk in butter, 1 tablespoon at a time stirring constantly.
Finish sauce with sage and seasonings off heat.
Keep warm until ready to serve.

Make it a menu with Roasted Potatoes with Garlic & Rosemary, and Sauteed Green Beans with Red Peppers

ROASTED POTATOES WITH GARLIC & ROSEMARY

Recipe:

2 tablespoon olive oil

2 -3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary chopped

1 lb. Yukon gold or red skinned potatoes, unpeeled, cut into large chunks

Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees 

Mix oil, garlic and rosemary in a large bowl, set aside.

Boil potatoes in water for one minute, with a slotted spoon transfer potatoes to a rimmed baking sheet.

Drizzle oil and herb mixture on potatoes, toss to coat.

Roast for 20 minutes, carefully turn potatoes with spatula and continue to roast for 10 more minutes, or until cooked through, browned, and crisp.

Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

ENJOY!

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Foodie Friday

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Ginger Snap for Wow Me Wednesday

Blessed with Grace for Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

All the Small Stuff for Tuesday at the Table

Stone Gable for On the Menu Monday

Hunk of Meat Monday at Beyer Beware

Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms for Melt in Your Mouth Monday

Menu Plan Monday at Organizing Junkie

Jam Hands for Recipe Sharing Monday

Floor to Ceiling Wall Gallery

Last week when I was re-doing the dining room with fall inspired colors and accessories, I ran into an on going problem that I have had with one of the walls, a cornered wall to be exact.
It's tall and narrow with a doorway connected to it on one side, the other is where I have an over sized console table and usually, a very large mirror or painting hanging above it.

The problem is with scale, no matter what I put here it either looks skimpy in comparison with what is hanging over the console, or it is in direct competition. To solve the problem, I thought I would try a gallery of various sized pictures and mirrors going from floor to ceiling and stretching from one side of the wall to the other.

Before
This grouping of 4 prints looks too small for the wall

Before
The large paintings compete with the oversized mirror

After
The gallery wall now compliments the wall with the console table and mirror.

After
Now the wall adds drama to the room.

To achieve this, I stretched two tape measures out on the floor with the measurements from floor to ceiling on one, and side to side on the other, then I just started filling the space with pictures, using the tape measures as my guide.

I edited out the ones that I didn't think worked well in a group, and changed out some of the light mats to darker ones to add more contrast.

I painted the large green frame in the center of the group, a champagne gold to match the large center frame on the top row and purposely left it empty to use as a showcase for smaller pictures that would otherwise get lost within the group.

After I got the grouping that I liked, I started by hanging the top row first, with the center frame 4 inches from the crown molding, and worked my way down using the same 4 inch spacing between each row, ending with the bottom row 4 inched from the baseboard... giving me a perfectly spaced floor to ceiling gallery.

I am so happy that I finally found a solution to this problematic cornered wall, while turning it into a dramatic focal point for the entire dining and lounge area.

I will be joining these fun parties...

Savvy Southern Style for Wow us Wednesday

A Creative Princess for It's a Party

On Sutton Place for Open House

Bunny Jeans Decor & More for Wednesday Bunny Hop

Home Stories A to Z for Tutorials & Tips Tuesday

My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday

Just a Girl for Show and Share Day

French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday

Stuff and Nonsense for Fridays Unfolded

At the Picket Fence for Inspiration Fridays

The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home

Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday

Fresh Corn Pudding

This simple recipe for corn pudding, using fresh corn is a perfect summertime dish to accompany grilled chicken, ribs, or sausage links.

Corn Pudding

Serves 2

Recipe:
2 - 3 ears of corn to equal 1 1/2 cups kernels
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried basil or 1 tablespoon fresh copped
1 1/2 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
2 eggs
1/3 cup heavy cream

Directions:
Remove husks and silks from corn. In a large bowl slice off kernels with a knife. With the back side of the knife, scrap the cob to remove all the remaining parts of the kernel and the milky juices.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a 1/2 quart baking dish or 2 ramekins with nonstick cooking spray.
In the baking dish, combine the corn, cheese, salt, pepper and basil.
In a bowl, combine the melted butter, eggs, cream, and hot sauce.
Pour the egg mixture over the corn mixture.
Place the baking dish in a larger baking dish. Add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the baking dish containing the corn.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the pudding is set and golden.
Yields 2 generous portions

This recipe can easily be doubled and baked in a 1 1/2 quart baking dish.

Enjoy!

I will be joining these fun parties...

A Creative Princess for It's a Party!

Savvy Southern Style for Wow us Wednesday

DIY by Design for Sizzle into Summer

Ginger Snaps Crafts for Wow me Wednesday

Frozen Peach Bellini

I picked up too many peaches at our mobile farmers market last weekend that seriously needed to used before they went South, and to be honest, I couldn't face another peach in my morning cereal, or grilled outdoors for dessert.
So instead of eating them, I decided why not drink them!

Here's my version of Giuseppe Cipriani's (the creator of this glorious libation and the founder of the infamous Harry's Bar in Venice) Bellini...

Frozen Peach Bellini

Serves 4 tall cocktails

Recipe:

3 peaches

1/3 cup peach nectar

*sugar if needed*

1/3 cup peach schnapps (I used DeKuyper)

1 cup chilled prosecco or champagne, plus more for topping off glasses

1 1/2 cups crushed ice, plus more if necessary 

Directions:

Blanch peaches in boiling water for about 5 minutes, remove with a slotted spoon and place peaches directly in a large bowl of ice water until cooled to the touch. At this point the skins will slip right off.

Cut peaches in half and remove pit, then cut into chunks and place in a blender with peach nectar, puree until smooth.
*Taste puree to see if it's sweet enough to your liking, if not add 1-3 teaspoons of sugar*
Place peach puree in a freezer bag and put in freezer until mostly frozen, about 1 hour, 2 if you can wait that long.

Return frozen peach puree to blender, add peach schnapps, crushed ice and prosecco and pulse to combine until ice is slushy, being careful not to over blend to the point of liquefying the ice.

Pour mixture into tall pilsner glasses and top off with additional prosecco. 

Garnish with thinly sliced peach wedges if desired.
To make an ultimate frozen bellini al la Macaroni Grill style, add 1/2-1oz of Chambord raspberry liqueur to each glass.
If you want a non-alcoholic version you could substitute the prosecco with sparkling wine or sparkling cider.
Serve with a tall straw.

This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled for a par-tay!

Cheers!


Home Savvy A -Z for Savvy Home Made


 Stone Gable for On The Menu Monday

Baked Breaded Tomatoes

My neighbor Ann asked me if I wanted a couple of tomatoes that she had to get rid of before she went out of town because they wouldn't last until her return, I of course said YES!

I used about a quarter of one on last nights salad and it was delicious. Being at it's peak, the color and flavor was so intense, I decided right then and there that I would be using the rest of it along with the other one in a baked tomato casserole.

The only problem was that one and three-fourths of a tomato wasn't going to be near enough, so I knew that I would have to add the lovely Roma tomatoes that I bought last weekend at the farmers market into the plan.

BAKED BREADED TOMATOES

Recipe:

3 cups whole wheat sandwich bread torn into small pieces, about 3 slices.

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon olive oil divided.

2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley 

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano.

8 Roma tomatoes or other small/medium tomatoes of your choice, quartered lengthwise.

1 leek chopped, white part only.

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

1 teaspoon sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Coat a glass or ceramic 8 inch baking dish or two 16 oz casserole dishes with cooking spray.

In a bowl, combine bread crumbs, cheese, parsley, oregano, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil, tossing to coat the crumbs evenly.

In a large skillet or saute pan, heat the remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil over medium heat until it shimmers. Add quartered tomatoes, chopped leek, salt, pepper, and sugar. Saute until the tomatoes soften and release their juice, about 8-10 minutes.

Sprinkle half of the bread crumbs in the bottom of the prepared baking dish, spoon in the tomato mixture, then top the tomatoes evenly with the remaining breadcrumbs.

Bake until the crumb topping is crisp and browned, about 20 minutes.

Cool 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 4 side dishes or 2 entrees served with a side salad or sandwich.

I baked the casserole in individual baking dishes and served it with grilled Gouda cheese sandwichs for a delicious lunch for two.

Enjoy!

I will be joining...

Home Savvy A-Z for Savvy Home Made

Stone Gable for On The Menu Monday

Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum

Inspiration Friday at At The Picket Fence

Fridays Unfolded at Stuff and Nonsense

  

Eighty pieces of French glassware... Really?

I'm still shaking my head wondering how I ended up with all these dishes...
It started a couple of Sundays ago in the church lobby, when my neighbor came in, and I asked her what she had been up to, she proceeded to tell me that she had been helping her daughter who lives in Dallas with a two household garage sale over the weekend.  She went on to explain something about her daughter remarrying a widowed Dr., and that they had all this stuff that had to be condensed into one house, and then my mind left the conversation and moved on to a book that the Youth Pastor mentioned in the service titled The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis... from there it moved on to the idea of stopping into Barnes & Noble after lunch today to buy it, and wouldn't a Starbucks iced coffee be good on a hot day...  as my thought jumped from on thing to another I heard the words BLUE DISHES $40.00

"What?  Did you say something about blue dishes?" I asked after reeling my mind back into the up until then,  one sided conversation.
I know, that's not a nice thing to do, especially at church, but I'm pretty sure that I was suffering momentarily from Adult ADD, however when I heard the words 'Blue Dishes' combined with $40.00 in a conversation about garage sale leftovers, my ears perked up and the next words out of my mouth were... 'SOLD!  I'LL TAKE THEM!'

I had forgotten all about the church lobby transaction until I got a phone call today from my neighbor informing me that she had brought the dishes back from Dallas and I could come pick them up...
'Uh, OK... I'll hop in the golf cart and be right over'
'Golf cart! Oh honey, these boxes won't fit on a golf cart, you better bring the car'
At this point I'm thinking that I should have paid closer attention to the conversation, and started to wonder what I gotten myself into... I just assumed that for 40 bucks it had to be a place setting for 4, 6 at the most.

No siree Bob... I scored a service for 18, (sans cups) two large serving bowls and 6 platters (I will be using those as chargers) of the most delicate shade of blue glassware with grapes, leaves and what looks to me like columns embossed on them, and stamped on the bottom of each piece is arcoroc, France. Ooh la la, I haven't ever had French dinnerware before!

I don't know a thing about glassware, and after hitting several search engines... I still don't know diddly squat about these.  I found tons of pink glassware, some referred to as 'Depression Glass' or 'Vintage' with prices ranging all over the board, but not a single result or image of the blue ones that I have.
If any of you tablescapers or dish collectors know anything about these, please let me know if they are trash or treasure.
Either way, I love how they look with my Haviland, Blue Garland china.

The thing is, I have NO idea where I'm going to keep all these dishes, seeing that my cabinets, hutch and sideboard are full and running over to the point that my Man thinks that I could easily end up on an episode of Horders Buried Alive the Special Dishes Edition!
And in case you were wondering...
Yes! From now on I will be paying VERY close attention to all church lobby conversations that I enter into  before I even think about uttering the word 'SOLD!'

I will be joining...

The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays

My Romantic Home for Show & Tell Friday

French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday

Laurie Anna's Vintage Home for Farm House Friday

Stuff and Nonsense for Fridays Unfolded

Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday

The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home

Delightful Order for Delightfully Inspiring Thursday

A Creative Princess for It's a Party!

No Minimalist Here for Open House Party

Feta Stuffed Zucchini Boats

I picked up some zucchini squash at our Farmer's Market last Friday and instead of going with my usual way of preparing them, which is either out on the grill or baked in a squash casserole, I decided to make them look a little fancier and stuff them.

This is somewhat like a squash casserole, but using the squash it's self as the dish, and the feta makes it really delicious and the panko crumbs brown nicely giving it a gorgeous color.

Recipe: 


2 zucchini squash, about 7 inches long, halved lengthwise, with the stem end left intact.
1 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons minced shallot
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1/4 teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
2 eggs 
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon paprika


Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly spray an oven proof dish with cooking spray. 


With a paring knife, cut around the zucchini, leaving a small rim, and cross hatch the center as shown below.

Scoop out the insides with a small spoon or grapefruit knife, leaving the outer skin in tact for the boat.

Chop the scooped out zucchini in smaller pieces. Melt butter in a small skillet and add the chopped zucchini, shallots, and garlic and saute until soft.


In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs, stir in panko crumbs, feta, salt, pepper and the zucchini mixture.


Stuff mixture into the zucchini boats, sprinkle the tops of each with paprika.

Bake for 25 minutes until the tops are golden brown.

Plate and serve hot. Makes 4 side dishes or 2 main courses served with a side salad.


As you can see, the humble zucchini has now become a fancy side dish that is pretty enough for company, and really delicious too!

Enjoy!

 I will be joining... 


Home Savvy A to Z for Savvy for HomeMade Monday


 Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday

 Stone Gable for On the Menu Monday