Chicken Tenders Done Right

 These are officially my go-to for chicken tenders effective immediately. Parmesan Chicken Sticks are superb. They are crispy and juicy and well absolutely perfect. Thanks, Barefoot Contessa.

Her recipe calls for placing the chicken on a stick, but I omit that step. I also place my cooked chicken on a dish with paper towels to soak up excess butter/oil. I use Cento seasoned bread crumbs.

As always, when making cutlets of any kind work in batches and DO NOT overcrowd the pan. 

Serve with marinara, ketchup, mustard, wing sauce, ranch. Whatever your heart desires.

I'm definitely making this for our upcoming Halloween festivities.

Yay!

Here's the recipe:

Parmesan Chicken Sticks

Makes 14-16 sticks

From "Barefoot Contessa: Family Style"

By Ina Garten

1 1/2 lbs. skinless boneless chicken breasts (3-4)

1 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

2 extra large eggs

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Unsalted butter

Good olive oil

Bamboo skewers (6 to 10 inches long) or ice cream sticks

Lay the chicken breasts on a cutting board and slice each diagonally into four or five large strips.

Combine the flour, salt and pepper on a dinner plate. Beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of water on a second plate. Combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese on a third plate. Dredge the chicken breasts on both sides in the flour mixture, then dip both sides into the egg mixture and roll in the breadcrumb mixture, pressing lightly to coat.

Heat 1 Tbsp. of butter and 1 Tbsp. of olive oil in a large saute pan and cook the chicken strips on medium-low heat for about 3 minutes each side until just cooked through. Don't crowd the pan. Add more butter and oil and cook the rest of the chicken breasts. Serve each strip on a skewer or stick.

Please note: The Jersey Girl does not serve the chicken on a stick. 

Cauliflower Toasts

Cauliflower Toasts taste just like fall. Loaded with melty cheese and prosciutto, this dish is not for dieters. But the toasts are really nice with a glass of wine. This recipe  - from Ina Garten, natch - elevates the cauliflower to a next-level atmosphere.

You start by roasting the florets and then mixing them into a vat of cheese and seasonings. Before serving, top with MORE cheese and chopped chives. 

I feel like these toasts are a starter, but I easily ate a couple and was totally full. I have determined that all Barefoot Contessa recipes are very rich.  Honestly, I didn't even use as much cheese as she called for. LOL. I also do not use as much salt as the recipe calls for.

I feel like you could easily make these vegetarian by omitting the prosciutto. I don't think you would miss much flavor from that. 

I really enjoyed these and would make them again!

Since my husband was not interested in trying the toasts, I just made two at a time and used the broiler in the toaster oven. The cauliflower mixture stored well in the refrigerator, and I made a few more toasts throughout the week. 

Here you go:

Cauliflower Toasts

Serves 6

From "Cook Like a Pro"

By Ina Garten

1 small head cauliflower (2 pounds)

4 Tbsp. good olive oil

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

12 ounces Italian mascarpone cheese, at room temperature

6 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated

4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, julienned

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

6 large slices country-style bread

Paprika

Freshly grated Italian Parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp. minced fresh chives

Flaked sea salt, such as Maldon

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Turn the cauliflower upside down on a cutting board. Cut off and discard must but not all of the stems, then cut the florets into small 1/2-inch clusters. Place the florets on a sheet pan. Toss them with olive oil, red pepper flakes, 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. black pepper, and spread them out in a single layer. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing two or three times, until the florets are tender and randomly browned. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

Set the oven to broil and arrange a rack 6 inches below the heat.

Transfer the florets to a large mixing bowl and add the mascarpone, stirring to coat the florets evenly. Stir in the Gruyere, prosciutto, nutmeg, 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. black pepper.

Toast the bread in a toaster until lightly browned, and place in a single layer on a sheet pan lined with foil. Mound the cauliflower mixture evenly on each toast and dust with paprika. Broil the toasts for 2 to 4 minutes, until browned and bubbling. (Watch them carefully). Transfer to plates and sprinkle with Parmesan, chives and sea salt. Serve hot.

Zahav Hummus

Zahav hummus is a foodstuff from the Gods. Fortunately, the restaurant owner Michael Solomonov put out an amazing cookbook that features the recipe for it as well as the recipes for countless dishes served at the esteemed restaurant located in Philadelphia. My husband and I have dined at the actual Zahav on occasion but not nearly enough. It is so nice that I have my hands on this beautiful  cookbook so that I can create the amazing recipes at home.

My son calls this hummus his absolute fave. The flavor and texture is so dreamy.

When I make this I have to have a game plan as you must soak the dried chickpeas overnight. You also need to make a tehini sauce, although this can be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen. Then of course, cooking the chickpeas takes a good hour or so. Solomonov says the secret to mind-blowing hummus is overcooked and overpureed chickpeas. 

I hope you get to go to Zahav one day. In the meantime, make this fab hummus!

Basic Tehina Sauce

Makes about 4 cups

From "Zahav: A World of Israeli Cooking"

By Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook

1 head garlic

3/4 cup lemon juice (from 3 lemons)

1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

2 generous cups tehina

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

Break up the head of garlic with your hands, letting the unpeeled cloves falls into a blender. Add the lemon juice and 1/2 tsp. of the salt. Blend on high for a few seconds until you have a coarse puree. Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes to let the garlic mellow.

Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer set over a large mixing bowl, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids. Add the tehina to the strained lemon juice in the bowl, along with cumin and 1 tsp. of the salt. 

Whisk the mixture together until smooth (or use a food processor), adding ice water, a few tablespoons at a time, to thin it out. The sauce will lighten in color as you whisk. When the tehina seizes up or tightens, keep adding ice water, bit by bit (about 1 1/2 cups in total), whisking energetically until you have a perfectly smooth, creamy, thick sauce.

Taste and add up to 1 1/2 teaspoons more salt and cumin if you like. If you're not using the sauce immediately, whisk in a few tablespoons of ice water to loosen it before refrigerating. The tehina sauce will keep a week refrigerated, or it can be frozen for up to a month.

Hummus Tehina

Makes 3 1/2 cups

From "Zahav: A World of Israeli Cooking"

By Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook

1 cup dried chickpeas

2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 cups Basic Tehina Sauce (see above), plus a bit more for the topping

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. ground cumin

Paprika

Chopped fresh parsley

Olive oil, for drizzling

Place the chickpeas in a large bowl with 1 tsp. of the baking soda and cover with water. (The chickpeas will double in volume, so use more water than you think you need.) Soak the chickpeas overnight at room temperature. the next day, drain the chickpeas and rinse under cold water.

Place the chickpeas in a large pot with the remaining 1 tsp. baking soda and add cold water to cover by at least 4 inches. Bring the chickpeas to a boil over high heat, skimming off any scum that rises to the surface. Lower the heat to medium, cover the pot, and continue to simmer for about 1 hour, until the chickpeas are completely tender. Then simmer a little more. (The secret to creamy hummus is overcooked chickpeas. Don't worry if they are mushy and falling apart a little.) Drain.

Combine the chickpeas, tehina sauce, salt and cumin in a food processor. Puree the hummus for several minutes, until it is smooth and uber creamy. then puree it some more!

To serve, spread the hummus in a shallow bowl, dust with paprika, top with parsley and more tehina sauce if you like, and drizzle generously with oil.