Crispy Mustard Chicken

Crispy Mustard Chicken by Ina Garten is so easy, and soooooo good.

Her recipe calls for serving this over frisee, but I can never ever ever find that in my grocery store, so I served it over arugula dressed with lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper.

But about the chicken....

This dish uses thighs, which are so juicy and delish. I know the chicken breast gets all the glory but thighs really are the unsung hero of the chicken. Plus, they are super cheap.

I always have panko, lemon zest, Dijon and white wine on hand. If you don't have fresh thyme, dried would work just as well. Just cut it to 1/2 tsp.

Be sure to dry the chicken for that extra crisp factor. 

Here's my assembly line set up for getting the chickens dipped and coated: 

My husband and son both loved this dish. I will definitely add it to our regular recipe arsenal.

Here you go:

Crispy Mustard Chicken

Serves 4

From "Cook Like a Pro" by Ina Garten

 2 garlic cloves

1 1/2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup panko (Japanese bread flakes)

1 1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest

Good olive oil

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

1/4 good Dijon mustard

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 1/2 lbs. bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (4 large)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place the garlic, thyme, 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper in a food processor fitted wtih a steel blade and process until garlic is finely minced. Add the panko, lemon zest, 1 Tbsp. olive oil and the butter and pulse a few times to moisten the panko. Pour the mixture into a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, whisk together mustard and wine.

Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Dip each piece first in the mustard mixture to coat the top and bottom and then coat the skin side only in the crumb mixture, pressing gently to make the crumbs adhere. Place the chicken on the sheet pan, crumb side up and press any remaining crumbs ontho the chicken. 

Roast for 40 to 50 minutes, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees.

Serve immediately.

Please note: The Jersey Girl serves this chicken over a bed of arugula dressed with lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper. 

Fish and Chips at Home

Bust out a Guinness and pull up a bar stool, lads and lassies. Today is all about the ultimate pub food: Fish and Chips.

With some smart planning, you can enjoy Fish and Chips right at home.  My version is baked, not fried, so it is not so heavy. I also make my dipping sauce with yogurt. So, it's not a heavy mayo-based tartar sauce. Just two tablespoons of mayo is all you need!

I advise cooking this in the order in which I am presenting the recipes. Make the cabbage slaw first. You can even make it the day ahead. It needs to marinate for at least six hours. Next, make the dipping sauce and set it in the refrigerator to chill. Third, bake the chips. Raise the temp of the oven then bake the fish. You can cover the chips with aluminum to keep them nice and warm for when it's time to eat.

I used cod, but you could also use tilapia.

My family loves this Fish and Chips, and it's so much fun to make at home. It's like you're up in the pub at your very own kitchen table.

Red Cabbage Slaw
Makes 4-6 side dish servings

1 10-14 ounce bag of red cabbage slaw
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 Tbsp. canola oil
Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium bowl, whisk together garlic powder, onion powder, sugar, wine vinegar, canola oil, salt and pepper. Add red cabbage. Toss to coat. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight. You may toss the cabbage during the marinating time to redistribute the dressing. Serve chilled.

Dipping sauce:
1 pint greek yogurt
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 tsp. dijon
2 Tbsp. horseradish
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of half a lemon
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Chips:
(Makes 6 to 8 side dish servings)
4-5 russet potatoes, sliced into 1/8-inch thick wedges
1 Tbsp. Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Fresh parsley to garnish

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place potato wedges on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat all the wedges.

Place in hot oven for 20 minutes. Flip tray. Cook for 10-15 minutes more. Potatoes should be crispy and cooked through.

Serve with: Malt vinegar or ketchup

Fish:
(Makes 6 main dish servings)

2 pounds cod, cut into 2-inch by 5-inch sticks or as close to this as you can get, patted dry with towels
2 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup flour
3 eggs
2 tsp. cajun seasoning
Nonstick cooking spray
Salt and pepper to taste

Cover a baking sheet with aluminum. Lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Line up three medium bowls. In the first bowl, add flour. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

In the second bowl, add eggs.  Lightly whisk.

In the third bowl, add panko bread crumbs, cajun seasoning and salt and pepper.

Dredge each fish stick in the flour, then eggs, then panko. Line up on baking sheet. Repeat to prepare all fish sticks.

Bake for 8 minutes. Rotate pan. Bake 7 minutes more or until fish is cooked through and panko is crispy.

Please note: You may garnish your fish and chips with chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley. In addition to the dipping sauce, serve with lemon wedges, malt vinegar, ketchup or hot sauce if desired.

Weeknight Keeper

Salmon is the REAL chicken of the sea.

At least in my very humble opinion.

It's always a go-to, and you're always looking for a new way to jazz it up. Doesn't that sum up all of our views on chicken?

No? 

Just, moi.

Come on, dear readers. Work with me.

This recipe is super fab: Panko-Crusted Salmon courtesy of the Barefoot Contessa. I always have the basic ingredients on hand and they are: panko (natch), fresh parsley, lemon and Dijon mustard. I rocked this out in my Le Creuset braiser. You need to cook it in a pan that works on your stove top and the oven.

The panko, which is Japanese bread crumbs in case you haven't heard, adds some crunch and texture. The lemon and parsley add freshness. Great elements for a fish dish, right?

This one is easy peasy.

Panko-Crusted Salmon
From "Barefoot Contessa: How Easy is That?"
By Ina Garten
Serves 4

2/3 cup panko (Japanese dried bread flakes)
2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. good olive oil
4 (6- to 8-ounce) salmon fillets, skin on
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
Lemon wedges, for serving

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a small bowl, mix together the panko, parsley, lemon zest, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Drizzle with the olive oil and stir until the crumbs are evenly coated. Set aside.

Place the salmon fillets, skin side down, on a board. Generously brush the top of the fillets with mustard and then sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Press the panko mixture thickly on top of the mustard on each salmon fillet. The mustard will help the panko adhere.

Heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a 12-inch cast iron skillet or large, heavy, ovenproof pan. When the oil is very hot, add the salmon fillets skin side down, and sear for 3 to 4 minutes, without turning, to brown the skin.

Transfer the pan to the hot oven for 5 to 7 minutes until the salmon is almost cooked and the panko is browned. Remove from the oven, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve the salmon hot or at room temperature with lemon wedges.

Sticks Stack Up

Stick-form vegetables dipped in egg and coated in bread crumb and cheese?

Why yes, your little one will eat these delishly awesome zucchini fingers.

Or maybe he'll throw them dart-style at your ruffled brow. Or sneak them to the dog.

But give them a whirl all of  you fabulous mommas and poppas out there. What do you have to lose besides patience, self respect and the will to have a calm and peaceful dinner?

I've realized when feeding my 2-year-old King of the Castle that what he was loving yesterday during Bubble Guppies is not what he may be feeling tomorrow during that never-ending Thomas and Friends marathon.

At least it's not Dora, people. That screech-mouth is on the banned-TV list in this house. I need to maintain my sanity during non-wine-drinking hours.

The recipe for Parmesan Crusted Baked Zucchini Sticks comes from a really dope cooking blog called Closet Cooking.  This is the type of blog I run in my dreams - the ones uninterrupted by insomnia, a screaming toddler, a snoring husband and a really weak bladder.

I rocked out my zucchini sticks when The Husband was away on work or at work, which let's be honest - same thing. I had made a fab pot of marinara with some gorgeous basil, so I thought let's give these zucchini fingers a go during nap time.  They use panko bread crumbs. If you don't have them in your pantry, snap to it momma, and get some!! This is a great dish to serve as an appie, especially if there are vegetarians roaming around your world. I set them up and then baked them about an hour later

Evan ate three sticks. He actually requested more after his first one. Yay! He was probably hypnotized by my marinara. Or the whole dipping aspect of it all.

Whatevs. What do I care? He ate it.

For my marinara recipe, click here.

And for the zucchini sticks, please see below:

Parmesan Crusted Baked Zucchini Sticks
From Closet Cooking
By Kevin Lynch

• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 pound zucchini, sliced into sticks and patted dry
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 
  
• Mix the bread crumbs, parmigiano reggiano and oregano in a bowl.
• 
  
• Season the zucchini with salt and pepper.
• 
  
• Dip the zucchini in the egg and then dredge in the bread crumb mixture.
• 
  
• Place the zucchini on a baking sheet in a single layer with the skin side down.
• 
  
• Bake in a preheated 425F oven until golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.