Wow, it's been a while since I last posted. Not that I ever posted that often! But, after some discussions with Richard, I've realized that he's right. Take note - I've now said that multiple times this year and the year is still young. He insists that I should just post quick notes, thoughts, recipes, new organizations and not worry so much about bundling it all together in a creative writing package that my college professors would use as an example of great writing (not that this ever happened).
So ... here it goes. After 9 years of having kiddos, I've realized that a well choreographed evening routine - from after-school to bedtime - is key to a happy family. The first steps in that dance actually start on Sunday when I create our shopping list and Richard does the grocery shopping. I often lose sight of this (or honestly, get lazy and think we'll figure it out) and half way through the week, can't figure out why every thing feels off kilter, why we've spent so much money going out to dinner and why we're getting the kiddos to bed later than necessary. Oh, and why I eat like crap for most of my meals. It all comes down to skipping the Sunday step.
When I have the time - especially helpful when the kiddos have a play-date - I also try and prepare a few things on Sunday that will make meals easier throughout the week. I might make a tomato sauce that does double duty for pasta (pasta is for the kiddos - I use spaghetti squash as a delicious alternative) and a "make your own pizza" night. Or, I'll roast a bunch of veggies for nibbling, tossing in salads or sandwiches. If I'm feeling really ambitious, I'll make salad dressing (I hate the bottled, pre-packaged stuff), too which usually lasts more than a week.
This week, I'm going to follow a Bon Appetit recipe for chicken cutlets that I've re-posted below. Tuesday evenings are particularly frenetic for us because of the time the kiddos get home from after-school activities. I'll get everything prepped tonight on this recipe leaving the final cooking step for Tuesday evening. I'll serve this with some of the roasted veggies for Richard and me and for the kiddos, I'll serve pasta with tomato sauce (see how all the prep pays off - just have to keep reminding myself). Just as quick as going through the drive through at P. Terry's and hopefully, a little healthier.
Enjoy and here's to your evening dance!
Parmesan Chicken Cutlets (Bon Appetit, March 2013)
3/4 cup all purpose flour (note: I'm going to use a whole wheat flour)
2 large eggs
1 1/2 c panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan (note: I'll use a Parmesan/Reggiano blend)
1 Tbsp. mustard powder
salt and pepper (Ok, people, one of my BIG food pet peeves are people who just pour salt on their food before they even taste it. Use salt sparingly - the salt shaker is not a Maraca).
4 small skinless, boneless chicken cutlets (about 1 1/2 lb. total), pounded to 1/4" thickness
8 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 lemon, halved
Place flour in a shallow bowl. Beat eggs in a second shallow bowl. Combine panko, Parmesan and mustard powder in a third shallow bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour, shaking off any excess. Transfer to bowl with beaten egg and turn to coat. Lift from bowl, allowing excess to drip back into bowl. Coat with panko mixture, pressing to adhere. DO AHEAD: Chicken can be breaded 3 month in advance. Place between pieces of freezer paper or waxed paper and freeze in resealable freezer bags. Thaw before continuing.
Heat 6 Tbsp. oil in a large heavy skillet or a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, cook cutlets, adding remaining 2 Tbsp. oil to pan between batches, until golden brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer cutlets to a paper towel-lined plate and season with salt. Serve with lemon.
* So, here are a few of my variations. In the past when I've made similar dishes, I've also used turkey cutlets. I think there might be too much salt in this recipe so I probably will exclude it from the panko mixture. Finally, I've done this type of recipe in a non-stick pan using cooking spray or olive oil in the stainless steel sprayers (we have a Misto which works great).
