Wednesday, 1/19/2011

A couple weeks ago I started setting candles out on our dinner table Monday nights.  I dim the lights and we have a special family meal with some candlelight.  Well, I forgot to set our table with candles this week on Monday.  I made up for it tonight with a few Valentine's Day themed candles.  Katie really loves it!

For dinner, I made a salad of spinach leaves, diced honeycrisp apple, glazed walnuts, crispy bacon pieces, and a poppyseed dressing.  It was much better than the salad I made the other day.  For the main dish, I made chicken cutlets with bacon, rosemary, and lemon.  It is a really good dish that doesn't require that much prep.  I used chicken tenderloins instead of chicken breasts.  They cook faster and are more tender.  Here's the recipe:)

CHICKEN CUTLETS WITH BACON, ROSEMARY, AND LEMON
- from Cook's Country magazine

Ingredients:
5 slices bacon, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 garlic cloves, sliced thin
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions:
1.  Fry bacon in large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, about 5 minutes.  Transfer bacon with slotted spoon to plate lined with paper towels.  Spoon off all but 2 tablespoons bacon fat.


2.  Meanwhile, place flour in shallow dish.  Season chicken with salt and pepper, dredge in flour, and shake to remove excess.  Add butter to reserved bacon fat in skillet and heat over high heat, swirling to melt butter.  When foam subsides, reduce heat to medium-high and cook chicken until browned on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side.  Transfer chicken to plate, leaving fat in skillet and over loosely with foil.

3.  Reduce heat to medium and add garlic, rosemary, and pepper flakes.  Cook until garlic is browned and crisp, about 2 minutes.  Add broth and lemon juice, scrape up browned bits from bottom of skillet with wooden spoon, and simmer until slightly thickened, about 4 minutes.

4.  Return chicken and bacon to pan and simmer, turning chicken once or twice, until sauce is thick and glossy, 2 to 3 minutes.  Adjust seasonings and serve.