Ah . . . I’m finally back in the kitchen. It’s SO wonderful to feel good after so many days of a bad cold. Of not being able to taste. Or to be able to breathe, hardly. Or to swallow without pain. I just lost eight days of my life. Although, I did completely empty my Tivo recordings.
One of them was an Ina Garten Barefoot Contessa segment on Parmesan chicken. So it was the first thing I wanted to make. And in the interim, I’d received an email from someone at Frieda’s Produce. There are a few perks of being a food blogger – once in awhile I’m approached by a company, asking if I’d like to sample their products. The wholesaler has offered specialty produce to grocery stores for decades. Frieda Caplan actually introduced kiwi to California, years ago.
Perhaps the marketing person had read my blog and knew I was already a big fan of lemons, period. Meyer lemons in particular. That my favorite ice cream is made with Meyer lemon juice and zest. Or that I adore lemon juice in nearly anything! In any case, it took me about 30 nanoseconds to say yes. They kindly asked if I liked the product, would I mention the company on my blog. Sure thing! If you’re interested in knowing more about Freida’s I’ve included a paragraph at the bottom. You may be able to find Friedas products at your local grocery store (here in Southern California they’re available at Ralphs, Albertson’s, Bristol Farms, Lucky, Wal-Mart, Safeway, Vons, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe’s, among many others). If you want to find out where to buy Freida’s products in your area, go to this section of Frieda’s website and input your state to see. She markets to all U.S. states and Canada.
Back to the recipe. On nights when you might need a quick chicken throw-together dinner, this could fill the bill in a snap. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are pounded out thinly, dipped in a seasoned flour, then egg, then in a bread crumb and Parmesan mixture before being lightly sautéed in a bit of olive oil and butter. While it’s cooking (not long – you’d best have made the dressing ahead) you chop up a nice little salad – Ina did hers with lovely light and dark field greens like arugula and mache – I had only Romaine on hand. Ina used an extra-simple lemon juice and olive oil combo with just salt and pepper. I prefer my own lemon-juice based dressing that also contains just a bit of blue cheese in it. If you want to use Ina’s version, by all means do. I just like the added dimension and layer of flavor.
About Frieda’s: Obviously one very smart cookie, Frieda Caplan began selling produce at the Los Angeles Produce Market in 1962. She brought a variety of more unusual products to her produce stand over the years, many that were unknown in the U.S. at the time. She introduced kiwis, shallots, cherimoyas, those small doughnut-shaped peaches, sugar snap peas and habanero peppers, among others. Obviously she began distributing produce further and further away, not just at the humble produce stand in LA! I heard her interviewed on local radio many years ago and began seeking out her products – when I could find them. Frieda’s Produce is still a family-run company, (she’s Chairman of the Board) although her two daughters manage the firm now. A great success story for a woman in the 1960’s to enter the then male-dominated produce sector. Good for Frieda, I say!
Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Salad and Lemon Blue Cheese Vinaigrette
Recipe By: Adapted from an Ina Garten recipe
Serving Size: 6
2 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts — (a half breast per person)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon water
1 1/4 cups bread crumbs — seasoned
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese — grated, plus extra for serving
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups greens — washed and spun dry
BLUE CHEESE VINAIGRETTE:
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 ounces blue cheese — set aside, add at the end
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese — grated
1. Prepare salad dressing first. Then, pound the chicken breasts until they are 1/4-inch thick. You can use either a meat mallet or a rolling pin.
2. Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a dinner plate. On a second plate, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of water. On a third plate, combine the bread crumbs and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan. Coat the chicken breasts on both sides with the flour mixture, then dip both sides into the egg mixture and dredge both sides in the bread-crumb mixture, pressing lightly.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan and cook 2 or 3 chicken breasts on medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Add more butter and oil and cook the rest of the chicken breasts. Toss the salad greens with lemon blue cheese vinaigrette. Place a mound of salad on each hot chicken breast. Serve with extra grated Parmesan.
Per Serving (assumes you consume all the salad dressing, which you won’t): 887 Calories; 56g Fat (57.1% calories from fat); 58g Protein; 36g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 207mg Cholesterol; 1069mg Sodium.
A year ago: Make-Ahead Coffeecake (yes, really, make the batter the night before, bake in the AM)
Two years ago: Chicken a l’Orange (can’t say that this was a particular favorite for me)
Three years ago: Coconut Banana Bread (and low-fat to boot – delicious)
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