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Menu Plan for Spring I: Week 9, Thursday
Links:
Daily Recipes:
Sautéed Chicken Breasts / Bacon, Mushrooms
Braised New Potatoes
Carrots with Butter and Chives
Cooking time: 35 minutes for menu Cooking schedule: see below for instructions
Chives are always the first sign of spring in the herb garden.
Sautéed Chicken Breasts with Bacon and Mushrooms
Total time: 30 minutes
One cannot go wrong with mushrooms and bacon.... A bit decadent, perhaps, but life is for living. My bacon is very lean, so I have to sauté it in oil. Use it or not, as needed.
Ingredients:
- 2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
- 1/2 onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 4oz (120gr) mushrooms
- 2oz (60gr) bacon about 2 - 3 slices
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup (4oz, 125ml) white wine
- 1 tsp cornstarch (maizena) dissolved in 1 tbs water
Instructions:
- Roughly chop onion.
- Mince garlic.
- Clean and thickly slice mushrooms.
- Roughly chop bacon.
- Heat olive oil in medium skillet over medium heat.
- Add bacon, onion, garlic, and sauté 5 minutes.
- Add mushrooms and sauté 5 minutes longer.
- Move onion/mushrooms to the sides of the pan.
- Add chicken breasts and brown lightly on both sides, about 7 minutes total.
- Add white wine, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until chicken is done, 10 - 15 minutes longer.
- Remove chicken to a plate. Increase heat under skillet.
- Add cornstarch mixture to mushroom bacon sauce, stirring until thickened.
- Spoon over chicken and serve.
Braised New Potatoes
Total time: 35 minutes
Cooked with onion and bay, and finished with a savory glaze, these make a perfect side dish for spring.
Ingredients:
- 12 - 15 small new potatoes
- 1/2 onion
- 1 bay leaf (laurel)
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 cup (8oz, 240ml) chicken stock
- 1 tbs white Balsamic vinegar
Instructions:
- Chop onion.
- Heat oil in medium nonstick skillet over medium heat.
- Add oil, onion and sauté until onion is tender, about 5 minutes.
- Leave potatoes whole (should be golf ball size or smaller) If using larger potatoes, cut into quarters.
- Add bay leaf, potatoes, stock and vinegar.
- Cover and simmer until potatoes are just tender, about 20 minutes.
- Uncover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until stock has reduced to a thick, syrupy glaze, about 10 minutes.
- Remove and serve.
Carrots with Butter and Chives
Total time: 25 minutes
These are delicious in the spring when the chives start coming up - as well as the rest of the summer. If you don't have access to fresh chives, substitute dried.
Ingredients:
- 2 - 3 carrots, depending on size
- 1/4 cup (2oz, 60ml) chicken or beef stock
- 1 tbs butter
- 2 tbs snipped chives (Substitute 1 tbs dried or other herb of choice)
Instructions:
- Peel carrots, cut into sticks.
- Put carrots into a small saucepan or skillet. Add stock, cover and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Reduce heat and let simmer until done, 10 - 15 minutes.
- Drain any remaining liquid from pan.
- Add chives and butter, stir well to coat and heat through.
- Remove from heat, add pepper if you like and serve.
Cooking schedule: 35 minutes |
Peel, cut carrots |
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