Thirty minute meals have given Rachel Ray a name!  Who doesn’t like to have dinner on the table in a half an hour…especially on Sunday?  My meal yesterday wasn’t a do-ahead dish, but one that is ready in 30 minutes or less.  I fixed Chicken Piccata – a recipe I got from Ina Garten on The Food Network.  This chicken has a light lemon sauce that is so yummy on the chicken breasts, and also on the mashed potatoes I fixed with it!  Because the chicken breasts are pounded out nice and thin, they cook very quickly.  If you don’t make this for Sunday, you have to try it for a week night meal! 

I invited my MIL to join us yesterday. 

I had a little problem with my electric skillet (which is now in the trash can), but spite the extra-blackened browned outside, the chicken was still great!

Chicken Piccata

2 split (1 whole) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 extra-large egg

1/2 tablespoon water

3/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs

Good olive oil

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, divided

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons), lemon halves reserved

1/2 cup dry white wine (can use chicken broth)

Sliced lemon, for serving

Chopped fresh parsley leaves, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Place each chicken breast between 2 sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound out to 1/4-inch thick. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.

Mix the flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper in a shallow plate. In a second plate, beat the egg and 1/2 tablespoon of water together. Place the bread crumbs on a third plate. Dip each chicken breast first in the flour, shake off the excess, and then dip in the egg and bread crumb mixtures.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium to medium-low heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook for 2 minutes on each side, until browned. Place them on the sheet pan and allow them to bake for 5 to 10 minutes while you make the sauce.

For the sauce, wipe out the saute pan with a dry paper towel. Over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and then add the lemon juice, wine, the reserved lemon halves, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Boil over high heat until reduced in half, about 2 minutes. Off the heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and swirl to combine. Discard the lemon halves and serve 1 chicken breast on each plate. Spoon on the sauce and serve with a slice of lemon and a sprinkling of fresh parsley.

Broccoli – My favorite way to eat broccoli is to steam it.  I have a steaming pan and I only cook the broccoli for about 3-4 minutes.  Then I add a couple tablespoons of light butter, salt, and a tablespoon of lemon juice.  I like it better this way than with a cheese sauce.  It’s super good!  Sometimes I add almonds to it as well for a little crunch.

Do you have any 30-minute meals that you love?  What yummy things have you been cooking in your kitchen lately?

From my parsonage kitchen,

We had a super weekend.  My husband and I were privileged to be the speakers for a Couples’ Retreat for Oakwood Baptist Church in Anderson, Sc.  The retreat was held at one of our favorite places on the planet – The Wilds Christian Camp in Brevard, NC.  It was a cold weekend, but a sunny one.  Part of the sunshine was the blessing of opening God’s Word and helping couples live out God’s design in marriage.  My husband did a fantastic job.  I loved sitting on the front row, cheering him on as I listened to him teach from the Word.  I love being the preacher’s wife!

Another perk of the weekend was the blessing of a dear lady from our church bringing our daughter, Alli home from Greenville for Saturday and Sunday nights.  She doesn’t get to come home often, so it’s always a blessing to see that purple laundry bag making its way down our hallway!  That dirty laundry brings home with it a sweet 20 year-old, who is growing into a sweet young woman. I love sitting and listening to her (if you know Allison, you know you won’t be doing too much talking!).  I love it!  She is full of stories, happenings and funny tales of college life! 

That laundry bag also brings in a Sunday dinner request, and yesterday’s request was for Spinach Lasagna.  I’m really glad, because not only is lasagna a great do-ahead dish, this recipe is also so very good!  Making this ahead of time on a busy retreat weekend was really a blessing.  All I had to do on Sunday morning was make up the salad and set the table!

I made a couple of changes in the recipe this time, using Turkey sausage in place of the ground beef and 2% milk insead of whole milk.

Spinach Lasagna
1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can (28 oz. Italian plum tomatoes, undrained
 1/14 tsp. salt, divided
3/4 tsp oregano
3/4 tsp basil
1/4 tsp pepper, divided
9 lasagna noodles
1/4 C butter – I used 2 Tbl.
1/4 C flour – I used 2 Tbl.
1/8 tsp nutmeg
2 C Whole milk
2 C shredded mozzarella
1/2 C Parmesan cheese, divided
1 pkg (10oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained



Meat sauce

1.  For meat sauce, brown beef in a large skillet.  Spoon off fat.
2.  Stir in onion and garlic, cook 5 minutes.
3.  Press tomatoes and juice through sieve into meat mixture, discard seeds.
4.  Stir in 3/4 tsp salt, oregano, basil, and 1/8 tsp pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Uncover and simmer 20 minutesmore until sauce thickens.  Set aside.
5.  Cook lasagna noodles.  Drain.


Cheese sauce

6.  For cheese sauce, melt 1/4 C butter in a medium saucepan (I used 2 Tbl.) over medium heat.  Stir in flour, remaining 1/2 tsp salt, remaining 1/8 tsp pepper and nutmeg.  Cook and stir until bubbly.  Wisk in milk; cook na dstir until sauce thickens. Cook and stir one minute more.  Remove from heat.  Stir in 1 C mozzarella and 1/4 Parmesan.  Stir until smooth.  Stir in spinach.  Set aside.
7.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
8.  Layer noodles, 1/2 meat sauce, noodles, 1/2 meat sauce, cheese sauce, noodles and remaining cheese.

9.  Bake 40 minutes.  Let stand 10 minutes.

I love the change from the typical very tomato sauce.  Yum!

When the Vinaigrette hits the strawberries in this salad it breaks them down and makes them sugary and mindful of sweet summertime! This salad tastes as good as it looks!

Strawberry Salad

Spinach Leaves
Fresh Strawberries
Toasted Pecans
Red onion, diced

Vinaigrette:

1/2 cup canned whole-berry cranberry sauce
3/4 cup orange juice (about one orange)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger (I didn’t have this and it was still good)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix all ingredients in a small jar.  Pour over salad just before serving.

What was cooking at your house this weekend?

From my parsonage kitchen,