I have been kind of fascinated with an Italian dish, veal Milanese. This dish usually features a veal chop pounded very thin, sometimes still on the bone, breaded, fried, and topped with a thick tomato ragu or just lemon wedges. My version is a chicken breast, pounded very thin, egg washed and breaded in panko crumbs seasoned with parsley, garlic, oregano and Parmesan cheese. I lightened it up by topping it with a salad of arugula tossed with sherry-lemon vinaigrette. A squeeze of fresh lemon on the meat really works, too. I made a side of shallot sauteed carrots and the meal was a hit.
Last night I made an easy (cheat) version of arroz con pollo (chicken and rice). First, I seasoned 2 chicken breasts with salt, pepper and chili powder and lightly browned them in olive oil in a cast iron skillet. I set them aside and in the same pan--no cleaning, want those good bits--I added a package of Spanish rice mix and cooked 25 minutes per the instructions. In the meantime, I sauteed one whole yellow onion, sliced, till soft. In a French white medium casserole dish with glass lid I placed the chicken breasts, half a jar of salsa (use your favorite) 2 TB of butter, and all the onions. Trick--I microwaved the dish for 3 minutes. Easy. Spoon rice onto the plate, top with chicken breast and spoon onions and pan juices over the top. I garnished with a little chopped green onion. Sour cream would be good, too. Chicken was as tender and juicy as if I had simmered it for an hour.
So what's up next? I think a little pre-Easter dinner Saturday night with baby lamb chops on a bed of Parmesan risotto. Sounds good.
