Hello!
Happy Wednesday!
I just have to say – my shoulders are SO SORE from yesterday’s workout.
HOLY. OW.
But, like I said yesterday, I’d totally do it all over again.
Anyway, I absolutely must share a recipe with you.
MUST!
I made this for dinner last night. I seriously felt like the luckiest person in the world.
So. Flippin. Good.
It’s a Rachael Ray 30-minute meal recipe which means it’ll take you about 45 minutes unless you have a whole kitchen staff hiding behind you ready to chop things the minute the cameras are turned off.
Seriously, I have no idea how she makes things happen in a 30-minute show unless stuff is just cooked enough to look cooked.
Regardless of her witchery, this one is totally worth it!
I paired it with some roasted Yukon Gold taters (Thing 2 took over that part for me) but you could totally do sweet taters if you want.
As a matter of fact, that’s what I have in my lunch today.
Jealous? You should be.
Om. Nom. Nom.
Grilled Chicken Cutlets with Zucchini, Corn & Cherry Tomato Sauce
serves 4
1 lemon, zested and 1/2 juiced
4 cloves garlic, grated (or pressed, if it’s easier)
5-6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon thyme leaves, chopped
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6-8 ounces each)
Salt and pepper
2 ears corn, kernels cut from the cob (I used about 3/4 cup of frozen corn kernels)
2 small or 1 medium zucchini – halved lengthwise, seeded and diced
1 bunch scallions, whites sliced and greens reserved for another use
1 small red chile pepper, such as Fresno, seeded and finely chopped, or about 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 cup loosely packed fresh herbs, such as mint, parsley, tarragon or basil, chopped
4 cups baby arugala (I used arugula/baby spinach blend)
fresh parmesan or peccorino romano cheese, shaved into curls with a vegetable peeler, for garnish
1. In a shallow dish, combine the lemon zest and juice with half the garlic, 3-4 tablespoons of the olive oil and the thyme. *Note, if you didn’t pay attention and used ALL the garlic, it’s okay. In fact, it’s fabulous! Just grab a couple of extra cloves for later when you need more. 🙂
2. Preheat an outdoor grill or indoor grill pan to medium-high (or use your ginormous cast iron skillet).
3. Butterfly the chicken pieces by cutting into them horizontally without going all the way through, open like a book, and then pound into thin cutlets; season with salt and pepper. Turn them in the lemon-thyme marinade. Let stand. *Unless you have a meat tenderizer, the best way is to place the chicken breast between two pieces of wax paper and use a rolling pin. You could use a mallet, if you don’t have a rolling pin. Just make sure you wash it first.
4. Meanwhile, in a large skillet (see #2), heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the corn and lightly brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the zucchini, scallion whites, chile pepper, and the remaining garlic to the corn; season. Cook to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the butter and stir to melt, creating a creamy sauce. Remove the zucchini-corm sauce fron the heat and toss with the tomatoes and herbs. *I added the tomatoes to the pan for about 2 minutes to give them a little sear and soften them a little. I thought it was excellent!
5. Grill the chicken 3 to 4 minutes on each side, then transfer to plates.
6. Top each chicken cutlet with a cup of the baby arugula/spinach and some of the warm zucchini-corn sauce. Top with the parmesan curls.
7. NOM!
Questions:
1. Do you own a meat tenderizer? Do you know what one looks like?
2. Are you down with leftovers for lunch the next day or do you save them for a dinner later in the week?
3. What do you think I should do with the other half of the lemon?
– jennifer
A Hungry Runner 