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Chicken Scallopini

This is the second recipe I am documenting. Why? Because it’s chicken, mushroom and lemon. Chicken. Mushroom. Lemon. It’s so good I want to make it again and again. And besides, it’s what my boyfriend loves. So that’s a plus point.

This is a really easy recipe. Trust this amateur cook-wannabe’s words. I made this easy chicken recipe on last Sunday - but haven’t got the chance to post it until now. It’s a great pasta dish - although for sure you can serve it with steamed garlic rice or hot roasted potatoes.

To make one mouth-watering Chicken Scallopini, you will basically need:
1 chicken breast
one pack of mushroom
heavy cream
few splashes of white wine
half a lemon
half tablespoon of light sour cream
dried/fresh herbs of your choice (I am using fresh dill) 
a little flour for dredging
pasta of your choice
salt and pepper 

The first step is pretty easy. Boil your pasta. Now the secret of boiling pasta is you should wait until the water is boiling hot, hot and hot. Do not need to add oil into the water - it does not matter. What you want to do is put a little bit salt in the water. Even, make it as a principle. Always salt the water when you’re boiling pasta or potatoes. 

This is important. DO NOT follow my step. I was too lazy to use a heavy pan so I just used my non-stick frying pan. I hate washing dishes.

REMEMBER: Always wait until the water is boiling before you throw in the pasta. I am using bow-tie pasta this time.

Next, defrost your chicken. How to defrost frozen meat is to take it out of the freezer couple of hours prior to the cooking process. Splash a little bit of water and let it rest on the counter for 1-2 hours, then move to the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. Anyway, I know raw chicken looks a little bit scary. But it’s okay - you will get used to it. Rinse your chicken under cold water and put it on your chopping board. Take a plastic sheet and cover the chicken with it. 

And use your mallet to flatten the chicken breast. Or you can use something heavy such as a can of tomatoes, or even your skillet. Just not the one you’re using to boil your pasta, please.

Season one side of the chicken breast with salt and plenty of ground black pepper. I am very brutal when seasoning my meat. I love the taste of the pepper seeping into my meat before they hit the heat. Hit the heat. Hit the heat. Hit the heat.

And then put some flour in a bowl or plate and sprinkle it with some salt and lots of black pepper. Stir the flour together with the seasonings and have your seasoned flour ready.  

Carefully put your chicken (seasoned side down) on the flour and season the other side with salt and pepper too. 

And fully dredge the chicken with the flour until it is finely coated.

Now drain the al-dente pasta and set aside. Sprinkle with a glug of olive oil to keep it from sticking with each other.

Now to cook the chicken, melt some butter on your skillet along with some olive oil. I’m using my compound butter because it is sooooo good.

Carefully put your chicken once the butter has all melted away. DO NOT move it around. Just let it stay there. The flour will transform itself into beautiful crispy golden crust. Cook it for 3-4 minutes on each side.

Now, take a pack of mushroom if you cannot live without mushroom - or half a pack of mushroom if you are normal.

Slice them into fat thick slices. I strongly recommend you to do this. Do not slice them thinly because they will shrink once they are cooked. You want to still be able to feel the thickness of the pieces when you spoon them into your mouth. And while you’re at it, halve a lemon, please. It’s a must.

Now that your chicken is cooked, set it aside to keep warm. The obvious way is to put it on top of your pasta already. Then, after making sure that your pan is sizzling hot, toss in the mushrooms. Just toss ‘em for a good one minute and grab your bottle of white wine. Ha. Don Solis.

Pour it into the skillet and let the mushroom sizzzzzle! Let the wine reduce and bubble violently. At this point, it is very important to lean closer to the skillet and smell the heavenly fragrance.

Now, squeeze in the lemon juice and season the mushroom with some salt and pepper. Sprinkle in some sugar as well to combat the acidity of the lemon juice. Adjust the seasonings until your palate orgasms. Then prepare this beautiful combo:

Drizzle in some cream.

I use half the pack when I am cooking only for one. I like the silky texture of the cream but I do not want my sauce to be too thick. Feel free to adjust your palate though. Combine together and put in a spoonful of sour cream. It will change the texture of the sauce into a nice creamy white mushroom sauce. 

Lastly, sprinkle in your herbs. I am using fresh dill. It gives a mild hint of sweetness.

And… serve!

Now sigh contentedly and enjoy your masterpiece.

Leave Note / Reblog
Chicken Mushroom Pasta Food Recipe I Cooked This Myself

Pan-seared Asparagus and Mushroom with Balsamic Vinegar

So this is something I learned from Food Channel. It is such a great technique, I feel like I have found a jewel. I intend to keep this technique and next time apply it when I cook other delicious ingredients such as broccoli and fish. You will love this simple and delicious recipe. It is so easy and looks so gorgeously exclusive in presentation.

For serving 2-3 people this mouth-watering side dish, you will need:

1 bundle of asparagus
1 pack of white button mushroom
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons of soy sauce
1 tablespoons of sauteed garlic in oil
juice of 1/2 lemon 
a sprinkle of sugar
ground black pepper
Kraft Parmesan cheese
olive oil 

Really. That’s all you need.

First thing you do is take that green babies and rinse them well under running cold water. 

Cut them at the part where it changes colors. Use only the top part as the stems are hard and not really suitable for this method of cooking.

Slice up your mushrooms in halves. Yes, the whole pack. The trick here is to slice them in half. I know it’s thick, I know it’s worrying but trust me, it will yield just the perfect bite size. Heat some olive oil on the pan and wait until it is hot. Put in the asparagus and mushrooms and hear them sizzle. Let it sear for one minute before turning it over. DO NOT OVERCOOK THEM. You only need to cook them until they are HALF cooked.

Meanwhile, lay one big sheet of aluminum foil on a deep plate. Deep plate is not a bowl. Deep plate is not a regular shallow plate. It is what it is. Deep plate.

Put in your balsamic vinegar in, followed by the soy sauce. Squeeze in the juice of 1/2 a lemon.

Next, throw in your garlic in oil mixture. This is something I keep in my kitchen. I will mince garlic very finely and then saute them in olive oil until they are crisp and fragrant. Then I will keep it in a jar of olive oil. Next time I want to cook, I can just put in a tablespoon of the Holy Garlic Grail. It works every time.

Sprinkle in some sugar and Parmesan cheese to enhance the flavor. The cheese is the replacement for salt so do not go add in any more salt. Remember, you have the soy sauce too. So it is already salty.

Now put in your half-cooked asparagus and mushrooms inside. You see how my mushrooms looked almost like they are still raw? That’s how half-cooked you want them to be. For the asparagus, you would want them to be a bit more tender before you remove them to the foil.

This is the important step. Carefully fold the foil covering the asparagus and mushrooms. And take another big sheet of foil to wrap it again so the liquid will not seep out. Let it sit for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, unwrap the foil package and breathe in the incredible sauce. You will find the mushrooms perfectly tender and the asparagus perfectly crisp and tender. The sauce will soak into each bite and you will wish you have a big juicy piece of steak to accompany the dish. 

AWESOMENESS.

3 notes
Leave Note / Reblog
Food Recipe I Cooked This Myself Asparagus Mushroom Balsamic Vinegar