Roast My Pig

Chicken Piccata
Lauri Leslie (I am including 3 of my all-time favorite recipes, although I did not bring any of them. I give money back guarantees!)

2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1 ½ lbs total)
1/3 cup flour
2 tablespoons grated parmesan chicken
Salt and pepper
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup chicken stock or dry white wine
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¼ brined capers
¼ fresh chopped parsley

Directions
Cut the chicken breast in half horizontally, butterflying them open. If you are working with large breast pieces you may want to cut them into two pieces. If the pieces are still pretty thick, put them between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound them with a meat hammer to an even ¼ inch thickness. [All that says is cut the chicken in pieces.]
Mix flour, grated cheese, salt and pepper. Rinse chicken pieces in water and dredge them thoroughly in flour mixture until well coated.
Heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add half the chicken pieces (you don’t want to crowd the pan). Brown well on each side, about three minutes per side. Remove from pan to a plate, cook other pieces in the same manner, remove from pan. Cover with aluminum foil and keep warm in the oven while preparing sauce. Add chicken stock (or white wine), lemon juice, and capers to pan. Use a metal spatula to scrape up the browned bits. Reduce the sauce by half. Whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Pour sauce over chicken. Sprinkle with parsley.


*This makes an easy family meal, especially if you cut down the oil and only use the 2 Tbsp of butter at the end. Or for a really impressive company meal, serve with pasta and gorgonzola or Alfredo sauce, steamed asparagus, and green salad. People will be begging for repeat performances.


Gorgonzola Sauce
Lauri Leslie (This comes with the same money back guarantee for everything but weight loss!)

¼ pound gorgonzola cheese (Costco is the cheapest place to find this)
1 ½ cups heavy cream
½ cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat leaf parsley (Italian parsley)
coarse salt

Place the cheese, cream and broth in a large, heavy skillet over high heat. As soon as the cream begins to bubble, reduce the heat to medium high and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon until the cheese has melted and the sauce has thickened, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in parsley and season with salt. Remove from heat and toss with pasta, cooked according to package directions. Top with parmesan cheese, and a bit of parsley so it will look pretty.

You could also use ready-made tortellini or ravioli. This is definitely a special occasion meal because of the calories, but it is super easy to do.

Pesto
Lauri Leslie (Everyone needs a good pesto recipe and this is my favorite.)

1 cup basil leaves
1 cup Italian or curly parsley
½ cup pine nuts
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
¾ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
¾ olive oil

Put all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse the motor to make a homogeneous sauce which is not as fine as a puree.

If you need ideas on what to do with pesto:

*On a Pizza in place of red sauce with chicken, artichoke hearts, and parmesan cheese.
*Pasta, any kind
* Grilled chicken or vegetables
*Or pasta + grilled chicken + grilled vegetables + pesto + parmesan cheese – all tossed together. The ultimate grilling experience and well worth the effort.