Tuscan Chicken

TUSCAN CHICKEN

1/2 cup mayonnaise
4 tblsp fresh lemon juice, divided
5 tblsp olive oil, divided
1/3 cup chopped white onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
Pinch of dried crushed red pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 (14-1/2 oz) cans diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano
1/2 cup all purpose flour
Pinch of cayenne pepper
3 large eggs
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
2 tblsp thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
3 tblsp butter
4 large skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cut horizontally in half
4 2-inch pieces baguette (french bread)
2 cups fresh spinach
EVOO (for drizzling)

Whisk mayo and 3 tablespoons lemon juice in small bowl.

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large skillet over med-high heat. Add onions, garlic, and red pepper; saute until onion is translucent, about 2 minutes. Add wine, simmer until reduced by half, about 1 minutes. Add tomatoes with juice. Simmer until thick, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Season with salt & pepper. Cool.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Set rack in rimmed baking sheet.

Whisk flour and pinch of cayenne in wide shallow bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Whisk eggs, 3/4 cup cheese, and basil in medium bowl. Sprinkle with pepper.

Melt butter with remaining 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet over med-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt & pepper. Working in batches, dredge chicken in flour, then dip in egg mixture. Transfer chicken to skillet and cook until browned and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Place on prepared rack and place in oven to keep warm while cooking remaining chicken.

Place baguette slices in any remaining butter-oil mixture in skillet and cook until toasted, about 1 min on each side. Transfer to plate and spread tomato confit on top.

Place spinach on plate, and chicken on top of the spinach. Spoon a little mayo mixture on top of chicken. Serve with tomato-baguettes.

Sweet Corn Cakes with Creole Shrimp

These are a great appetizer dish! My kids even loved them.

SWEET CORN CAKES WITH CREOLE SHRIMP

Click HERE for printable recipe

SAUCE & CORN CAKES
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp Creole Rub **
3 cups canned corn, drained, divided
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 large egg, beaten
3/4 tsp baking powder
2 green onions with tops, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
SHRIMP & SALAD
8 oz large, uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 Tblsp canola oil, divided
2 tsp Creole Rub
1 tsp lemon zest
3 1/2 Tblsp fresh lemon juice
6 cups loosely packed arugula


Directions:
For sauce, combine mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice and rub in small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

For cakes, place 1 cup of the corn in food processor and pulse until coarse paste forms. Combine flour, buttermilk, egg and baking powder in a medium bowl; whisk until smooth. Add corn paste, remaining 2 cups corn, green onions and black pepper to corn paste mix and mix well.

In large saute pan, spray with canola oil and heat over medium heat 1-3 minutes, or until shimmering. Scoop corn batter onto pan for a total of 12 cakes, lightly pressing down with back of scoop. Cook 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until cakes are golden brown. Remove cakes and keep warm.

For shrimp, combine shrimp, 1 tsp oil, rub and zest in medium bowl; toss to coat. Arrange shrimp on pan and cook over medium-high heat for 1 1/2 -2 minutes on each side or until opaque.

For salad, whisk together remaining 2 tsp oil and lemon juice in small bowl. Combine arugula and lemon juice mixture in medium bowl; toss gently.

To serve, divide arugula among serving plates' top with corn cakes and shrimp. Drizzle with sauce.

Creole Rub:
1 1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp dried oregano

Click HERE for printable recipe

Recipe adapted from Pampered Chef "Make it Fresh, Make it Healthy" Cookbook

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Daring Kitchen Challenge: Potato Salad

Jami Sorrento was our June Daring Cooks hostess and she chose to challenge us to celebrate the humble spud by making a delicious and healthy potato salad. The Daring Cooks Potato Salad Challenge was sponsored by the nice people at the United States Potato Board, who awarded prizes to the top 3 most creative and healthy potato salads. A medium-size (5.3 ounce) potato has 110 calories, no fat, no cholesterol, no sodium and includes nearly half your daily value of vitamin C and has more potassium than a banana!

LOADED BAKED POTATO SALAD

7 to 8 whole medium sized red potatoes
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon milk
1/4 cup real bacon bits
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (shred from a block for best results)

Clean and cut red potatoes into quarters, and boil for 15 minutes or until fork-tender. Drain. Place in large bowl and toss with melted butter and S&P. Place in the fridge, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix sour cream, mayonnaise and milk. Stir the sour cream mixture, bacon and cheese with the potatoes.

Serve immediately or cover a refrigerate until serving.

Sprinkle shredded cheese and bacon bits over top for garnish and even more flavoring! =)

Serves 6 to 8 (or 4 if you're my family)