Chicken with Lemon-Leek Linguine

Made this tonight (11-17-10). Pretty sweeeeet (not flavor wise, coolness wise). Very mild and light.

	Photo: John Autry; Styling: Leigh Ann Ross

Chicken with Lemon-Leek Linguine

Add fresh flavors to a weeknight staple with this family-friendly menu. Go vegetarian by subbing vegetable broth and topping with goat cheese.

Other Time: 30 minutes minutes
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half and 1 cup pasta mixture)


6 ounces uncooked linguine
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons butter, divided
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 leek, trimmed, cut in half lengthwise, and thinly sliced (1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain; keep warm.

2. Place chicken between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to an even thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Place flour in a shallow dish; dredge chicken in flour, shaking to remove excess.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.

4. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, leek, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt; sauté 4 minutes. Add broth and juice; cook 2 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Remove from heat; stir in remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Add pasta to leek mixture; toss well to combine. Serve chicken over pasta mixture; sprinkle with parsley.

Soy Sauce Steak Marinade

Although this marinade calls for shis-kebabs we used it over whole steaks and it was pretty awesome!

2 lb round steak - or whatever steak you have
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup oil
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Blend all ingredients in a blender about 1 minute. Put the marinade and steak in a ziploc for 2 hours. Cut the meat into cubes first if you will be making shis-kebabs.

Lemon-Pepper Chicken

Another Mark Bittman recipe, although he makes it with pork chops (and without the lemon pepper - another delicious recipe).

Two chicken breasts
One tablespoon Lemon Pepper seasoning (whatever kind you can find at the store)
Salt and pepper to taste
4 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon minced garlic or 2 teaspoons minced shallot
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp lemon juice

Marinate the chicken breasts in the lemon pepper seasoning and 2 tbsps of the olive oil. An hour is plenty of time to marinate.

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat for two or three minutes. Add the other two tbsps of oil; as soon as the first wisps of smoke rise from the oil, add the chicken and turn the heat to high. Brown the chicken on both sides, moving them around so they develop good color all over. The entire browning process should take no longer than four minutes, and preferably less.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the wine and the garlic and cook, turning the chops once or twice, until the wine is all but evaporated, about three minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the broth, turn the heat to low, and cover. Cook for 10 or 15 minutes, turning the chicken once or twice, until they are done.

Remove the chicken to a platter. If the pan juices are very thin, cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan, until the liquid is reduced slightly. If they are scarce (unlikely), add another 1/2 cup of broth; cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the the pan, until the liquid is reduced slightly. Then stir in the butter over medium heat; add the lemon juice, pour over the chicken, and serve.

We like to make this with mashed potatoes and/or good bread 'cause the sauce is so good that it's selfish to let only the chicken swim in the scrumptiousness.

The Best Skirt Steak Ever

This recipe comes from our friends Barb and Colin (previous owners of Strawberry Street Cafe in Richmond, VA) so we can't claim credit for it. But that doesn't detract from the deliciousness of this steak : ) The directions might seem long but it's an easy method after you do it once.

Three or four hours before you want to eat, throw a skirt steak (a .6 or .7 lb steak is enough for both of us) in some Worcestershire sauce to marinate.

When you're ready to eat, coat the bottom of a pan in olive oil - no need to make the steak swim, just use enough to barely cover the pan - and turn the heat to hi. "Screamin' hot" is how Colin told me to get the pan. You'll want to turn on the fan for this one; it will get smoky.

Pat dry the steak with paper towels. Don't skip this step! It ensures a nice crust on the steak.

When the oil is smoking, put the steak in. Don't move it around a lot - just let it be for the next three minutes. Then turn the steak over and let it cook for another three minutes.

Turn the steak over again and turn the heat down to medium or medium-low. Depending on how you like your steak cooked, let it go another four minutes for roughly medium-rare, six minutes for well done. The steak will probably be thicker on one end than another, so it can easily accommodate people with different tastes.

Take it out of the pan and cover it with foil. Let it rest for five minutes or so before you even think about coming close to it with a knife.

I love it, Josh loves it, Alison loves it. Don't you think you should try it?

Balsamic Vinaigrette

This recipe is our favorite balsamic vinaigrette. It's pretty garlicky so if you like less garlic, you might want to only use one clove. Amounts are guesses here - adjust to taste.

1/4 cup balsamic
1/8 cup olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, through the garlic press or minced
A tablespoon or so of Dijon mustard
About a tablespoon of water
Salt and pepper to taste

Stir it up and pour it on!

SALT FREE BASIC VINAIGRETTE

THIS IS A REALLY CHEAP, SALT-FREE, SALAD DRESSING

3/4 CUP VINEGAR, WINE, SHERRY OR BALSAMIC
I HAVE HAD THE BEST LUCK W/ 3/8 CUP
WHITE WINE AND 3/8 CUP APPLE VINEGAR

2 TBL DIJON OR OTHER SPICY MUSTARD

2 CUP OLIVE OIL
1 CUP WESSON OIL

2 TBL DRIED CHOPPED ONIONS

1 TBL MRS DASH TABLE BLEND

1 TSP UNCLE BILLS DRIED PEPPERS

FRESH GROUND BLACK PEPPER TO TASTE


ZIP IT UP IN THE BLENDER

MAKES 4 3/4 CUP, ENOUGH TO FILL AN OLD WINE BOTTLE

Chicken in Lemon Sauce

We made this tonight and loved it. The sauce is a nice balance of lemon and wine - be sure to have it with some bread for soppins. It takes some time but it is easy and worth it.

Chicken in Lemon Sauce
Makes 4 servings
Time: 45 minutes

4 tablespoons butter or olive oil
2 leeks, washed well and diced, including some of the green part (I like to chop before washing then throw in a bowl of water to clean - washing before cutting makes it hard to get the leeks really clean)
1/2 cup dry white wine (we used Chardonnay)
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or tarragon leaves, or a good pinch of dried thyme or tarragon
4 boneless, skinless chicken, rinsed and patted dry with paper towel, and cut into 1 inch chunks
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Minced fresh parsley leaves for garnish

1) Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter or oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the wine, stock, and herbs; bring to a boil and let bubble for a minute or two.
2) Add the chicken, turn the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the meat is barely cooked through, 9 or 10 minutes. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and keep warm.
3) Turn the heat to high and cook the sauce rapidly, stirring occasionally, until just about 3/4 cup remains; this will take 5 to 10 minutes. Lower the heat to medium-low, add the lemon juice, then stir in the remaining butter or oil, a bit at a time. If you're using oil, add it gradually, stirring vigorously with the back of a spoon as you do so.
4) Season with salt and pepper and return the chicken to the sauce to heat through. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.