French Fridays with Dorie: Chicken Breast Diable

DELICIOUS CHICKEN DINNER ENJOYED BY THE WHOLE FAMILY!

After working to prepare a lovely meal for my family, it's very rewarding when everyone, without exception, enjoyed the food and conveyed appreciation repeatedly through the meal.

After reading Dorie's description for a "quicker version" of this dish, I was intrigued with the idea of the "slower version" with bread crumbs and didn't mind the idea of including her few extra steps.  One of my grandkiddies came to cook and we did not want "quicker."   I do not often "fry" chicken.  We have a fun outdoor setup, the weather is usually great here in sunny AZ, so most often our chicken gets grilled.  For today, we wanted to spend lot of time together and enjoyed the fun indoor "fry" method.

I recently returned home from several days in Utah where I made an 85th birthday party for my mom.  My dad sent me home with squash and onions from his garden, and lots of breadcrumbs he had just freshly made.  Upon returning home my neighbor greeted me with fresh chard and herbs (used to season my breadcrumbs) from his garden.  I had sweet broccoli rabe growing in my garden, and with the chicken breasts diable we enjoyed a delicious meal.

This chicken is tender and juicy with a crispy, flavorful, breaded crust.  The sauce is outstanding and adds rich flavor to this dish.  (T, my son--in-law, came back for leftovers the next day and again commented that he really likes the mustardy sauce.)

TURTLE IS BECOMING QUITE A CHEF

Hubby loved the mustardy sauce, made by my Turtle, and is always happy when we incorporate our backyard citrus into the meal. 

TURTLE ALSO ADDED CITRUS ZEST AS OUR TASTY GARNISH

I don't know how the "quicker" version of this dish turned out...I'm guessing it is also tasty...but the breaded version is a keeper.  Turtle agrees and wants to help again when we cook this meal!

French Fridays with Dorie: MAKE-UP: Chicken Basquaise

CHICKEN BASQUAISE or FAJITA?

The idea of liver anything is not exciting to me.  I'm up for trying new foods, however, liver is not in the family plan.  I grew up eating liver and onions on many Friday nights like some of my friends grew up eating fish on Fridays...Mother taught us that liver is necessary weekly for healthy iron levels in women and growing children...but my iron is great and I don't eat liver, so it has become an unnecessary food and has also become a bit repulsive...and that included chicken liver!

There, that said, I've chosen a make-up recipe...regretfully, I've missed quite a few during the past year.  I looked at the write-up for Chicken Basquaise and it said, "Make me."  I need to cook dinner for 3 or 4 of my men who will be at home tonight, and this recipe looks inviting.

Somehow what began as a French dinner turned to a Spanish dinner.  Does that ever happen to you?  As I gathered the ingredients, which are all standard items in my kitchen, I had the thought to turn this dish into fajitas.  With onions, peppers, chiles, chicken, and cilantro for a garnish this list begs to be tucked into a warm tortilla with a daube of sour cream, a little cheese, and slices of avocado...and there you have it, delicious fajitas.

Dorie suggests white rice, for serving, but a tortilla is just as good.    

I'll visit your blogs to view your chicken livers with pickled onions, but I'll be enjoying AZ style Chicken Basquaise tonight.

Hope you all have a great week!  

French Friday's With Dorie: Chicken, Apples, and Cream a la Normande

THIS WILL BE A REPEAT RECIPE AT OUR HOUSE...DELISH!

I’m certainly glad I did not miss today’s chicken recipe.  It is, as #2 son describes, fit for a king.  I call it a superb one-pan meal that is good enough for company.

#2 son is back at home with us and we had just finished putting up the Christmas tree.  I’d had a huge lunch and was not very hungry, but I knew that #2 son would be starved after his long day and then helping me with the tree; it was now almost 8 pm.  Hubby is working out of town for a couple of days and I planned to take a cooking break which was not working out for my hungry son.  I mentioned to him that I had all the ingredients for the next FFwD cooking challenge, and if he was up for French food, I’d cook this recipe and get a little ahead...who knows what may happen on any day of busy December.  He was up for anything even though I thought it would most likely take me 1 to 1 ½ hours before we could eat and it was already well past dinnertime.

The recipe is simple using ingredients I already had in my pantry and fridge and the cooking time is short.  I was surprised when this meal was ready in 30 minutes, yet it is special and delicious.  We loved the apples, mushrooms, and onions with the creamy sauce which made this chicken so delicious. 

I served this chicken dish atop mashed potatoes...I continue to use up all those potatoes Hubby brought home at Thanksgiving.  It is about 85^ every day here in AZ, so all the zillions of pounds he thought I would need are out in the garage suffering a quick death.  The creamy sauce was wonderful with our mashed potatoes.  (Well, that was a few days ago.  I don't think the temp reached 70^ today; having a little rain.)

#2 Son was amazed that I could make such a super meal in such a short time.  He loves to cook and knows that chopping, making a delicious sauce, getting the chicken done, etc. takes time.  He was very interested in the process and wants to cook this recipe himself next time.  Ok with me!  Glad he enjoyed it so much.

I would not hesitate to use this recipe as a main course for a holiday meal.  It is different from our usual fare, is delicious, and would go well with many other foods.

Hope you are all enjoying the holidays!!!  Wishing our best for you all!!!