Sauteed Chicken Breast w/ Roasted Beets, Celery Root, Apples, & Pears

I recently became the proud owner of a Vitamix blender.  Working in the restaurant industry, I've been exposed to these blending beauties for quite some time, but never splurged on one for our home.  That day finally came about a month or so ago.  And what a glorious day it was.

Andy seems to think it's main use is to make a variety of milkshakes.  I constantly find quarts of ice cream in the freezer labelled "milkshakes, please".  But for me, it means I can make silky smooth purees, vinaigrettes, and a plethora of other culinary delights. 

So for this dish, I paired the savory roasted items with a tart parsley-dijon vinaigrette and a smooth parsnip puree.  Andy cleared his plate in a matter of minutes and said that I could make this dish over and over again without any complaints from him.  Sounds like a winner in my book!

Ingredients:

2 skin-on chicken breasts
salt and pepper
olive oil, for sauteeing

1 red beet, peeled and diced
1 celery root, peeled and diced
1 pear, peeled and diced
1 apple, peeled and diced
1 large shallot, diced
olive oil, for tossing
salt and pepper, to taste

Parsnip Puree:

1 lb. parsnips, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
2 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
salt and pepper, to taste

Parsley-Dijon Vinaigrette:

1 cup fresh parsley
juice from 1 lemon
4 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 tablespoons honey
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 to 1 & 1/2 cups vegetable oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 425 F.

In a medium bowl, toss the beets, celery root, pear, apple, and shallot with olive oil to coat.  Season with salt and pepper.  Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for about 20-25 minutes, turning vegetables and fruit halfway through.

For the parsnip puree, combine the parsnips, milk, heavy cream, and butter in a medium sauce pot.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the parsnips are fork-tender. 

Strain the liquid from the parsnips, but reserve it, don't throw it away.

Place the parsnips in a Vitamix (or you can use an immersion or regular blender, too) and blend on low speed, adding the reserved liquid until you get your desired texture.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

For the vinaigrette, place the parsley, lemon juice, dijon mustard, honey, garlic, and apple cider vinegar in Vitamix (or regular blender).  Turn on medium speed and slowly add the oil until completely emulsified.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Heat a large saute pan under medium high heat and add oil.  Season both sides of chicken breasts with salt and pepper.  Add the chicken to the pan, skin-side down.  Cook until skin is golden brown, then flip chicken over and cook until white throughout.

To plate, place a good amount of the roasted vegetables on the center of the plate.  On one side, spoon some of the vinaigrette.  On the other side, place a good dollop of the parsnip puree.  Place the seared chicken breast, skin-side up on top of the vegetables. 

And there ya have it!  One tasty chicken dish!

Hope you guys have a great rest of the week/weekend!

Striped Bass w/ Cucumber-Jicama Slaw & Tomato-Peach Puree

Howdy guys! Happy Friday!

It's been a while, I know.  Life has been crazy!

My brother and sister-in-law are coming in to town from Florida tomorrow, so I've been busy preparing for their visit - and it'll be the first time I see their son, who's almost a year old!  So I'm pretty excited about meeting the little guy, too!

Anyway, I decided to make something quick (if you make the tomato-peach puree ahead of time, that is) and fresh for the hot weather we've been having.  This cucumber-jicama slaw can pretty much go on anything, but pairs perfectly with a light, moderately lean fish. 

Enjoy your weekend guys!

Ingredients:

2 6 oz. Striped Bass Filets
flour, for dredging
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Cucumber-Jicama Slaw:

1 English cucumber, peeled, seeded and julienned
1 jicama, peeled and julienned
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and julienned
1-2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
1 tablespoon micro-basil, or basil chiffonade
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
salt, to taste

Tomato-Peach Puree:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, small dice
6-7 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. ripe peaches, washed and cut into 8ths
1 tomato, cut into 8ths
juice and zest from 1 lemon
3 tablespoons whole grain mustard
1 tablespoon gochujang (korean hot chili) paste
1 tablespoon paprika
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup sorghum 
salt and pepper, to taste

To make the puree, in a large saucepan, heat olive oil under medium high heat.  Saute the onion and garlic until the onion starts to soften and the garlic is fragrant. 

Add peaches, tomato, lemon zest, lemon juice, mustard, chili paste, paprika, chicken stock, ketchup, and sorghum.

Simmer for at least 30 minutes.  Puree mixture in a blender or food processor until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

For the slaw, in a small bowl, combine the sesame oil, sesame seeds, chives, basil, and vinegar.  Whisk until combined. 

Place the julienned cucumber, jicama, and apple in another bowl.  Pour dressing over top and coat well.  Season with salt, to taste.  Reserve in the fridge until ready to serve.

Heat a large skillet under medium high heat.  Season the fish filets with salt and pepper, on both sides and dredge in flour.  Dust off any excess flour and add to pan.  Cook until golden brown on both sides.

To plate, place and circle of puree onto the plate.  Place slaw on top of puree and top the slaw with fish.  Garnish with a little micro-basil.

Simple and tasty!  I love the cold slaw paired with the fish.  It's definitely a bright summery dish that you can enjoy out on the patio or the porch!  Have a great weekend guys!

Roasted Chicken w/ Creamy Spinach-Celery Root Puree, Sauteed Apples, & Bacon

Hello guys!  How was everyone's weekend?  Mine was ABSOLUTELY phenomenal!  Saturday was my birthday and my friends and family made it such a special treat!  We went and ate at 610 Magnolia (Ed Lee's restaurant of Top Chef fame) and it was such a killer meal.  SO. SO. SO. SO Good!  My chef is pretty good friends with Ed Lee and we ended up getting a complimentary bottle of champagne on Ed, himself!  It pays to have connections, doesn't it?!  After dinner, a few friends showed up at a cheap bar for drinks.  Such a fun time and I'm so lucky to be surrounded by such amazing and caring people!

I competed in the San Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef competition on Friday, as well.  I didn't win, but I'm thankful to have the experience to be apart of something like that.  The girl that did win, deserved it on so many levels.  Her plate of food was just stunning, elegant, and perfect.  I hope she represents Kentucky well in Chicago!

Anyway, I made this dinner for my friends on Friday night and thought I'd share with you guys.  Looks fancy, but it's something so easy and so tasty - sure to impress anybody =)

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts, skin on
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil

Spinach-Celery Root Puree:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion, diced
1 cup celery root, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 lb. fresh spinach
juice from 1 lemon
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper, to taste

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and each cut into 8 wedges
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2-4 strips of bacon, cooked and broken into 1/2 inch pieces

Preheat oven to 400F.

Start by making the spinach-celery root puree.  Heat a large saucepan under medium high heat.  Melt butter then add onions and celery root cubes.  Saute until onions become translucent and celery root is starting to soften.

Add in spinach and lemon juice and stir until spinach is wilted.

Add in flour and cook until somewhat of a paste is formed, about 2-3 minutes.

Add in stock and bring to a simmer.  Stir in heavy cream and simmer for about 5 minutes.  Blend mixture with an immersion blender and season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Keep warm until ready to use.

Heat an oven-proof skillet under medium high heat.  Add olive oil and heat until shimmering.  Season chicken with salt and pepper and place skin-side down into pan.  Cook until skin is golden brown, about 3-4 minutes.  Flip chicken breast over and place pan in the oven to cook until white throughout, about 6-8 minutes, depending on the size of your chicken breast.

While the chicken is in the oven, you can cook your apples.  Heat a medium saucepan under medium high heat and add butter.  Sprinkle the apple slices with cinnamon and add to pan.  Cook until softened and starting to brown, about 5 minutes or so.

Remove chicken from oven and let rest for about 3-5 minutes.

To plate, place a good dollop of the spinach-celery root puree in the center of the plate.  Place about 5 apples slices in a line over top of the puree.  Top the apples with the chicken breast.  Sprinkle crumbled bacon around plate.

 

The puree may not be the most pleasant color in the world, but it sure is tasty!  The whole plate comes together in no time and is basically a no fuss type of meal.  And not to mention the presentation - definitely will wow your dinner guests!

Hope you all have a great start to your week!