Monday Menu Madness–Dijon Chicken

Whew! It’s already time to start dinner and I still have so much to do!

Cathleen from Tialey Vintage was sweet enough to create this ribbon for me.  I thought it was sweet of her (not that I was basically begging her to make one for me after she made a trophy for The Dusty Dog Vintage. Nope, not me.  I wouldn’t be that pathetic, would I?).

Speaking of ribbons, I’m toying with the idea of having a “Menu Madness” contest.  According to feedback I’ve been getting from friends and readers, menu planning is a real conundrum for a lot of would-be homemakers.  Because meal planning isn’t really taught anymore, there is a perception that cooking from scratch takes hours and hours and that you basically need to be a rocket scientist–well, actually, a chemist–to figure out what sides go with which entree.  My idea is that each week, readers link to their favorite cook from scratch meal blog postings/tutorial (either their own or someone they want to nominate).  The meal should consist of entree and side dishes and the post should include recipes for at least the entree but also for the side dishes if a recipe is required.  I’ll put up a poll (I haven’t decided if it should be weekly or monthly or??) and everyone can vote.  What do you think?  Feedback would be appreciated.  Winners will get a badge to put on their blogsite.  I’m thinking of using this cookbook cover as the foundation for the badge.

And, speaking of recipes, I’m going to share with you my husband’s very favorite (and I mean, favorite as in he makes all sorts of happy grunting sounds when he eats it) chicken recipe.  It isn’t a true vintage recipe but it is easy to make and tastes like a million bucks!

This recipe is adapted from Crazy Plates: Low-Fat Food So Good, You’ll Swear It’s Bad for You! by Janet and Greta Podleski.  The cookbook has a terminal case of cuteness and pun-ness but I found this recipe in it, so you can’t just the book by it’s cover (or punniness).  This recipe is called Celine Dijon Chicken.  I don’t worry about using the low-fat version of foods, so that is the major adaptation. I also double the sauce.

You will need:

1 cup unsweetened apple juice

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 Tablespoon lemon juce

1 large shallot, minced

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/4 tsp. dried rosemary

1/8 tsp. black pepper

2 tsp. oil

4 chicken breast halves (I’ve also used breast cutlets–actually, any chicken will probably work)

1/2 cup dairy sour cream

2 tsp. honey

2 tsp. cornstarch

Combine apple juice, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, shallot, herbs, and pepper in a small bowl.  Set aside.

Heat oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat.  Add chicken and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until lightly browned. 

Add the apple juice mixture.  Reduce heat to medium.  Simmer, covered, for 5 to 7 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink.

Remove chicken from skillet and keep warm.

Gently boil the remaining liquid for 3 minutes, until slightly reduced.  While the liquid is boiling, mix the sour cream, honey, and cornstarch in a small bowl.

Add to the liquid in the skillet.  Cook and stir until sacue is bubbly and has thickened.

Pour sauce over warm chicken and serve immediately. (We usually cut a chicken breast in half–a serving of chicken is supposed to be 3-4 ounces…most chicken breasts are at least twice that size because they are bred to be enormous)

Perfect side dishes are garlic mashed potatoes (toss in a couple of cloves of garlic when you boil the potatoes–mash as usual) and broccoli/green vegetable combination.

This is a VERY filling meal.  You won’t need much and there won’t be room for dessert.