So often we post our beautiful pictures; with perfectly executed dishes and share them in all their wonderful glory. You can tell by the photo, things did not go as planned the first time I made these baked chicken breasts. Don’t get me wrong – they were delicious. However; they weren’t exactly picture-perfect. Over the years, they have become “prettier” but far from perfect. I’m going to be brutally honest – wrapping the chicken around the butter was an absolute pain in the – well – you know what I mean. Making the butter was a snap. Wrapping the butter in the chicken and securing it was a nightmare. If anyone out there knows an easy way; please do tell.
Did you know that in two days (October 24th) the United Nations will mark 73 years of existence. How ’bout a Russian Baked Chicken, Russian Garden Salad and American dinner rolls (the easy brown and serve kind) to mark the day?
Russian Baked Buttery Lemon Chicken
Lemon Butter
4 Tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon finely shredded lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
freshly ground black pepper to taste
In mixing bowl cream the butter till light and fluffy. Add lemon peel, lemon juice, and pepper. Mix thoroughly. Reserve half of the mixture in the refrigerator to use later. Shape the remaining mixture into 6 sticks; freeze till firm.
Chicken
6 chicken breasts, boneless – thin cut
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
Flour for dredging
2/3 cup breadcrumbs
Place 1 chicken breast at a time between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound to flatten. Sprinkle lightly with a little salt. Place 1 stick of the butter mixture on each breast. Roll up. Seal carefully with wooden picks.
Beat egg and water together. Coat chicken lightly with flour; dip in egg mixture, then coat with breadcrumbs. Heat the reserved butter mixture in skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook on all sides 10 to 15 minutes, turning gently.
Place chicken in a baking dish and bake in 400 degree oven for 15 to 17 minutes. Remove wooden picks. If desired, trim with parsley just before serving.
Just how authentically Russian this salad is; I haven’t’ a clue. All I do know it that it went beautifully with the chicken and made for a terrific next day lunch. Hope you enjoy!
Russian Garden Salad
10 Romaine lettuce leaves, chopped
4 Roma Tomatoes, chopped
1 Cucumber, sliced
1 Red Onion, sliced
1/2 Cup Parsley, chopped
1 Tablespoon Salt
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Cup Sour Cream
Toss the romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, and parsley together in a large bowl; season with salt.
Drizzle the lemon juice and olive oil over the salad; stir.
Add the sour cream and mix until evenly coated.
Note; Any left-over chicken and salad makes a great cold wrap for a yummy lunch. Warm the tortilla to make it easy to roll. Place chicken in a flour tortilla, top with salad and wrap. Roll filled wrap in plastic wrap to help hold its shape. Pack in your lunch and there you go!
If you like what you see, let me know. Your comments and suggestions are always welcome. Have a great day!
In the winter of 2011, my brother came to stay with us for a while. Hands down, he is one of fussiest eaters on the planet. Now I love my brother, and I love my mother (God rest her soul) but he is a monster she create. My brother was the only boy in the family – and he became king of the hill – with one set of rules for us girls, and another set of rules for him. While my sisters and I had to eat whatever was placed before us or go without, our brother was allowed to eat whatever made him happy. While we ate fish sticks on Fridays, he ate chocolate cake! As a result, his culinary palate is limited to foods generally eaten by teenagers – hamburgers, hot dogs, and pizza – not the gourmet kind, but with a red sauce and plenty of pepperoni, thank you. While I prepare wonderful meals on the weekends for the family breakfast, my charming brother dines on popcorn and turkey sandwiches – bread and meat – nothing else, not even mayonnaise.
This is now my eighth “installment” of Hamburger Helper meals without using an actual box of “Hamburger Helper”. Yep, the easy, busy mom’s best friend, only without all the stuff no one wants to eat in the first place. Have you ever read a box of Hamburger Helper ingredients? Half of the ingredients are words I cannot even begin to pronounce – but have no fear – all those yellow and red dyes and words that seem to be a bunch of letters strung together have all been deemed safe for human consumption by the FDA – so no worries. Right? What’s that – you aren’t impressed? Neither am I. Especially when you consider how absolutely easy it is to skip the box and still have all the convenience of a quick, easy weeknight meal. Add a fresh salad, some warm bread and tall glasses of ice-cold milk – what more do you need? Oh, and just like the boxed variety – one pan will do the trick. Unlike the box variety – this dish has chunks of tomatoes you can actually see.
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