In the Kitchen: Parmesan Chicken

Home-cooked meals are a constant adventure for me as I design healthy but tasty meals. Here is one of my son's favorite "Parmesan Chicken."

This recipe is similar to "Scaloppine al Limone" (made with veal.) Instead of using breadcrumbs, I am substituting grated parmesan cheese and using chicken breast as my meat. The elimination of the breadcrumbs makes this meal a high-protein food.

INGREDIENTS:
2 Chicken breasts, butterflied to 1/4 inch and tenderized with a kitchen mallet
Sprinkle with lemon and set aside.

On parchment paper (or wax paper), spread grated parmesan cheese, then add some dried onion flakes.

In a shallow plate, scramble one egg. Dip both sides of the chicken, then coat both sides with the parmesan/onion mixture.

In a pan, warm up a little butter and cooking oil (do NOT use olive oil). Pan fry each side 2-3 minutes or until. Serve with a side salad.

SIDE SALAD: Arugula with Balsamic Vinaigrette
Garnish with Green Apples and Pecans Caramelized with agave.

Christmas Market: At the Trocadero, Paris, France

Christmas markets are about to close...the holiday season is almost over.

For a last visit, I went to the one at the Trocadero.

The bonus to this location is having a good view of the Eiffel Tower, up on the Trocadero courtyard.

As I mingled with the crowd, I was attracted to check out the aroma leading me to the food stalls...a glass of vin chaud (hot wine) was just perfect for this very cold evening.

Families were having fun at the skating rink. How I wished I had my kids with me...

except, they are all grown up now.

There was a big to do by the staircase...a man on his bike was entertaining us with his stunt - to bike/jump down from the top of the banister to the ground without falling...and he succeeded!

Briefly, I paused to watch the Eiffel Tower light show, changing hues and color patterns.

An hour at the market was getting to me. I was freezing. 

By the time I took one last look, the half moon was out.

The Trocadero will be the place to be this New Year's eve...to watch the light show and a fireworks display at the Eiffel Tower, and to view the blue moon that will happen because of a partial lunar eclipse from December 31 to January 1.

Well, I need to prepare for this celebration, pack my pic-nic bag with some glasses, a bottle of champagne, some toast and foie gras, nuts, cheese and fruits, to ring in the new year!

Happy New Year, everyone. May 2010 be a year of many blessings for you and your family!

In the Kitchen: Crust-less Quiche Lorraine with Spinach

I had been naughty this week, finishing up a whole box of chocolates given to me by a friend who had attended the "Salon de Chocolat" Exhibition. Feeling guilty, I have been walking more than usual, and today, I decided to have a healthy start. So for breakfast I figured I better start my high-protein diet: a crust-less Quiche Lorraine with Spinach.



RECIPE: Crust-less Quiche Lorraine with SPinach
PREHEAT OVEN: 190*F (375*C)
100 gm. of lardon (or cut up bacon) - cook in low-medium heat until it is semi-crispy. Place on a paper towel to drain off excess fat.
1 tbsp. chopped onion - caramelize in the same pan lardon was cook on for a minute or 2. Set aside.
1 handful of spinach - cut up into fine strips
6 eggs - whisk to aerate a bit
1 tbsp. of shredded parmesan cheese ( or you can use other hard-type cheese)
Mix all of the above ingredients and season with pepper. Pour into a greased/floured baking pan and put into the oven. After you close the oven door, bring down the temperature to 175*F (350*C) and bake for 10 minutes; after which, turn on your browning element if you have one and bake for another 7 - 10 minutes. I am using a convection oven...baking time may be a little longer for regular ovens.
Serve this with your usual fruit juice, or in my case...



I served it with a glass of freshly juiced green apples, spinach, carrots, and broccoli.



Or, you may opt to make a light meal out of this. It can be served with a side salad...in this case I made spinach salad sprinkled with dehydrated echalote, herbes des Provence, salt and pepper, and drizzled with apple-cider vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil, and garnished with a tomato.



To round it off, for dessert, the choice of fresh kiwi and raspberries made it a more anti-oxidant packed meal!

I'm being good and have avoided the carbs, so far. If you want some bread with this, go for the whole wheat or cereal breads.

NUTRITIONAL NOTES:
When I eat kiwifruit, I wait for the skin to get a bit wrinkled as this is the time they get to be sweet. Kiwis contain about as much potassium as bananas; rich in vitamins A, C and E, and its black seeds can be crushed to produce kiwi fruit oil (I wonder how many fruits we need to get 1tsp. of kiwi oil?), which is very rich in alfa-linoleic Acid (an important Omega-3 essential fatty acid. Kiwifruits are useful in improving asthmatic conditions in children, and in decreasing the probability of colon cancer by providing a good amount of dietary fiber. Please be aware that kiwifruits can cause an allergic reaction in some individuals.(Kiwi-Fruit.info)

So colorful and decorative for dessert preparations, raspberries contain significant amounts of polyphenol antioxidant; a rich source of vitamin C, manganese; contain B vitamins 1-3, with considerable amounts of folic acid, magnesium, copper and iron. You get as much as 20% fiber per total weight. (WikipediA)

I am a big fan of spinach. I incorporate it in my meal planning as much as I can, when I can get a hold of it. It is a rich source for iron and a little bit of calcium. It is extremely rich in antioxidants, especially when fresh, steamed, or boiled for about 4 minutes (to benefit from it's folate content). It is also rich in vitamins A (and lutein), C, E, K; magnesium, manganese, folate, iron, vitamin B2, potassium, vitamin B6, folic acid (vitamin b-9), copper, protein, phosphorus, zinc, niacin, selenium and omega-3 fatty acids.(WikipediA)