Delicious Light Dishes From Deborah Mele - Chef of the Week
Chicken With Arugula & Tomato Salad
I have made this recipe many times since first tasting it, playing around with seasonings, cooking preparations, and ingredients, but found as in most great Italian dishes, the simpler the better.
For me, this is a complete meal on a plate and perfect for those warm summer days when you do not want to spend a lot of time in a hot kitchen, and is really so pretty (and delicious) that it is great for summer entertaining as well. Just be careful not to overcook the chicken, because sliced this thin the chickens cooks up quickly.
Ingredients:
4 Small Chicken Breasts, Deboned
Juice & Zest of 1/2 Lemon
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
6 Cups Fresh Arugula
For The Tomato Salad:
4 Cups Cherry Tomatoes, Halved
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Small Garlic Cloves, Peeled & Minced
1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
Salt & Pepper
Preparation:
If slicing the chicken yourself, place the chicken breasts in the freezer for one hour before slicing. Slice the breasts lengthwise 1/3 of an inch thick. Place the chicken slices in a bowl and add the olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon juice and zest.
Toss to coat the chicken evenly. Let the chicken rest 1 hour before cooking. While the chicken is sitting, toss together the ingredients for the tomato salad. To cook the chicken, lightly spray a non-stick frying pan with oil and fry the chicken pieces for about two minutes on each side over medium high heat until lightly browned and cooked through.
Arrange the chicken on four individual plates with the arugula on top. Spoon the tomato salad on top of the arugula and chicken, dividing it equally amongst the four plates, and drizzle any of the dressing over the tomatoes.
Yield: 4 servings
Farro Salad
Farro is now much easier to find in North America than it used to be, and often can even be found in the organic section of your local grocery store. I used the semi-perlato variety in this recipe as that was the type I had on hand.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 Cups Farro
Salt & Pepper
1 Cups Blanched Spring Peas
1 1/2 Cups Podded, Skinned & Blanched Fava Beans
2 Small Spring Onions (or 1 Medium) Peeled & Diced
2 Cups Halved Cherry Tomatoes
1 Small Bunch Fresh Parsley, Coarsely Chopped
1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
3/4 Cup Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Preparation:
Cook the farro in a pot of salted water until tender to the bite. Drain well and let cool to room temperature. Place your vegetables and parsley in a large serving bowl and add your cooled farro. Mix together the oil, vinegar, sailor & pepper with a fork until well blended.
Add one third of the dressing to the farro mixture and toss well. Taste, and add additional dressing as needed. Taste again, and add additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve at room temperature.
Yield: 4 servings.
Vignole - Vegetable Stew
I am a huge fan of most vegetables, but artichokes and Fava beans are certainly two of my favorites. I am always looking for new and delicious ways to prepare them each spring. I came across a recipe for Vignole in a tiny Umbrian cookbook and decided to give it a try.
To serve this delicious stew, it's best eaten warm but not too hot to allow the flavors to come through. A drizzle of really young extra virgin olive on top is perfect, as is a sprinkling of grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese.
Ingredients:
6 Small Fresh Artichokes, Cleaned And Coarsely Chopped
2 Cups Freshly Podded Fava Beans
1 Medium Onion, Peeled And Diced
2 Ounces Diced Pancetta Or Prosciutto
3 Cloves Garlic, Peeled & Minced
2 Cups Fresh Podded Peas
1 Bunch Washed, Dried & Chopped Swiss Chard (About 5 Cups)
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 1/2 to 2 Cups Chicken or Vegetable Broth
Salt & Pepper
1/3 Cup Chopped Fresh Mint
1/4 Cup Chopped Fresh Parsley
Preparation:
In a large saucepan, heat the oil and once hot add the onions and pancetta or prosciutto. Cook over medium heat until the onion is soft and then add the garlic. Cook until just fragrant, about another minute or two. Add 1 1/2 cups of the broth and the artichokes and continue to cook for 10 minutes.
Add the lava beans and cook an additional 10 minutes before you add the peas and chopped greens. Cook until the peas are tender crisp, another 8 to 10 minutes or so. Add the chopped fresh herbs and season well with salt and pepper. Serve in warm bowls with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Yield: 4 servings
Apricot Bars
For our recent farmhouse guests, I wanted to try out a new recipe that combines apricot jam with fresh apricots in an easy bar type of cookie and they met with rave reviews.
Although the first time I made them they were very good, I decided to make them once again, tweaking the recipe just a little, and here is that recipe. These bars are great anytime of the day as a breakfast sweet or a mid-day snack, but are very moist, so are best stored well wrapped in the refrigerator.
Ingredients:
3/4 Cup (1 1/2 Sticks) Softened Unsalted Butter
3/4 Cup Liquid Honey
1 Large Egg
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 Cups All-purpose Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Chopped Walnuts
1 Cup Apricot Jam or Preserves
4 Finely Chopped Fresh Apricots
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a bowl, beat the butter and honey until light. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and blend.
Add the walnuts and stir to mix in evenly. Lightly grease a 13 X 9 inch baking pan. Take 2/3 of the batter and press it down evenly over the bottom of the pan. If very sticky, lightly flour your fingers to do this, or place a sheet of plastic wrap on top of the better while you press it down.
Mix together the jam and fresh, chopped apricots, and then spread evenly over the batter in the pan. Take a small spoon, and drop spoonfuls of the remaining batter on top of the apricot layer, covering as much as possible.
Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the bars are set and lightly browned. Cool to room temperature before cutting.
Yield: 12 servings
Courtesy of italianfoodforever.com
Buon appetito!
