Garlic Butter Crispy Chicken with Creamy Beans

 I first saw this recipe on Instagram and had to try because Jackie of Pinch of Yum said this is one of her favorite dinners she's ever made!  Garlic butter spooned over crispy chicken cutlets and served over delicious creamy beans.  What’s not to love?  It's so good!  Check out her blog here, with step by step instructions and so many great recipes.

INGREDIENTS

Crispy Chicken:

• 4 small or 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
• salt and pepper
• avocado oil spray

Creamy Beans:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced (if you don’t have shallots, use 1/4 diced onion)
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 1 14-ounce can cannelini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup marinara sauce (I use Rao's)
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup cream
• freshly torn basil
• salt and pepper to taste

Garlic Butter:

• 4 tablespoons salted butter, melted
• 1 clove garlic, grated or minced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
•  freshly grated Parmesan cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prep Chicken: Place chicken breast between plastic wrap or parchment paper and use a meat mallet or heavy skitter to pound them to a uniform 1/4 inch thickness. (If using 2 large breast cut each in two)
2. Dip and Coat: Prepare three containers: the flour, the eggs, and the panko.  Sprinkle the chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. Dredge each chicken piece lightly in the flour, then egg, and finally panko, pressing to coat. Set aside until you’re ready to cook them.
3. Creamy Beans: Sauté the shallot until softened. Add the tomatoes and a pinch of salt; cover and let them cook for 5 minutes on a low boil until softened.
4. Add the beans, marinara sauce, and broth; simmer  on a low boil for 5-8 minutes, then turn off the heat and stir in the cream and the basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 
5. Cook Chicken:  While the beans are cooking, spritz the chicken with avocado oil spray to coat evenly. Air fry at 375 for 6 minutes each side, until chicken is cooked through and golden brown.
6. Garlic Butter: Mix the melted butter, garlic, and parsley. Spoon the garlic butter sauce over the crispy chicken, and sprinkle Parmesan on top. Slice the chicken into strips.
7. Serve: Plate the beans in a shallow bowl or pasta dish. Arrange the garlic butter chicken on top. Garnish with extra basil, Parmesan, and even a drizzle of good olive oil. Delicious!

Garlic Parmesan Baked Halibut

I have to start out saying that this was delicious and so easy but WOW Halibut is expensive!  It's a keeper but next time, I want to try with cod and will come back with  my thoughts.  Recipe adapted from the blog Port and Fin.  Ingredients:

• Salt and pepper, to taste
• ½ lemon, juiced
• 2 halibut filets (1" thick)
• 
  
• Topping Ingredients: (Have topping ingredients mixed, ready to top fish when it comes out of the oven)
• 2 Tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 Tablespoons green onion, finely sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
• Dash of Tabasco/Hot sauce

1. Preheat oven to 425. Season halibut with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. Place filets on lined baking dish lined with foil (for easy cleanup). Bake for 6 minutes.
2. Mix all topping ingredients together. Remove halibut from oven and spread Parmesan mixture over top of fish. Turn oven to broil and cook for 2-3 minutes (watch carefully not to burn), until the tops are lightly browned. Serve immediately.  

Tuscan Salmon with Lemony Orzo

                                                

We try and eat salmon once a week and I'm always looking for new ways to make it.  This recipe is a keeper, it's delicious!  The recipe comes from the blog The View From Great Island.  I halved the recipe and made a few changes, but you can find the original recipe here.  

 

* Important to prep all ingredients before you start, then the dish will come together in about 30 minutes.  This way the orzo and salmon finish cooking at the same time and dinner is served.

                                    

Ingredients:  (2 servings)

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 2 salmon fillet (skin on preferably, searing the skin will add flavor to the dish and keep the salmon moist - can take off after it's cook if you don't like skin) 
• sea salt/ or kosher salt
• smoked paprika
• 1 shallot finely diced (about 1/4 cup)
• 1 cloves garlic finely minced or put through a press
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup orzo
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice fresh squeezed
• 1/8 tsp turmeric
• 3 ounces fresh baby spinach or a few handfuls.
• 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes sliced thinly
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated

Instructions

• Preheat the oven 350.
• Season the salmon lightly with salt and a sprinkle of smoked paprika.
  
• Heat the olive oil and butter over medium high heat in a nonstick skillet. Place the salmon in the skillet and sear for an about 3-4 minutes on each side to get a little crust going.  Transfer the salmon to a sheet pan (I like to put it skin side up) and set in a 350 oven to finish cooking while you finish the rest of the dish. Transfer it carefully as it can be delicate.
  
• To the skillet on medium heat add the minced shallot and sauté for 1 minutes.  Add garlic to the skillet and sauté for another minute.  Add the wine to the pan and stir to let it evaporate down.  Then add the orzo and continue for another minute or so, stirring constantly.
  
• Now add the chicken broth, lemon juice, sun dried tomatoes and pinch of turmeric to the pan. Stir well and bring to a gentle boil. Cook, uncovered, for about 10-15 minutes, or until the orzo is tender and has absorbed 3/4 of the liquid. Stir in the spinach until it wilts and then stir in the Parmesan cheese. If you need to adjust the consistency of the sauce you can thicken it with more grated Parmesan, or thin it down with more chicken stock. (We like it to be a little saucy)
  
• To serve, divide orzo on two plates and serve with cooked Salmon.  If you need to check if salmon is done it should registers 145F in the thickest part.
• Tuscan salmon is a cook and serve recipe, in other words, don't plan on making it ahead because the orzo pasta will soak up the sauce as it sits.

Note: 

* Easily doubled for 4 servings.

All the ingredients prepped 

Sauté salmon flesh side down first.  

Keeping the skin on adds flavor to the dish and keeps salmon moist.  

Transfer salmon to the oven to finish cooking.  I like to line pan with parchment for easy cleanup.  I also like to cook skin side up so that I can remove the skin easier when cooked.  

Once the shallots and garlic have sautéed add the wine.

Let the wine cook down until almost evaporated.  

Add the orzo, sauté for minute or two and then add broth, lemon juice and turmeric, cook 10-15 minutes until tender.

Once the orzo is tender, the sauce has thickened but still is a little saucy.  Add more chicken stock if your orzo has absorbed all the liquid.

Perfectly cooked, saucy but not too saucy.

While the orzo cooked, the salmon is also ready at the same time. At this point take off the skin if you don't like.  I don't like the skin and my husband keeps his on.  You do you :)

Serve!