How do you make sure chicken breast is going to be moist and tender instead of dry and tasteless? Well, you pound the heck out of it, dust it in flour and spices, cook it quickly and briefly and serve it with a sauce. That's what I did last night.
I think for most of us, edible chicken breast can be a real challenge to put on the table. My personal opinion is that unless it is stuffed with something and/or pounded thin before cooking, chances are it's going to be kinda' dry and tough because it's so darn easy to overcook. I really prefer boneless, skinless chicken thighs but I took advantage of a sale at Sprouts last week ($1.97/pound) and picked up some skinless, boneless chicken breasts.
Looks pretty doesn't it? It was - pretty and tasty.You see once the chicken had cooked sufficiently (2 minutes per side), I placed it in a casserole dish, topped it with the juice and rind of a nice big orange, put a cover on it and let it languish in a warm oven until the big guy was ready for dinner. The orange went unbelievably well with the cranberry sauce - a package of frozen cranberries, a scant 1/3 cup of sugar, a little water and ten minutes later the sauce was ready. Once it stopped bubbling I finished it with a quarter cup of maple syrup, for gloss and a touch of sweetness. It was wonderful - tart and yet sweet with maple undertones and perfect with the orange chicken. Download Orange Flavored Chicken Paillards with Cranberry Sauce
And by the way - YES people - what you see on the plate is stove top stuffing. Hey I admit I love the stuff, mostly for the convenience and I'm not too proud to admit it. I also quickly cooked some acorn squash in the microwave, dusted it with a little salt and pepper and Bob's your uncle. Dinner was ready. While I realize a green vegetable would have looked prettier on the plate, our taste buds complained not one bit.
The big guy and I are kinda' draggin' our keesters today. The pills we load into Max to stop his seizures also make him incredibly hungry and thirsty ...and you know what that means. He had us up a lot last night. Course at this very moment he's sound asleep on the desk in the sunshine.Talk about a lucky dog! As for us...not so much.
Stove Top Stuffing...I love it! I have several recipes that call for it as the base and it never fails me.
I love the cranberry/chicken combination. They go so well together, don't you think?
Posted by: Mags | 04/27/2010 at 09:26 AM
They do, don't they Mags. Imagine in a sandwich on your bread - lots of mayo...oh ya!
Posted by: June | 04/27/2010 at 09:34 AM
The pallairds look great. I love orange w/cranberry. I'm not fond of stovetop stuffing! Hate to say it! Poor puppy. I hope he is better soon.
Posted by: Sarah G | 04/27/2010 at 10:26 AM
Orange and cranberry are great and the maple syrup really made a difference. It's the first time I'd used it in a cranberry sauce and less sugar was much better too. Thanks Sarah. Max is doing better today.
Posted by: June | 04/27/2010 at 12:39 PM
OK - Junie - the other night - I had this pulled up on the dinner table and William looked at it and said "I do not like the sweet and tart of cranberries and orange sauce" when he looked at the photo" so I guess I won't be making HIM the sauce - but I bet my SISTER will like it! hehehehehe I love stove top stuffing also - there is some flavor in there that just makes me happy! William is just a poo poo head sometimes! Oh well - more for us!
Posted by: Nanan | 04/29/2010 at 03:01 PM
Ha - I've learned that when it comes to food, guys usually say they don't like something IF they've never had it. I just put it in front of the big guy and when he's going back for seconds, then I tell him what he's eating. LOLOL
Posted by: June | 04/29/2010 at 05:02 PM