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Chicken Parm with Broccoli Rabe Pesto

Chicken Parm with Broccoli Rabe Pesto1

  • 6-8 chicken tenders

Marinade

  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon salt and pepper

Mix the ingredients in a small bowl and marinate the chicken tenders for 4-5 hours.

Breading

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 extra-large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 1/4 cups panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
  • 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup homemade tomato sauce
  • 1 cup shredded low moisture part skim mozzarella cheese

Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a dinner plate. On a second plate, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of water and a pinch of salt. On a third plate, combine the breadcrumbs and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan. Coat the chicken tenders on both sides with the flour mixture, then dip both sides into the egg mixture and dredge both sides in the bread-crumb mixture, pressing lightly. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan and cook 2 or 3 chicken tenders on medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Add more butter and oil and cook the rest of the chicken tenders.
Lay the cooked chicken pieces in an ovenproof casserole. Ladle spoons of marinara sauce over all the chicken pieces. Add the shredded mozzarella on top and bake for 5-10 minutes in a 350 degrees oven until cheese is melted. Add some more sauce and keep aside.

Pesto

  • 2 cups broccoli rabe leaves only, roughly chopped
  • 3 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons salt

Process the broccoli rabe and spinach leaves till smooth. While the processor is on, drizzle the olive oil into the pesto. Add the salt and keep aside.

1 pound pappardelle, cooked al dente with some pasta water saved.

Once the pasta is cooked, return it to the same pot with ½ cup pasta water. Add ½ cup broccoli rabe pesto and mix well. Adjust seasonings and serve with chicken tenders on top.

Chicken Parm with Broccoli Rabe Pesto

Broccoli Rabe and Spinach Rice

Broccoli Rabe and Spinach Rice I made this rice with the fabulous  shrimp saute with dill and cilantro. As I mentioned yesterday, my daughter’s friend stayed for dinner.

I love having her friends over for dinner and I thought, “what a meal to serve a little girl who is not used to eating Indian food very often”. Even after I showed her the colorful meal, she was adamant about staying. I was quite worried about her reaction to the rice. It was not only cooked in a broccoli rabe pesto, but baby spinach was also tossed in at the last minute. The green color was bright and unmistaken and we all know what most kids think about this color…

As we sat down for the meal, my daughter began eating and relishing her food. Her friend looked down on the rice and didn’t look so happy. My daughter quickly informed her that the rice tastes just like ‘regular’ rice and not like the kind with spinach (that was the best compliment I could get). Her friend tried it and agreed and continued eating the rest of the meal.

I couldn’t help but laugh as I watched them enjoy the food and each others company. They both were rewarded with a big ice cream sundae with a little bit of ice cream and a lot of fruit.

Try this delicious rice and experiment it with your kids and let me know what they think….
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