Crispy Skinned Chicken, spinach salad and green beans with mushrooms and tomatoes.

Crispy-Skinned Chicken Breasts with Vinegar-Pepper Pan Sauce

Courtesy "America's Test Kitchen"

Serves 2

Kosher salt and pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Pan Sauce

1 shallot, minced

1 teaspoon all-purpose flour

½ cup chicken broth NOTE: made with bones removed from chicken breasts with onion, carrot and celery also added mushroom stems from another recipe.

¼ cup chopped pickled hot cherry peppers, plus ¼ cup brine

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, chilled

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

Salt and pepper

Instructions:

Place 1 chicken breast, skin side down, on cutting board, with ribs facing away from knife hand. Run tip of knife between breastbone and meat, working from thick end of breast toward thin end. Angling blade slightly and following rib cage, repeat cutting motion several times to remove ribs and breastbone from breast. Find short remnant of wishbone along top edge of breast and run tip of knife along both sides of bone to separate it from meat. Remove tenderloin (reserve for another use) and trim excess fat, taking care not to cut into skin. Repeat with second breast.

Using tip of paring knife, poke skin on each breast evenly 30 to 40 times. Turn breasts over and poke thickest half of each breast 5 to 6 times. Cover breasts with plastic wrap and pound thick ends gently with meat pounder until ½-inch thick. Evenly sprinkle each breast with ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Place breasts, skin side up, on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet, cover loosely with plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 8 hours.

Pat breasts dry with paper towels and sprinkle each breast with ¼ teaspoon pepper. Pour oil in 12-inch skillet and swirl to coat. Place breasts, skin side down, in oil and place skillet over medium heat. Place heavy skillet or Dutch oven on top of breasts. Cook breasts until skin is beginning to brown and meat is beginning to turn opaque along edges, 7 to 9 minutes.

Remove weight and continue to cook until skin is well browned and very crispy, 6 to 8 minutes. Flip breasts, reduce heat to medium-low and cook until second side is lightly browned and meat registers 160 to 165 degrees, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer breasts to individual plates and let rest while preparing pan sauce.

For the Pan Sauce:

Pour off all but 2 teaspoons oil from skillet. Return skillet to medium heat and add shallot; cook, stirring occasionally, until shallot is softened, about 2 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Increase heat to medium-high, add broth and brine, and bring to simmer, scraping up any browned bits. Simmer until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in any accumulated chicken juices; return to simmer and cook for 30 seconds. Remove skillet from heat and whisk in peppers, butter and thyme; season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon sauce around breasts and serve.

Recipe from Chelsea's Messy Apron  From Crow (Sanda)

Ingredients:

5 ounces fresh spinach (half a 10 ounce bag)

3/4 cup chopped celery Note used some bean sprouts and a stalk from celery heart.

3/4 cup dried cranberries Note used dried sour cherries

1 can (15 ounces) mandarin oranges - or fresh Cuties or Halos

1 large Granny Smith Apple

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/3 cup pecans Note used sweetened walnuts. 

Optional: Feta cheese & Orecchiette (little ears) pasta

Dressing:

4 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2-4 teaspoons white sugar - Or use Honey to taste or Stevia

1/8 teaspoon each: paprika, onion powder

1 tablespoon poppyseeds

Throw it all together!

ONE PAN BALSAMIC CHICKEN TipHero Nov 2015

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Italian salad dressing

3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp honey

1 1/4 lbs chicken breast tenderloins Note used only two tenderloins from the crispy skinned chicken recipe from above.

2 Tbsp olive oil

½ tsp Kosher salt and pinch freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 lb fresh green beans, trimmed of tough ends, chopped into 2-inch pieces

8 oz sliced mushrooms

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

Instructions:

1. Mix together dressing, balsamic vinegar and honey in a measuring cup.

2. Heat 1 Tbsp of the oil and sauté the mushrooms for 4 minutes until they have started to brown, then add the green beans and cook for another 4 minutes or until the green beans are crisp-tender.

3. Remove the vegetables from the pan, add the remaining oil and the chicken tenders. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and sauté until brown on each side. 4. Remove from the pan. Add in the sauce and stir for a couple minutes until thickened into a glaze consistency. Add the chicken, green beans, and mushrooms back into the pan and add the tomatoes. Stir to coat everything evenly with the sauce.