Eva's Kitchen - Eva Longoria Parker [20]
1 cup sliced almonds
1 8-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
½ cup diced celery
3 green onions (white and light green parts), chopped
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 8-ounce package shredded Colby and Monterey Jack Cheese (about 2 cups)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup mayonnaise
1½ cups salted potato chips, crushed
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly spray or coat a 2-quart baking dish with vegetable oil.
2. In a large mixing bowl, place the chicken, almonds, artichoke hearts, celery, green onion, lemon juice, cheese, salt, and pepper. Stir until well combined. Add the mayonnaise and stir until well coated.
3. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and scatter the crushed potato chips over the surface of the dish. Bake until the cheese is melted and the top is lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
ORGANIC POULTRY AND EGGS When I buy poultry and eggs at the grocery store, I generally choose organic. Unlike “free-range,” which means only that the producer must allow the chickens access to the outdoors (it doesn’t matter if that’s an asphalt lot), the term “organic” is strictly regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. When shopping at a farmer’s market, I tend to worry less about the labels. Many smaller farmers can’t afford the time and money that strict federal regulations require, so even though they follow all the standards, they may not have the label. Check out localharvest.org to find reputable farmers near you who are raising animals in a humane and healthy way. Just type in your zip code to locate nearby farmers’ markets and grocery stores where you can find sustainable and organic produce, poultry, meat, and eggs.
lemon fried chicken
Ever since I discovered panko (see box), I make this easy dish all the time. The trick is to work fast once the chicken is cooked and add the salt and lemon as soon as you get the chicken out of the pan. Don’t worry if it looks like too much lemon juice—when the chicken is hot, the juice soaks through the crispy coating and adds fabulous flavor to the chicken.
MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS
2 1¼-pound packages thinly sliced chicken breasts
4 large eggs
3 to 4 cups panko
1 cup vegetable oil or as needed
Kosher salt to taste
3 lemons, halved
1. Rinse and pat dry the chicken breasts. Lay them on a work surface between two layers of plastic wrap. Gently pound with a meat tenderizer until they are about 1⁄8 inch thick.
2. In a large, shallow dish, beat the eggs. Pour the panko in another large, shallow dish. Working with one piece at a time, coat the chicken on both sides with egg. Let the excess run off and then dredge both sides in the panko. Place the chicken on a large baking sheet or platter and continue with the remaining chicken.
3. Line 1 or 2 large platters or baking sheets with paper towels. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until shimmery and hot but not smoking. Place as many pieces of chicken as can fit with-out crowding. Fry until golden brown on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to prepared platters. Immediately sprinkle the chicken lightly with salt and squeeze over a generous amount of lemon juice from a halved lemon. Repeat until all of the chicken is cooked, adding more oil to the pan if necessary. Serve.
PANKO Every Texan cook worth her salt knows breading and frying as well as the back of her hand. My mother, aunts, sisters, and I are no exception. I grew up on breaded and fried chicken, fish, and vegetables: The philosophy was that if it could be eaten, it should be breaded and fried. For years I understood that the texture of the breading was the most important part of this equation. But more often than not, ordinary bread crumbs turned out coatings that were either so heavy that they interfered with the taste of what was inside or too bland to make the deep-frying worth the effort. Then one night several years ago, one of the many cooking shows I love to watch featured panko. I ran out