Glazed Carrots

Today was the last day of our local farmers market. It's always a bittersweet day, the last day we get to enjoy the 3 block stroll to the market on Saturday mornings, exploring and collecting the best gems and jewels of the locally produced in season foods. It's also a mark of the beginning of the holiday season, and the chance to embrace the change in the seasons. Though we collected a great deal of goodies, these petite, golden carrots caught my eye. Wanting to use them to their full potential, I kept them whole and cooked them up quickly on the stove top with a sweet, tangy and savory glaze.


Glazed Carrots
adapted from the Healthy Hedonist by Myra Kornfeld

1 small bunch petite carrots, trimmed and peeled
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp mirin
pinch of salt
pinch of freshly ground pepper
pinch of coriander, ground

Place all ingredients in small saute pan over med-low heat. Cover and cook for about 8 minutes, or until carrots begin to become tender. Uncover and cook an additional 4 minutes, until carrots begin to caramelize slightly. Remove from heat and enjoy!

Chicken Milanese with Brown Butter Orzo and Spring Greens

I love pouring through cooking magazines, websites, blogs, books ...just about anything I can get my hands on. In so many magazines, they give you preset menu ideas, sometimes helpful sometimes limiting. I admit it's rare that I actually go through and make the entire collection of dishes they recommend for a meal (there are just so many other good ideas out there!) but I hadn't worked with orzo or made chicken palliards before, so I thought I'd give this a shot. The orzo especially was a revelation. You prepare it much like you would a risotto - which initially frightened me a bit. However, though you saute it a bit first like a risotto, it cooks up in just 15 minutes, which is fabulous! None of that tedious stirring either. Glad to have gotten over my fears and given this a try. It's definitely now a household favorite.

We also served this with our very own container-grown greens. It's the first time we've tried growing anything besides herbs and I must confess to being proud of our success. We'll see how the rest of our container 'garden' fares for the rest of the season, but it's definitely off to a good start!

Chicken Milanese with Brown Butter Orzo and Mixed Spring Greens

from cooking light

Ingredients
3/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon minced shallots
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
Dash of sugar
2 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
5 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 cups packed spring mix salad greens
2 lemon wedges


Preparation
1. Combine juice, vinegar, shallots, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and sugar; let stand 15 minutes.
2. Place chicken between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet.
3. Combine breadcrumbs and cheese in a shallow dish. Place flour in a shallow dish. Place egg white in a shallow dish. Sprinkle chicken with 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Dredge chicken in flour; dip in egg white. Dredge in breadcrumb mixture. Place chicken on a wire rack; let stand 5 minutes.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick (I prefer to use cast iron) skillet over medium-high heat (or med-low heat for the cast iron - don't let the pan get too hot - you can see evidence of this wee mistake above on the 'well' browned chicken ;) Add chicken; cook 3 minutes. Turn chicken over; cook 2 minutes or until browned and done.
5. Add 2 teaspoons oil and 1/8 teaspoon pepper to shallot mixture; stir with a whisk. Add greens; toss gently. Place 1 chicken breast half and 1 cup salad on each of 2 plates. Serve with lemon wedges.