Two Quick And Easy Chicken Breast Recipes

September seems to be on speedy steroids! If you feel the same energy, here are two quick and easy chicken breast recipes to make this week.

The mustard-coated chicken breast turns out delicious and moist even without a spicy topping (but I love the spicy part!) Simply pop the chicken into the oven while you cook a vegetable side dish or make a big salad with raw vegetables to complete dinner in less than an hour.

Although Marcel Desaulniers is known for his chocolate cookbooks, his idea of crushed almonds on a chicken breast is brilliant. The chicken is crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside—exactly the way all chicken breasts should be. Start off with your favorite salad and make couscous to round out this menu.

Due to a request from an avid reader, here’s a storage chart for basic fresh cut herbs:

Before an early frost bites your herb plants, if possible, bring the pots inside and water whenever the dirt is dry to the touch. Sage and rosemary often “winter” just fine if they are in the ground.

Basil: Store at room temperature in a vase of water for up to one week.

Chives: Place in sealed plastic bag and refrigerate in the crisper for one to two weeks.

Cilantro: Place unwashed cilantro in plastic bag and refrigerate for up to five or six days.

Parsley: Wash the bunch, spin dry, and then wrap paper towels around the bunch and place in plastic bag and refrigerate in door or crisper for about one week.

Rosemary: Place in sealed plastic bag and refrigerate for up to five or six days.

Sage: Place in unsealed plastic bag and refrigerate in crisper drawer for three to five days.

Tarragon: Place in unsealed plastic bag and refrigerate in crisper drawer for up to one week. Bon appétit!

Mustard-Roasted 
Chicken Breast(Serves 4)4, 4- to 5-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of excess fat

Sea salt to taste

4 tablespoons Dijon mustard

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

4 or 8 whole cloves unpeeled garlic for roasting

Olive oil for drizzling

Few pinches spicy topping (see below) to taste

Spicy topping:

1/2 teaspoon Zahtar

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon chili powderTo prepare:Working in a spice grinder or mini chop, add Zahtar, paprika, cayenne pepper and chili powder and pulse until blended. Transfer to a small jar and reserve.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a shallow pan with foil or parchment paper, drizzle oil over the bottom

Rinse chicken breasts under cold running water and pat them dry with paper towels. Slightly flatten the chicken between two pieces of parchment paper.

Place chicken breasts on the prepared baking pan, lightly season with salt and smear the top with mustard until coated.

Scatter chopped garlic over the mustard, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle the top with a pinch or two of the spice mixture.

Add unpeeled garlic cloves to the pan and roast the chicken, uncovered, until the juices run clear when pierced with a two-pronged fork, about 20 to 25 minutes. Roasting time depends on the thickness and temperature of the chicken.

Let rest five minutes before serving.

Tastes great the next day if there are leftovers.Almond-Crusted 
Chicken BreastAdapted from 
Marcel Desaulniers(Serves 4)4, 4- to 5-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of excess fat

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons dry vermouth

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus extra if necessary

1 cup sliced blanched almonds, crushedTo prepare:Place almonds in a mini chop and crush them into small pieces. Set aside.

Rinse chicken breasts under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.

Place the chicken between two pieces of parchment paper on a cutting board and uniformly flatten each breast with a meat cleaver or the bottom of a heavy pan. (Or ask your butcher to do it for you.)

Place the chicken breast on a platter and drizzle with lemon juice, vermouth, a few drops of olive oil, salt and pepper. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes or if longer, refrigerate until ready to sauté.

Place the crushed almonds on a plate, coat both side of the chicken with almonds, pressing them into the meat with your fingers.

Meanwhile, in a large nonstick sauté pan over medium high heat, coat the bottom with oil. When the oil is hot, working in batches, place two chicken breasts at a time in the pan and sauté until golden brown about four to five minutes.

Turn breasts over and continue cooking until the juices run clear when pierced with a two-pronged fork, about three to four minutes longer.

Remove the breasts from the pan, transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain for a few minutes before serving.