Creamy Lemony Chicken Francaise

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just because it has a fancy name, don’t shy away from making it. Chicken Française is an Italian-American dish of flour-dredged, egg-dipped, sautéed chicken cutlets with a lemon-butter and white wine sauce. And it’s simple to make and so good!  Once you make this… you will make it often.  I promise!

Creamy Lemony Chicken Francaise

2 large boneless and skinless chicken cutlets*

2 large eggs

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated (looks like powder)

3 lemons, for juicing and slicing

2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1/4 cup flour

2 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons olive oil

6-8 cloves garlic crushed

1/2 cup dry white wine (optional)*

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt, (add more to suit your taste)

1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped

fresh lemon juice from ½ a lemon

2 teaspoons parsley (extra), to garnish

Pat chicken breasts dry with a paper towel.

Add eggs, Parmesan, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and a pinch of salt and some black pepper in a shallow bowl. Whisk until blended. Mixture will be thick and clumpy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 In another shallow bowl, whisk the flour and salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in the flour first.  Then coat them in the egg wash, allowing excess egg mixture to drip off.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Add oil and butter to a large non-stick skillet and heat over medium-high heat. When the oil/butter is hot enough for frying, carefully lay in your chicken in the skillet.

 

 

 

 

 

Fry the fillets for about 4 minutes on each side until nice and golden brown. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Place each cooked fillet on a paper towel lined plate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To the same frying pan, add the crushed garlic, and cook for one minute until fragrant. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add in the white wine, chicken broth and parsley. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes on high heat to reduce down, while swirling the pan occasionally. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reduce heat and add the cream. Simmer on low until slightly thickened. Taste test and season with salt and pepper, as desired.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stir in the juice of half a lemon, and return the chicken to the sauce to heat through on low heat for two minutes. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add some sliced lemon around the chicken and sprinkle with parsley.

 

 

 

Serve with a side salad or vegetable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Or serve over rice or pasta, if desired.

*NOTES:  

* You can use regular chicken breasts, cut in half horizontally to make 4 fillets.  You can then pound them until they are ½ inch thick.  I buy chicken cutlets for less work. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

** If you don't like the wine, substitute it with chicken broth. The wine flavor is not strong, as it will cook off during the heating process. I like it much better with the wine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*** Thicken the sauce with cornstarch if needed: 1 teaspoon of cornstarch to 1 tablespoon of water; mix well and add to the center of the pan for a thicker sauce.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Almond Cream Croissants

 

 If you've got 20 minutes, that's all it takes to put together these Ridiculously Easy Almond Croissants. They look like they came from an upscale French bakery and they're ridiculously delicious too! Filled with a delicious almond cream and a buttery croissant so good it makes your head spin.  So easy!

Almond Cream Croissants

1 package of purchased puff pastry (2 sheets) 

3 tablespoons very soft butter 

¼ cup granulated sugar 

1 large egg 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

¼ teaspoon almond extract 

½ cup almond flour 

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 

½ cup sliced almonds

powdered sugar for sprinkling

Drizzle: 

1 ¹⁄ cups powdered sugar for drizzle

5 - 5 ¹⁄ teaspoons milk 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a 9 x 13 (or larger) sheet pan with parchment paper.

Filling

Combine the butter and sugar in a medium-size bowl. Whisk together well. Add the egg and both vanilla and almond extracts. Whisk again until smooth.

Add the almond flour and stir to combine. Add the all-purpose flour and stir again until smooth.  Set aside.

For the croissants:

Unfold thawed (but still cold) puff pastry on a work surface. With a sharp knife, cut the dough into 3 equal-size rectangles (see picture). Cut each rectangle into 2 long triangles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Place all of the triangles with the long end, facing you. Cut a small slit at the wide end of each triangle (this will make it easier to roll up pretty-shaped croissants).

Scoop 2 teaspoons of the filling onto each triangle. Spread the filling over the surface of each triangle.  Add one tablespoon of milk to the leftover almond filling and set aside.

Starting at the wide end, roll the dough into croissants, spreading the dough apart a bit at the wide end as you start to roll. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Repeat this process with the other sheet of puff pastry, then place all of the croissants onto the prepared sheet pan, spacing 1½ inches apart.  You may have to do two batches if they do not fit on your pan.

Brush each croissant with the egg wash, (one egg beaten with a tablespoon of water) lightly but covering all of the exposed surfaces.

Place in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush with the diluted almond filling. Sprinkle each croissant with a scant tablespoon of sliced almonds. Return to the oven for another 5-7 minutes or until medium golden brown.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack. Allow the croissants to cool for 10 minutes and sprinkle on the powdered sugar.  Next drizzle the top with icing. Then top with more almonds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note: You can just roll your croissants instead of making them the traditional shape.  Simply fold them over on one side and then do the same with the other side. Use some egg wash as glue and seal the dough and then flip it over and bake.

Southern Fried Pork Chops with Pan Gravy

 

So many people tell me they can’t make pork chops.  They come out tough and dry and so why bother.  That’s because you aren’t making them the correct way.  The secret to a moist and tender pork chop is the sear the outside and lock the juices on the inside. I promise you will have perfect pork chops every time.

Southern Fried Pork Chops with Pan Gravy

1 teaspoon seasoned salt, plus more for seasoning

1 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning

4 bone-in center cut pork chops
2 tablespoons butter 
1 tablespoon olive oil

Pat each pork chop dry with a paper towel. Salt and pepper both sides.

 

Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the butter. When the butter is melted and the butter/oil mixture is sizzling hot, cook 3 pork chops at a time, 2 to 3 minutes on the first side until golden brown.  Make sure you don’t crowd them.

Turn pork chops over, reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of a pork chop registers 130 degrees, about 4-6 minutes.

Once all your chops have been fried to the right temperature, remove them to a platter and wrap tightly in foil to allow the meat to rest and the pork chops will continue to cook, raising the internal temperature to medium.

Pan Gravy

2 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoon flour

1 cup half-and-half or whole milk

NOTE:  Recipe can be doubled if you like extra gravy.

While the pork is resting, melt the butter into the pan with the pork drippings over medium high heat and add the flour, stirring to cook the flour for a minute or two to remove the raw taste.

Whisk in the half-and-half a little at a time, whisking constantly until everything is incorporated and smooth.

Pour any juices from the pork chops that have accumulated while the meat was resting into the gravy and continue to cook until thickened, another minute or two.  Serve over a bed of creamy buttery mashed potatoes.
 

 
 Top with pan gravy.










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Pan Seared Ribeye Pork Chops

 

One of my favorite all time breakfasts is Pork chops and eggs. So many people look at me funny when I say that as if they have never heard of it. But they eat steak and eggs right? Well my Mom made pork chops and eggs all the time and we loved it. This is a hearty breakfast that will last you all day! 

Pan Seared Ribeye Pork Chops

2 bone-in ribeye pork chops
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons of butter
2 cloves of garlic, whole
1 sprig of rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste
 

 

Pat pork chops dry with a paper towel to absorb all moisture. Generously salt and pepper each side. In a large cast iron skillet or a heavy sauté pan, heat the skillet until it’s extremely hot. Add oil and butter and wait for it to sizzle.

Add the pork chops and then lay the garlic and rosemary around the chops. Make sure they are not crowding each other too much. There should be space between the chops in the pan or the meat will steam and not sear properly. Arrange the chops in the pan with the thickest, boniest parts towards the center of the pan where they get the most heat.

Sear the chops on high for about 2 minutes, watching carefully to get a nice golden color. Then flip on the other side and do the same thing. Turn off the heat. Cast iron will hold heat and there will be more than enough to finish cooking them.






















Sunny Side Up Eggs

2 large eggs
1 tablespoon butter
salt and pepper to taste

In a skillet, over medium heat, melt the butter until it just starts to sizzle. Crack your eggs on a flat surface and drop egg gently in hot butter. Add salt and pepper and cover skillet immediately. After about a minute, remove skillet from heat. Leave covered until egg white is cooked, about 3-5 minutes. 

 

 

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