hello again!
happy happy friday! can you believe we only have 2 more weekends until christmas? the holidays always seem to sneak up on us no matter what, but we are taking things nice and slow this year! we are lightening up on the travel plans and just enjoying our time together for our first holiday season as a family of 3! so exciting!
this week, i pulled together a quick chicken parm, which turned out so well that i’m sharing it with you guys! also, it’s the return of cocktails with wil! enjoy a chai manhattan a la wil this weekend!
quick chicken parm (or eggplant parm!)
ingredients:
2 chicken thighs (boneless / skinless) OR 2 thickly sliced pieces of eggplant
1 cup flour (i used brown rice flour, you could us AP flour!)
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1 cup fine bread crumbs (panko work well here, or smashed crackers)
1 tbsp garlic powder
pinch of salt
olive oil
1/2 cup parmesan, mozzarella, or pecorino romano cheese
noodles
pasta sauce (a basic jarred marinara is perfect for this, we like Rao’s brand)
make it
put the chicken in a bag and pound it out with a rolling pin or wine bottle until it is about 1/4 inch thick and even.
set up your breading station:
in one bowl, mix together the flour, salt and garlic powder.
in a second bowl, whisk the milk and egg together.
spread the breadcrumbs or cracker crumbs in an even layer on a plate.
in a steel saucepan, heat enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan and heat on medium high.
coat the chicken or eggplant in the flour mixture, then dip it in the egg mixture, then coat it in the breadcrumbs.
preheat oven to 375 and put a pot of water on to boil.
once the oil is sizzling and moving easily around the pan, fry the chicken for about 3-5 minutes on each side, or until browned.
pop the chicken cutlets onto a sheet pan and put them into the oven to cook through.
while the chicken is cooking, start boiling your pasta and put your sauce on to heat up. (a simple jarred marinara is all you need here)
once the chicken is cooked through (temp 165), take them out of the oven and top with a spoonful of pasta sauce and a sprinkle of cheese.
broil them on until the cheese in just melted, then remove from heat.
serve with the pasta and sauce layered under the chicken and enjoy!
easy spinach and artichoke dip
4 oz goat cheese or cream cheese
1/4 cup parmesan or pecorino
1 cup marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
2 cups baby spinach (measured then chopped)
splash of milk (i used oat milk)
add all ingredients to a pot on low and stir over heat until creamy and cheese is melted. serve with tortilla chips or pretzels! (or use in a grilled cheese, which is what i did!)
bonus: this also makes a great dip for a holiday party!
cocktails with wil: chai manhattan
Happy holidays folks, I’m excited to be back with another cocktail to warm you up, or help you imagine it’s actually cold outside this season! As y’all probably know, Lauren Cushman is a chai tea fiend, so when I saw this recipe from Jules McIntosh (@join_jules) I knew we had to give it a shot.
The Manhattan is a classic cocktail that is a go-to for me when the days get shorter and temps drop. This recipe is a very simple variation on a classic:
- 2oz rye whiskey (Rittenhouse is our house rye and has a great price-point)
- 1oz sweet vermouth
- 1/2oz chai concentrate (Lauren’s favorite is Oregon Chai)
- 2-3 dashes of angostura aromatic bitters
- rosemary to smoke glass (optional)
- garnish: cherry and rosemary sprig
If you’d like to smoke your glass beforehand, torch the rosemary sprig and extinguish it by covering it with the glass. Put glass in freezer after smoking to chill it. I found this to be a cool step, but that it didn’t add much to the drink.
For the cocktail, add the rye, vermouth, chai concentrate and bitters to a mixing glass with ice. Stir until mixed and diluted. Strain into your smoked and chilled coup and garnish with a fresh rosemary sprig and cherry and enjoy (preferably with friends around a holiday table or a fire). Cheers!