It has been a while since I have been in my own kitchen cooking up three meals a day, but now that I have been back in Miami for a few weeks, cooking large meals is kind of like riding a bike. Most nights in NYC, it was dinner for one. Last week, we had a couple of friends over for dinner and I decided to give my grandmas favorite Chicken Marbella from the Silver Palate cookbook a try. The salty-sweet chicken dish was a huge success, but the salad creation was one Cory was talking about all week.
So, what was the star attraction in this salad? It was a battle between the orange-honey vinaigrette and the roasted beets. Beets are not something I have ever cooked. They have so many positive effects on the body, but the blood red color was always intimidating. That was until I saw Bobby Flays recipe for roasted beats. It was a rainy day so I decided to take my time and enjoy some comforting flavors of spring. I quick pickled some fennel and roasted the beets to all their sweet, earthy and tender glory.
A few days later Cory was still talking about that salad and I got to thinking..how can I re-purpose my Orange-Fennel-Beat detox salad into something warm and filling. That is when I thought of doing a Milanese style dish with a side of roasted fingerlings. The baked chicken was the perfect juicy accompaniment to the robust flavors of the salad. It may look complicated, but I can assure you this entire meal came together in less than 45 minutes, but you do have to plan ahead for the beets and fennel. Once you make those you can keep them in your refrigerator for later use and toss them in anything you want to burst with flavor.
Beets: Set oven t0 400 degrees. Cut stems and bottom off beet. Wash and place on a sheet of foil, cover in tin foil, roast for 1 hour or until pierced easily to core with a fork. Remove and let cool. Skin should peel right off. Slice then and set aside. (Really…that is it)
Fennel: Bring 1 C water, 1/2 C sugar (I used coconut), 1/2 C apple cider vinegar to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer. Slice fennel and add orange peel and 1 tsp fennel seed to pickling jar or tupperware. Cover the fennel with liquid so that is is completely submerged. Let sit at least 2-3 hours or days. Like I said I did this on a rainy afternoon with nothing better to do…literally.
Orange Salad Dressing:Take the juice of one orange and mix it with 1 Tbs local honey, 1 Tbs oregano pressed through your hands, 3-4 cloves of garlic, 1 Tsp dijon mustard, 1/4 cup or a little more red wine vinegar and 1/2 cup olive oil. Make ahead and set aside. There will be plenty left over. Just store in a jar in your refrigerator.
Chicken
Ingredients:
1 Chicken Breast per person
1-2 Eggs and a little water or milk
1 C Whole Wheat Breadcrumbs (You can add a little parmesan cheese to crumbs if you would like)
1-2 Tbs Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Set Oven to 400 degrees. While oven preheats butterfly one large chicken breast per person and lay flat in plastic bag. Pound chicken with mallet until it is about 1/2 inch in thickness (Make sure it is even). Dunk in egg wash. From egg wash cover chicken in whole wheat panko breadcrumbs and place on a greased baking sheet. Salt and Pepper to taste. Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes turning half way through. You can also sautte stovetop, but baking saves on fat and calories. ***You can also add some parmesan cheese here, but we are trying to save calories!
Build Your Salad:
Ingredients:
1-2 cups greens per person
1 sliced roasted beet
1 sliced shallot
1/2-1/2 C goat cheese
1 bulb pickled fennel
Directions:
Take 1-2 cups of a hearty green like baby kale and chop in in large pieces, cover in dressing. I like to only cover the greens in dressing so the remaining ingredients are more pronounced. If kale is tough massage it with your hands for a minute. This will loosen the fibers and make it tender. Add sliced beets, 1 sliced shallot, fennel and crumbled goat cheese.
Roasted Beet Milanese:
Place one chicken breast on plate and top with salad. Add a drizzle of additional dressing and serve with a starch. I chose roasted fingerlings, but sweet potato would be great here.
Love and Beets,
Taylor