Ham and Cheddar Mac and Cheese

Serves 4

4 tablespoons butter, plus a bit for the pan
3 slices white bread, cubed
2 3/4 cups milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon course salt, plus a bit for the water
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
9 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
4 ounces Gruyère, grated
8 ounces cooked ham, cubed
1/2 pound elbow macaroni (or other short pasta)

Heat oven to 375° and put a pot of salted water on to boil. Combine the milk and the cream a medium saucepan and slowly warm it over medium heat, stirring frequently. Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium/high heat. When the butter starts to bubble add the flour. Be sure to stir it until it fully incorporates with the butter and cook for just a minute before slowly adding the milk. Add the milk a bit at a time, whisking briskly as you do. Continue to whisk or stir vigorously until it begins to thicken and bubble. It should be creamy and smooth.

If you haven't done it yet, put the macaroni in the water and boil it until it's done. While the pasta is boiling, start adding the grated cheese in small handfuls, stirring until it is completely melted between batches. Save out the last small handful of each type of cheese for topping. Once the cheese sauce is smooth you can start adding in the spices. This can get fairly spicy fairly quickly so start with the measurements given, or maybe even make them a bit scant if your palate is sensitive. Mix them in completely and let them rest for a moment before tasting the sauce and then adjusting the spices as you see fit. When the taste is satisfactory add in the cubed ham, and then the cooked and drained macaroni, and fold them into the sauce.

Melt a tablespoon of butter and coat the bread pieces in it. Then butter the sides and bottom of a 2-quart baking dish. Pour the cheese sauce mixture into the baking dish and top with the reserved cheese. Spread the buttered bread cubes out on the top and slide it into the oven. Bake for 30 minutes or so, until it is golden brown on top and bubbly all the way through.
Let it sit on a wire rack for 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe by: Kelly Sink - adapted from Martha Stewart's Macaroni and Cheese

Mushroom Lasagna

Makes 12 servings

9 uncooked lasagna noodles
1 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
2 cups chopped baby portobello mushrooms
1 large sweet onion, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
2 thin slices prosciutto
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
2/3 cup white wine or chicken broth
2 cans (14 1/2 oz each) diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup mozzarella cheese, divided
1 cup Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup milk

Cook noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, cook and stir the mushrooms and onion in oil until tender. Add the parsley, prosciutto, garlic and Italian seasoning; cook two minutes longer. Add wine; cook and stir until liquid is evaporated. Add tomatoes and heat through.

Spread 1 cup sauce in greased 13x9 baking dish. Layer with three noodles, 1 1/3 cups sauce, and a scant 1/4 cup of each cheese. Repeat twice. In a small bowl, combine the cream, milk and remaining cheeses; spoon over the top.

Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

Recipe by: Gary Bachara of Wilson, NC and printed in the April/May 2010 issue of Taste of Home magazine.

This will definitely be added to my regular recipes, but with a few modifications. First off, ditch the prosciutto. There's not enough in there to make it worth while, and it doesn't need the extra calories or salt. Then if you use the white wine instead of chicken broth you've got a vegetarian meal. What it does need is a bit more cheese. Next time I'll add ricotta, as well as a bit more parmesan and mozzarella. Any other variation suggestions?

The OMG Burger

Serves 6

1.6 pounds of lean beef (I use 5% fat)
1 egg
1/4 sweet onion - finely diced
4 cloves garlic - minced
6 crackers - ground
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste (I use 1/2 teaspoon each of alder smoked salt and freshly cracked pepper)

Use your hands to mix everything together, then let it sit for at least 30 minutes. Divide into six patties and bbq, top with a good cheddar cheese if you'd like.

Recipe by: Kelly Sink

I love cheeseburgers. In fact, I like to tell people I'm "cheeseburger fat" rather than "ice cream fat" because I will always choose a cheeseburger. To me cheeseburgers are like sex - it has to be really, really bad to walk away from once you've ordered it. And like sex, it's available at every turn. No matter where you go (at least here in the Northwest) there's always a cheeseburger available. They're so prevalent that they've factored into my evaluation of pubs. My formula is: [(quality of cheeseburger) X (quality of whiskey)\price] + overall ambiance = rate of my return.

So what do I look for? I expect a burger to be cooked all the way through without sacrificing juiciness, to be of quality beef while maintaining a decent price, and an artisan cheese will push it over the top. So as a cheeseburger expert, when I make a cheeseburger I want it to be the best cheeseburger I can make, and that's what this recipe is. It is, hands down, the best cheeseburger I've ever eaten.... and I've eaten some damn fine cheeseburgers.

Strawberry Shortcake with Crème Fraiche

Serves 4-6

Filling:
3 cups fresh fruit
1/4 cup (+/-) sugar, depending on the sweetness of the fruit and your tastes
2 tablespoons lemon juice
crème fraiche

Cut berries into smaller chunks (I usually slice them), put them in a bowl and cover with the sugar. Give them a quick mash with a fork, but not too much. You're looking to release the juice not turn it into jelly. Drizzle the lemon juice over the top and set them aside for at least one hour out at room temperature, four or more in the fridge.

Shortcakes:
2 cups all purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter
1/2 cup cold heavy whipping cream

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl, then drop the butter in in small chunks, no more than 1/2 an inch big. Use your hands to incorporate the butter into the flour mixture by rolling it around in your palms and squeezing it through your fingers. When the mixture is grainy and the butter is pea-sized make a well in the center of the mixture and add the cream. Mix with a fork until the cream is absorbed and the dough just starts to come together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and kneed several times. Pat the dough out to 1" thick and cut it to the size/shape you'd like. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and put your shortcakes on the pan. Refrigerate for 20 minutes while you preheat the oven to 350°. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown on top. Let cool completely before serving.

Recipe by: Piper Davis and Ellen Jackson, page 140 of The Grand Central Baking Book

Cherry Bomb Potatoes with Sausage

Serves 2+

2 fist-sized red potatoes
2 cloves garlic
1 sweet onion
1 cherry bomb pepper (or other red pepper)
2 tablespoons butter, separated
1/4 pound spicy Italian sausage
salt and pepper
sour cream

Put a mid-sized sauce pan of salted water on to boil. Cut your potatoes into 1/2 inch wedges. Slice the garlic into thin slices, the onion into 1/2 inch 1/2 rounds, seed and core the the pepper and slice it too. Put a 10" skillet on to medium heat and melt 1 tablespoon of butter in it. When the butter is melted and the water is boiling put the potatoes in the water and the garlic in the skillet. Return the potatoes to a boil and let them be until they're just starting to be tender, about 15 minutes. Let the garlic brown for just a minute before adding the onions, then saute for 10 minutes or so. When the onions are clear and limp add the sausage and let it brown.
When the potatoes are ready to come out of the water add the second tablespoon of butter to the onion pan. Drain the potatoes and add them to the skillet with the chopped pepper. Crisp up the edges of the potatoes and you're ready to serve. Spoon the mixture into a bowl and serve with a dollop of sour cream.

Recipe by: Kelly Sink

Bruschetta

Makes about 2 cups

1 medium tomato,
or 2 roma tomatoes,
or 5-6 plumb tomatoes
3 cloves garlic
10-12 large basil leaves
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons white balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Start by dicing your tomato and putting it in a bowl then sprinkling with a bit of salt and pepper. Let it sit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients, it will help to draw out the flavor of the tomatoes. Slice your garlic into thin slices and then mash with the knife blade, the chiffonade your basil leaves. Add garlic and basil to the tomatoes and drizzle the olive oil and vinegar over the top. Give it all a stir and let it sit for a few minutes. Adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve over toasted baguette slices.

For some easy alterations you can add some grated parmesan over the top, or a slice of fresh mozzarella underneath.

When the basil is fresh and the tomatoes come into season I like to whip up a batch of bruschetta for lunch and relax in the garden with a good book.

Recipe by: Kelly Sink

Carnitas Burrito at La Superior

Tonight I ventured outside my kitchen to a local Mexican eatery called La Superior. If you're in North Portland and you want good Mexican food then make your way down Lombard to this little hole in the wall.
When you open the door you immediately enveloped in the smells of slow-roasting meat and fresh salsa. The restaurant is tiny, and lacks outdoor seating, but what's there is comfortable and clean. I ordered a carnitas burrito (sans rice and cilantro, because one doesn't belong inside the burrito and the other is gross) and my friend Jeff ordered a trifecta of enchiladas in mole sauce, both with a frosty bottle of Mexican Coca-Cola.
The service was quick and the food was delicious. The pork of my burrito was perfectly seasoned and moist and tender, and the beans were scrumptious. On Jeff's plate was three enchiladas, one of chicken, one of beef and one of the same pork in my burrito and all three were covered in the richest, most full bodied, mole sauce I've ever tasted. And then there's the Mexican Coke. Since the mid 90's colas made in the US have used high fructose corn syrup instead of sugar as a sweetener, but in Mexico they still use real sugar and glass bottles, and that is a refreshing treat on a warm evening.

Baked Camembert Pasta

Serves 4-6

1 8oz box of camembert cheese
2 cloves garlic
1 sprig rosemary
olive oil
pepper

Preheat the oven to 350°. Unwrap the cheese and place it back in the wooden box. Score a circle in the top skin, scrape off and discard. Peel and finely slice the garlic and pick the leaves off of the rosemary stalk. Lay the garlic on top of the cheese, sprinkle with pepper and scatter the rosemary on top. Drizzle with olive oil and put it on a cookie sheet. Slide it into the hot oven for 25 minutes, until golden and melted.
Either toss directly on your pasta, or serve family-style on the side.

Recipe by: Jamie Oliver, page 44 of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

Habanero Gold - My favorite jelly

Makes 9 8oz jars

1 1/2 cup white vinegar
2/3 cup finely sliced dried apricots
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped habanero pepper
6 cups granulated sugar
2 pouches (3 oz each) liquid pectin

Measure the vinegar into an oversized measuring cup and add the apricots. Cover and let stand at room temperature for at least four hours, or overnight. When you're ready to begin, start by preparing your water bath canner and jars. Measure the sugar into a stock pot and put over a medium heat. Add everything except the pectin and stir to mix it all up.
When the sugar starts to melt a bit turn the heat up to high. Stir constantly until it comes to a full, roiling boil that cannot be stirred down.
Stir in the pectin and boil hard for one minute, stirring constantly. When the timer goes off remove it from the heat and quickly skim off the foam. Ladle the jelly into your prepared jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Put lids on and screw down the rings to fingertip-tight. Process in the canner for 10 minutes, then let them cool completely before serving.

Recipe: Page 131 of the Ball Compete Book of Home Preserving by Judi Kingry and Lauren Devine

My family always asks if I'm bringing "the jelly" whenever there's a function, a couple friends will do almost anything for the promise of a jar or two of their own, and I have learned that for personal use it's best to use a four ounce jar so as not to consume too much. It's that good.
You can serve it as is on nachos, or in a quesadilla, or as a topper to pretty much any meat. I frequently add it to a hot salami/pepperoni sandwich for a little extra kick. My favorite way to serve it is mixed with cream cheese as a delicious dip. One of my friends even has regular pb&js with this jelly.

Microwave Popcorn on the Cheap

1/4 cup unpopped popcorn
1 plain lunch sack

Put the popcorn in the bag and fold the top over a couple times. Put it in the microwave for three minutes or so, depending on the strength of your microwave. Top with your favorite topping and enjoy! According to Alton Brown on page 236 of I'm Just Here for the Food: Food + Heat = Cooking you can staple it twice - and ONLY twice - if you are worried, but I've never had a bag bust open and spill.

Somewhere in the deepest recess of my memory I have a picture of popping corn in the microwave as a child, so I guess I've always known it could be done this way. But since microwave popcorn took off like bottled water, and we had one of those old-school microwaves that you didn't want to look at lest you go blind.... or develop a super-power, I somehow forgot it. (Ok, I peeked a few times, but no superpower. Dammit.) Now I do it this way all the time, and it's awesome. All of the convenience of microwave popcorn at 1/10th the cost, with the added bonus of missing out on all the chemicals involved in conventional microwave popcorn. Win-win!

Dutch Pancake

Serves 2-6

Preheat the oven to 425°. Put the cold butter into the pan and put the pan into oven. You want the pan to be hot and the butter sizzling when you pour the batter in. Whir the eggs in the blender at high speed for one minute. With the motor running, gradually pour in the milk and salt then slowly add the flour. Blend for another 20 seconds or so. Quickly pour it into the hot pan and return to the oven for 20-25 minutes, until fluffy and golden brown.

Pan Size	Butter	Eggs	Milk & Flour	Salt
9" pie plate	3 Tbs	2	1/2 cup	pinch
12" pan	1/3 cup	4	1 cup	1/2 tsp
16" paella	1/2 cup	6	1 1/2 cup	3/4 tsp

This recipe has been a favorite in my family for as long as I can remember. In fact, I don't think my mother's paella pan has ever had a paella in it; it only gets used for Dutch Pancake. I want to say that she gleaned the recipe from Sunset magazine, but since she makes it from memory the original has been long lost in the Sink household. It is delicious plain, or served with maple syrup or a bit of lemon juice and powdered sugar. I like to add chopped pecans to mine just before it goes in the oven, as in the photo. If you really want to go for the whole "meal in one pan" thing, try adding chunks of cooked ham or bacon.

For as many years as Mom's been making this in her kitchen, and now me in mine, I've never once witnessed a guest who had ever seen the warm, puffy goodness before. Always they say they've never heard of such a thing as Dutch Pancake, always I smile and say to get ready for awesome, and always they are surprised and delighted by this tasty treat. I was beginning to wonder if I'd subconsciously made up the Sunset Magazine origin story because so many of our family faves came from those glossy pages. And then I was flipping through The Grand Central Baking Book and on page 39 is a surprisingly similar recipe, complete with reference to Sunset Magazine. Apparently the original recipe belongs to Viktor Manka, a Seattle restauranteur. The recipe printed by Piper Davis and Ellen Jackson is slightly different from Mom's, and I'm honestly not sure how either compares to Mr. Manka's, but I do know that I love Dutch Pancake, and I'm positive that you will too.

Chicken Stroganoff

Serves 2+

1 large chicken breast (1/2 pound or so), bite sized pieces
1/2 pound of mushrooms, sliced
2 or 3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter
1 turnip, sliced thin
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups wild rice or egg noodles, cooked
olive oil
salt and pepper

Heat a couple glugs of olive oil over medium/high heat then add the garlic. Let it brown for just a minute before you add the chicken. Brown the chicken pieces on all sides to seal in the juices. When the chicken is brown, add in the broth and the wine, turn the heat down to medium low and cover. Let it simmer while you're getting everything else ready.
Melt half of the butter in another pan and sauté half the mushrooms. Resist the temptation to dump them all into the pan at once, this crowds them and then many don't get the caramelized butter flavor that you're looking for. When they're golden and tasty transfer them to the pan of simmering chicken and repeat with the other half.
Once all your mushrooms are done and in the pan with the chicken add the soup and bring everything back up to temperature. Then add the rice or noodles and fold in the sour cream. Adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve with a nice crusty bread.

Recipe by: Kelly Sink

*When doubling this recipe do not double the soup. While one can does the job nicely for this oversized two serving recipe, it also is just fine for a larger version. Two would cause it to be too runny.

Easy Fluffy Rice

Makes about 4-6 cups, depending on rice used

4 cups vegetable broth (or water)
2 cups rice

Preheat your oven to 350°. While you wait, bring the broth to a boil on the stovetop. When it's boiling, drop in your rice. Bring it back up to a boil, put a tight lid on it (you can cover it with foil first if your lid doesn't seal well), and put it in the oven. Set the timer for 40 minutes. When it goes off you can check the rice and fluff it with a fork. If all the broth has absorbed into the rice then it's done.

Rough cooking times for rice:
White, all types - 45 minutes
Brown, all types - 55 minutes
Wild, all types - 65 minutes

For years I've made rice on the stovetop, the way my grandmother taught me. Over the years I've evolved her basic method to include some more complex flavors, and I've gotten pretty darn good at the timing-heat-quantity trifecta of good rice, but I've never made a perfect pan of rice. That is, until I met Seri's friend Francis who turned me on to the oven method. Putting rice into the oven changed my view of wetland grown grains. I've tried this out a few times, with a variety of rices, and it honestly never fails. You would have to entirely forget about it in order to really mess it up.

Leftovers:
I always make a lot of rice, because it's just as easy to fill the pan as not to, and rice keeps and reheats well. You can keep some in the fridge and use it in fried rice, or just heat and serve as it. Rice also freezes very well.

Rockets Red Flare

Dressing:
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons honey
juice of 1/2 an orange (roughly 2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon soy sauce

Shake it in a jar with a tight lid until it's all mixed. Use sparingly, it is a very strong dressing

Salad:
1 cup mixed baby greens
1 cup baby arugula (aka: rocket)
3 sliced strawberries
2 tablespoons chèvre

Wash the greens and mix them together. Slice the strawberries and scatter them about, top with crumbled up chèvre and drizzle on some dressing.

Recipe by: Kelly Sink

Homemade Mayonnaise

Makes about 1 cup

1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon water
pinch of salt
1 cup olive oil
lemon juice or vinegar

Mix the yolk and the water together in a mixing bowl. Slowly dribble the oil into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly. As the egg yolk absorbs the oil, the sauce will thicken, lighten in color, and become opaque. This will happen rather quickly. Then you add the oil a little faster, whisking all the while.
If the sauce is thicker than you like, thin it with a few drops of water. Finish with a bit of lemon juice or vinegar.

Recipe by Alice Waters, page 45 of The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters

So that was the plan for my delicious ham sandwich. Make my own mayonnaise and finish it with a bit of Coleman's mustard for some extra zip. However my experience was not nearly as simple as this recipe seems. I separated out my yolk and left it to come up to room temperature. I know that bringing it to room temp isn't listed in the instructions, but as a baker I have found that it is usually better that way. So I gave it a few minutes then got out my whisk and went to work. I dribbled in maybe 1/8th of the oil and started whisking. When it looked fully incorporated I added more of the oil and continued whisking. At this point I've been whisking for ten minutes or so and my horribly abused right hand is starting to complain, but my mixture isn't getting any thicker. I stop for a moment and laying in the bottom of the bowl is a runny, oily, yellow mess. So then I start to think that maybe I'm not whisking hard enough. Maybe my hands aren't up to the task. Well, when in doubt go with an electrical helper. Out comes the hand mixer with the whisk attachment.
Whirrrrrr........ runny mess. Whirrrrrr........ runny mess. Maybe I don't have enough of the oil in. Add another 1/4 cup and whirrr........ runny mess. Another 1/4 cup and whirrr............ runny mess. I've been at this for like half an hour and there's absolutely nothing that resembles "thickening" going on. Crap. Something tells me this should really look more like mayo by now.
I'm not sure what the problem was with my mayo, but at thirty minutes I gave up. Maybe it was the room temperature egg, maybe the egg wasn't fresh enough, maybe mayo is like meringue and sometimes it just fails. I have no clue, but I'll try it again another day.
So instead I got out a cup of Best Foods and mixed in a teaspoon of Coleman's mustard and spread it on my baguette. I added fresh lettuce, about 1/4 pound of Niman Ranch ham and topped it off with some delicious havarti with wild garlic. It was scrumptious!

Honey Pecan Stuffed Chicken

Serves 2

Breading:
14 smashed saltine crackers - about 1/2 cup
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons cold butter

Whip together:
1 egg
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 tablespoons chèvre
a bit of honey

Preheat the oven to 375° F. While waiting, put the breading ingredients into the food processor and whir until smooth. (Alternatively, you can smash the crackers, chop the pecans and cut in the butter, then mix everything into a bowl.) Then place your chicken breasts between a couple sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper and pound them until they're about 1/2 an inch thick.

Put the chicken smooth-side down on your cutting board and fill with 2 tablespoons of chèvre and then drizzle with honey. Roll it into a log and bind it with a bit of butcher's string. Roll it in the egg and honey mixture, then coat it with the breading and put it into your baking dish. Bake for one hour, or until the chicken temperature is 180°.

Recipe by: Kelly Sink

Old Crow Spicy BBQ Sauce

Makes about a quart

1/2 sweet onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup Old Crow
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 tablespoon salt
2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup (or slightly less) tomato paste
1/3 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons liquid smoke flavoring
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup blackstrap molasses
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, or to taste

In a large skillet over medium heat, combine the onion, garlic, and whiskey. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Mix in everything else. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.

Run sauce through a strainer if you prefer it smooth, but it's pretty tasty with the chunks in too. You can serve it immediately, but it's better if you let the flavors settle in together for a few hours.

If you quadruple the recipe, like I usually do, it makes a batch worth the trouble of canning. I split it into pint jars and give it 15 minutes at 15 pounds pressure.

Recipe by: Kelly Sink

Lemon Pesto Pasta

Serves 2

Sauce:

1 cup packed basil, stems and leaves

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup grated parmesan

1/8 cup pecans

6 cloves garlic

zest and juice of 1/2 lemon

salt and pepper

Pasta:

fresh lasagne, cut into strips

1 Roma tomato, diced

a bit of grated parmesan

Put a pot of salted water on to boil. While you're waiting, put all of the sauce ingredients in the food processor and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust as necessary. Sauce should be green and slightly runny, but not too thin. You want it to coat the noodles without being chunky.

When the water boils drop in your pasta strips and boil for three minutes. Drain and put into your serving dish. Cover with the sauce and toss until the noodles are coated. Top with tomato and parmesan and serve. It goes very well with the Parmesan Crusted Chicken.

Recipe by: Kelly Sink

Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breast

This can be easily scaled for however many breasts you want to cook.

6 plain crackers
2 garlic cloves
4 fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons grated parmesan
2 teaspoons cold butter
1 teaspoon lemon zest
salt and pepper

1 chicken breast
flour
1 egg, beaten
olive oil

Lay chicken breast flat on your cutting board and cover with plastic. Pound it with a heavy pan or mallet until it is about 1/2 an inch thick. You can either leave it whole or cut it into small pieces. (For the one in the photo I cut it into 3" x 2" strips.)
Put the crackers, garlic, basil, parmesan, butter, lemon zest and a bit of salt and pepper into the food processor. Pulse until everything is mashed up and mixed well. Move to a small dish.
Put your pan on medium/high heat with a couple glugs of olive oil. While it is heating dredge your chicken through the flour, then the egg and finally cover in the flavored crumbs. When the pan is hot put the chicken in and cook for three minutes or so on each side, until golden brown and done.

I've served it over Jamie Oliver's Cherry Tomato Pasta. It would go well with most pastas or in a salad. Enjoy!

Recipe by: Kelly Sink

Cherry Tomato Sauce with Fresh Pasta

Serves 4-6

1 1/2 pints ripe grape or cherry tomatoes
4 cloves garlic
a small bunch of fresh basil
1 pound fresh lasagne, defrosted if frozen
sea salt and fresh black pepper


olive oil
2 pats of butter (roughly 1 tablespoon)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
4 oz Parmesan cheese

Cut the tomatoes into halves
Peel and chop the garlic
Pick the basil off the stalks and cut into a chiffonade
Finely chop the basil stalks
Cut the lasagne into strips, making long flat noodles
Grate the Parmesan

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Heat a large frying pan to medium heat then add a couple lugs of olive oil, the garlic and the butter. When the garlic starts to brown, add the tomatoes. Give everything a good stir and then add the basil stalks and half the leaves. Add the vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Drop the pasta into the water and boil for three minutes. When the pasta is done use tongs to move it to the frying pan, then add a splash of the cooking water and half the Parmesan. Give it a good stir. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as necessary. Serve with the remaining cheese and enjoy!


*Page 55 of Jamie's Food Revolution by Jamie Oliver