Cooking Night 9: Mediterranean Dining

Location: Carlsbad

Recipe: Chicken in lemon & garlic

Ingredients: 

4 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts

5 tbsp Spanish olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

6 garlic cloves, finely chopped

grated rind of 1 lemon and juice of both lemons

4 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus extra to garnish

salt and pepper

lemon wedges

Directions:

Using a sharp knife, slice the chicken breasts widthwise into very things slices. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottom skillet add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, or until softened, but not browned. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds. 

Add the sliced chicken to the skillet and cook gently for 5-10 minutes, stirring from time to time, until all the ingredients are lightly browned and the chicken is tender.

Add the grated lemon rind and the lemon juice and let it bubble. At the same time, deglaze the skillet by scraping and stirring all the bits on the bottom of the skillet into the juices with a wooden spoon. Remove the skillet from the heat, stir in the parsley, and season with salt and pepper. 

Transfer the chicken in the lemon and garlic, piping hot, to a warmed serving dish. Sprinkle with the pared lemon rind, garnish with the parsley, and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over the chicken.

Recipe: Lemon-Crab Spaghetti

Ingredients: 

1 pound pasta

2 tbsp of olive oil

1 pound cooked crab

1/4 white wine

1/2 lemon juice

1/4 Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add a pound of pasta.

Heat a couple of tbsp. of olive oil in a big skillet, stir in 1 pound cooked crab, and warm it through. 

Pour in 1/4 cup white wine.

Bring the liquid just to a boil, turn the heat way down, and stir in 1/2 cup lemon juice and a good amount of salt and pepper.

As soon as the pasta is al dente, drain, reserving about 1/2 cup pasta water. Pour pasta into skillet and toss in about 1/4 cup grated Parmesan and big handful of chopped parsley. 

If the the pasta needs more liquid, add some of the reserved pasta water. Serve with more Parmesan. 

The experience: This is the one time I forgot to take pictures of the final meal! It was a Mediterranean cooking night. I made a poultry dish and a sea food which was kind of an awkward paring but equally delicious. The chicken was so easy to make but took a little bit to make. I love lemon so the pasta was divine with the crab. I would make the dishes again just not together.