Oven-Fried Panko Chicken

Yesterday was hectic.  We were out of town, so we are behind in a lot of tasks.  Trying to catch up, we had a ton of chores and errands to complete before the Steelers game at 8:15.  I did not have the time or energy for an elaborate meal, but after such a busy and cold day, a good meal was in order.  We decided on one of our fall-back favorites, Oven-Fried Panko Chicken.  It's super-easy, juicy, and tasty:  chicken (I used boneless breasts) dipped in butter and coated in panko with salt, pepper, and cayenne and baked at 450 degrees for 30-40 minutes.  I chopped a few potatoes (left the peels on) and coated them with olive oil, salt, pepper, and rosemary and put that in the oven along with the chicken.  The potatoes came out crispy on the outside, tender on the inside.  The rosemary wasn't a great complement to the panko/cayenne chicken, but it was okay.  I also steamed a big bunch of fresh broccoli to offset some of that butter in the chicken.

I served a 2007 Cambria Katherine's Vineyard Chardonnay with dinner.  The prep was maybe fifteen minutes, and I was able to run to Wal-Mart while dinner was in the oven.  It was a satisfying meal leading to a satisfying Steelers win!

Grilled Lemongrass Chicken with Red Quinoa and Vegetables

I was looking for a recipe for the red quinoa I found in the health food aisle of my local grocery store. I had cooked quinoa before - I have a great, spicy vegetarian quinoa stuffed pepper recipe that I got from my sister - but not red quinoa. As is my habit, my first stop was Epicurious. I find myself at that site so often primarily because I can usually find a recipe that strikes my fancy using the ingredients I have on hand. Everyday cooking is so much more fun (and bearable) for me when I'm trying something new.

This recipe is easy to put together--a simple marinade, cooking the quinoa (like rice), and sautéing some snap peas and red bell peppers in the same pan as the chicken. I'm one of those people that like to eat my food separately--meat first, then veg, then starch--but not with this dish. The quinoa is rather bland on its own, but with the lemony chicken and vegetables it sings. This is a simple, two-pot meal that has great flavor.  The mix of textures adds another layer of interest to the dish and lifts it above the pedestrian. I served it with a Robert Mondavi Chardonnay (one of my Grandfather's favorites). The pairing was nice, but I think next time I'll try an unoaked Chardonnay. The Mondavi is a nice wine that I think I would have appreciated more on its own, both for its drinkability and for the warm memories it always brings to mind.