Mama's Internet Cooking

My mommy is visiting me this week, and we have plans to make lots of food. We didn't feel like going to the grocery store on Sunday, so my mom poked around my fairly bare fridge and looked on the interwebs for some appropriate recipes. Dinner was simple, but quite delicious. The carrots were really good -- my mom was skeptical that they would be, but she was converted once we started eating.

Chicken recipe from Reluctant Gourmet:

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1-1/2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• 1-1/2 tablespoons of olive oil (or vegetable oil)
• Salt and ground pepper
• 3 shallots, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup of dry white wine
• 1 cup of homemade chicken stock
• 3/4 cup heavy cream

Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper on both sides.

Pre-heat your saute pan (frying pan) until drops of water quickly evaporate. This means the pan is at least 212° F.

Heat butter and oil in a heavy bottomed pan over high heat until butter stops foaming and just starts to turn a light brown.

Sauté the breasts until they are lightly browned on one side, approx. 3 minutes.

Turn breasts over and sauté for another 3 minutes, again until lightly browned. (At this point the meat should be firm to the touch.)

Transfer the chicken breasts to a plate, cover with aluminum foil, and keep warm in the oven or toaster oven set at low.

Remove the pan from the head source, and add half of the wine to deglaze the pan, stirring to dissolve the flavorful brown particles stuck to the pan.

Return pan to the stove and add the shallots and cook until translucent, about 2 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, making sure the garlic doesn’t burn. (It makes the dish bitter if it does)

Add the remaining wine and reduce (boil) until only a trace of wine is left in the pan.

Add the chicken stock and reduce to half the original amount, approx. 6-7 minutes.

Add the cream, and again reduce until the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon.

Spoon sauce over cutlets and serve.

Carrots from We Heart Food:

**Note: Oregano was used in lieu of marjoram

Sauteed Carrots with Lemon and Marjoram
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 bunch carrots, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch slices
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
2 tbsp lemon juice

In a medium nonstick frying pan, heat 1/2 the oil over moderately low heat. Add the garlic, carrots, sugar, 1/2 the salt, the pepper, and the dried marjoram. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Uncover the pan. Raise the heat to moderate and cook, stirring frequently, until the carrots are very tender and beginning to brown, about 8 minutes longer. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the remaining oil and the lemon juice.