Rachaelrayspretzelcrustedchickenfingersandzucchini Recipes

CHICKEN KIEV

Steps:

• In a large, deep skillet, heat 1 1/2 inches vegetable oil over medium high heat. The oil needs to be 360 degrees F for frying. If you do not have a frying thermometer, add a cube of white bread to hot oil. If the bread browns in a 40 count, the oil is ready.
• Cover work surface with waxed paper. Arrange breasts on paper. Butterfly small chicken breasts, cut into flesh and across, but not through the breast, and open them up. The 6-ounce thin cut breasts may just be removed from package and arranged on waxed paper. Cover breast meat with a second sheet of waxed paper. Pound out cutlets to 1/4-inch thick with a small heavy skillet or a rubber mallet. Be careful not to tear meat. Roll up waxed paper and breasts and set aside.
• Combine chopped herbs on cutting board with chopped garlic. Cut 4 (1 1/2 tablespoons) pieces of cold butter and coat each piece liberally with the herb garlic mixture.
• In 3 disposable pie tins, set out flour, eggs beaten with a splash of cold water and bread crumbs. Uncover chicken and squeeze a wedge of lemon over breasts. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place an herb-covered piece of butter on each piece of chicken. Wrap and roll cutlets tightly up and over the butter cubes. Discard pie tins used for breading. Secure stuffed chicken with toothpicks. Roll stuffed breasts in flour, then egg, then bread crumbs.
• Fry the Kiev bundles 7 to 8 minutes on each side until deep golden brown all over.

CHICKEN CUTLETS WITH HERBS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Tear bread into pieces and place on baking sheet. Toast bread until deep golden brown, 10 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and coarsely grind into bread crumbs.
• While bread toasts pound out chicken breasts to 1/4-inch thick. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Coat chicken with flour, reserve. Beat egg with splash of water in shallow dish.
• Transfer bread crumbs to a plate and season with herbs and poultry seasoning.
• Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Coat chicken in egg then bread crumbs and add to pan. Saute until golden and firm, 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

RACHAEL RAY'S PRETZEL-CRUSTED CHICKEN FINGERS AND ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
• Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute, then whisk in the chicken broth and milk.
• When the milk begins to bubble, stir in the cheese and mustard.
• Season the sauce with salt and pepper, remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
• Using a food processor, finely grind the pretzels.
• Transfer to a shallow bowl and add the thyme.
• In another shallow bowl, beat the eggs.
• Coat the zucchini with the pretzel crumbs, then the egg, then the pretzel crumbs again.
• Repeat with the chicken.
• In large skillet, heat 1/2 cup olive oil over medium heat.
• Cook the chicken in 2 batches, turning, until firm, about 3 minutes on each side.
• Drain on paper towels; keep warm on a baking sheet in the oven.
• Repeat with the zucchini, adding more oil if necessary.
• Serve the chicken fingers and zucchini sticks with the cheese sauce.

HAZELNUT CRUSTED CHICKEN WITH GORGONZOLA SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Mix flour, poultry seasoning and garlic powder in a dish. Beat egg whites in a shallow plate or bowl. Place hazelnuts on a piece of waxed paper or plastic wrap on a cutting board or work surface.
• Preheat a nonstick skillet with oven safe handle over medium high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Turn in flour to dust the breasts, then turn in egg whites, then press breasts into nuts on both sides. Wash hands. Add extra-virgin olive oil to the pan and add chicken. Brown the nuts and chicken 2 minutes on each side then transfer to the oven and finish cooking the chicken through, about 8 minutes.
• In a small pot, warm milk over medium heat. Add cheese and melt it into the milk. Stir in 2 tablespoons of chopped sage and simmer 5 minutes.
• To serve, place chicken on plates and pour a couple of spoons of the Gorgonzola sauce over the center of each piece. Garnish with chopped sage.

PRETZEL-CRUSTED CHICKEN FINGERS WITH CURRY KETCHUP

Steps:

• In a small bowl, whisk together the ketchup, curry powder and fennel pollen. Set aside to let the flavors relax as you prepare the chicken.
• Slice the chicken breasts at a slight angle, about 1/3-inch thick, making 4-inch-long chicken fingers. Place the flour, eggs and pretzel crumbs in three separate shallow bowls. Season the flour and egg each with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Working one at a time, dip the chicken fingers in the flour, then in the egg and, lastly, in the pretzel crumbs, pressing gently to adhere.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup of the oil to the pan. When hot, add half of the chicken fingers -- the chicken should begin to sizzle gently when it hits the pan. Cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Drain on a paper-towel-lined plate. Repeat with the remaining oil and chicken fingers, wiping out the pan between uses.
• Serve warm with the curry ketchup for dipping.

PRETZEL-CRUSTED CHICKEN STRIPS

Steps:

• Mix the brown mustard, mayonnaise and honey in a small bowl. Add 1 cup of the mixture to a shallow bowl. Reserve the rest for serving. Place the flour in another shallow bowl, then spread the pretzel crumbs on a plate.
• Season the chicken tenders with the salt. Coat each chicken tender in flour, then dunk in the honey-mustard mixture and coat in the pretzels; set aside on a large plate.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat until melted and hot. Add half of the chicken and cook until golden brown and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove to a rack placed over a sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining butter, oil and chicken.
• Serve alongside the reserved honey mustard.

PARMESAN-CRUSTED CHICKEN FINGERS

Steps:

• Place a rack in the top third of the oven. Heat oven to 425°F Set a wire rack on a baking sheet and coat rack lightly with cooking spray.
• In a shallow bowl, stir together breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, parsley (if using), and pepper. In another shallow bowl, whisk together mustard and egg whites until frothy and opaque. Dip each chicken tender in egg white mixture, then in breadcrumb mixture to coat all sides. Place on prepared rack.
• Spritz top of each tender lightly and evenly with cooking spray, then turn and repeat on the other side. Bake until crumb coating is golden brown and crisp and chicken is no longer pink at the center, 15-20 minutes. Serve immediately.

RACHAEL RAY'S CHICKEN CUTLET PARMIGIANO

Steps:

• Heat some olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook until onions are translucent, 2-3 minutes.
• To the skillet with the onions, add the grape tomatoes and wine. Cook, stirring occaisionally until the tomatoes start to burst and the wine has reduced by half. Set aside and keep warm.
• Cook angel hair according to package directions and drain.
• While the sauce is cooking, set up the breading stations. Place the flour in a shallow dish. Beat the eggs in a bowl with a splash of water. In a third shallow dish, combine the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Coat the cutlets in the flour, egg, and breadcrumbs in that order and then cook in a single layer for 3-4 minutes on each side until done and browned. Remove cooked cutlets to a paper-towel lined plate.
• Preheat the broiler. Arrange the cutlets on a cookie sheet. Top each cutlet with a little of the warm tomato topping and a little mozzarella cheese. Place the cookie sheet uner the broiler and broil until cheese melts.
• Serve over cooked angel hair pasta.

RACHAEL RAY'S PARMIGIANO-REGGIANO CRUSTED CHICKEN PICCATA

Steps:

• Place flour on a plate. Beat eggs in shallow bowl; place 1 cup cheese on another plate.
• Working with 1 cutlet at a time, coat the chicken with the flour, then egg, then cheese, pressing to adhere. Transfer to a plate.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt, then the pasta and cook until al dente, 3 minutes. Drain, reserving a ladleful of water.
• In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tbsp EVOO, over medium heat. Add chicken and cook, turning once, until golden, 10 minutes. Transfer to a platter and keep warm. Add 1 tbsp EVOO, to the skillet. Add sliced lemon, garlic and capers and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the wine and parsley and cook until reduced, 1 minute. Lower the heat and bring to a simmer.
• Stir the chicken broth into the sauce for 1 minute. Stir in the butter until melted, then stir in the lemon juice. Spoon a little sauce over the chicken. Add the spinach to the remaining sauce in the skillet and cook until wilted. Add the reserved pasta cooking water. Stir in pasta and toss to coat; season with salt and pepper. Add the remaining 1/4 cup cheese and toss. Serve the pasta with the chicken.