Sicilian Chicken With Lemon Mint And Almonds Recipes

ALMOND-APRICOT CHICKEN WITH MINT PESTO

Steps:

• To Prepare The Chicken
• 1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cut a slit in one side of each chicken breast to create a pocket about 4 inches long.
• 2. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup of the almonds with the goat cheese and apricots. Stuff each breast with one quarter of the mixture. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• 3. On a plate, combine the breadcrumbs and the remaining 1/4 cup almonds. Dip each breast into the beaten egg, then dredge in the breadcrumb mixture.
• 4. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook the chicken until golden, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Transfer to the oven; bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Serve hot with the mint pesto on the side.
• To Prepare The Mint Pesto
• 1. In a food processor, combine the mint and almonds; process until finely chopped.
• 2. With the motor running, gradually pour the olive oil through the feed tube. Season with salt. Keep at room temperature until ready to serve. Store leftover pesto in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks; let it come to room temperature before serving.

SICILIAN CHICKEN WITH LEMON, MINT AND ALMONDS

Steps:

• Combine the chicken, garlic, 2/3 cup of the mint, the lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste in a plastic container. Cover tightly. Refrigerate overnight, or up to 2 days. Remove chicken from marinade and wipe dry. Reserve the marinade.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet. Add the chicken legs, thighs and wings; saute 20 to 25 minutes, turning several times. Add the breast pieces and saute for 10 to 15 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove the chicken and keep warm.
• Discard the fat in the pan, then add the wine and cook over high heat until reduced by half, stirring to incorporate the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken broth and reserved marinade and cook over high heat until reduced to 1/2 cup. Taste for seasoning, then pour the sauce over chicken. Garnish with almonds and the remaining mint.

LEMON ALMOND CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a shallow bowl, combine flour, salt and pepper; set aside 1/4 cup for sauce. Dredge chicken in remaining flour mixture, then dip in eggs. , Heat oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels. Place in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. , For sauce, melt remaining butter in a small saucepan. Add onions and garlic; cook for 1 minute. Stir in reserved flour mixture; cook and stir for 1 minute. Gradually add the broth, ginger ale and lemon juice; cook for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened and bubbly. Pour over chicken. , Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 20-30 minutes. Top with almonds, parsley and lemon. Serve immediately.

SICILIAN LEMON CHICKEN WITH RAISIN-TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Soak the raisins in warm water until they plump, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion, garlic, pine nuts, and olives. Season with bay leaves, oregano, and cayenne. Cook until the onions have softened and begun to turn golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper; cook for 5 more minutes. Add the raisins, balsamic vinegar, and sugar; cook, stirring occasionally until thickened, about 5 more minutes. Remove the bay leaves, and stir in the julienned basil. Cover and keep warm.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
• While the pasta is cooking, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. While the skillet is heating, toss the chicken with the lemon juice to coat (the lemon zest will be used later). Cook the chicken on both sides until golden brown and the juices run clear, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a warm plate, and allow to rest for about five minutes.
• To serve, slice each chicken breast against the grain into thin slices. Divide the pasta into four wide, shallow bowls. Fan the chicken slices out over top of the pasta, and spoon the tomato sauce over them. Sprinkle with lemon zest, Parmesan cheese, and a sprig of basil to garnish.

CHICKEN WITH LEMON, CUMIN, AND MINT

Steps:

• 1. Stir together the zest, lemon juice, lemon oil, 1 tablespoon of the mint, half the garlic, the paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper with a fork, in a large bowl. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, turning occasionally.
• 2. Preheat the broiler. Place the chicken on the broiler pan and broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat, turning once, for about 5 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and just cooked through.
• 3. Transfer the chicken to a platter, garnish with the lemon wedges, sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon mint and garlic, and serve.
• To make 1 cup lemon oil, put a cup of extra virgin olive oil, olive oil, grapeseed oil, or vegetable oil in a jar with 3 tablespoons of finely grated lemon zest. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 3 weeks, shaking occasionally. Pour through a strainer and transfer to a jar. Discard the zest and refrigerate the oil.

ITALIAN CHICKEN WITH GARLIC AND LEMON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Arrange the chicken pieces in a 10x15-inch enameled roasting pan. In a large skillet over medium high heat, fry the potatoes in 1/2-inch-deep oil until golden brown, then put them in the pan with the chicken.
• Combine the vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, parsley, onion, salt and pepper with the 1/2 cup reserved frying oil and pour this mixture over the chicken and potatoes.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 1 1/4 hours, basting the chicken and potatoes with the sauce mixture. Let rest for 5 minutes and serve hot.

SICILIAN SKILLET CHICKEN

Steps:

• Flatten chicken slightly.
• Coat with 4 tbsp cheese and then flour, with salt and pepper to taste.
• In skillet, cook chicken in oil over medium-high heat until done.
• Remove to serving dish; keep warm.
• In same skillet, cook mushrooms, onion and rosemary until soft.
• Add tomatoes; cook, uncovered over medium-high heat until thickened.
• Spoon sauce over chicken, then top with remaining cheese.
• Serve over pasta.