Lemony Chicken Saltimbocca

I wanted to use the prosciutto I still had leftover in the fridge from a previous recipe, so I found this recipe for Chicken Saltimbocca in my cookbook collection.  Apparently, saltimbocca means "jump in the mouth."  I don't think it jumped, but it was pretty good. :)

Lemony Chicken Saltimbocca  (2013 Cookbook Challenge)
from Cooking Light: The New Way to Cook Light
Serves 4;  202 calories/serving

Ingredients:
4 (4-oz) chicken cutlets (or 8 smaller tenders)
1/8 teaspoon salt
8 fresh sage leaves
2 ounces very thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into 8 strips
1 tablespoon olive oil plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
1/3 cup fat-free chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

Directions:
Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt.  Place sage leaves on each cutlet.  Wrap prosciutto slices around each cutlet, securing sage leaves in place.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan and swirl to coat.  Add chicken.  Cook 2 minutes on each side or until done.  Remove chicken from pan.  Whisk together broth, juice, and cornstarch in a small bowl until smooth.  Add cornstarch mixture and remaining 1 teaspoon oil to pan; bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Cook a minute until slightly thickened.  Spoon sauce over chicken to serve.

Beet and Beet Green Gratin

Here's another recipe using veggies I picked up at the Farmer's Market.  I got it in my head that I wanted to make a beet recipe, and I saw this one in the online version of New York Times and thought the picture looked pretty, so I gave it a try.  My creation didn't look like theirs (see link), but it still tasted pretty good.  I used both red and golden beets.

Beet and Beet Green Gratin
Serves 6
167 calories/serving

Ingredients:
2 bunches (6-8) beets (~2 lbs), preferably one red and one golden, with greens
salt to taste
3 eggs
3/4 cup low-fat milk
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup chopped chives
2 ounced Gruyere cheese, grated (1/2 cup)
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
Slice off the beet greens about an inch from the beet, scrub beets cleans, wrap each beet loosely in foil, transfer to a baking sheet, and roast in the oven at 400º for about 50-60 minutes until easily pierced with fork.  Remove and let beets cool enough to handle.  Hold one beet with a paper towel and use the edge of the paper to rub the skin away. Repeat with remaining beets.  Slice thin.

Remove stems and wash the beet greens.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Meanwhile, fill another bowl with ice water.  When the pot of water comes to a boil, blanch the greens in the boiling water for about one minute.  Transfer to the ice water, then drain and squeeze out the water.  Chop coarsely.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a medium skillet and add the garlic.  Cook for about 30 seconds, stirring until fragrant.  Stir in the greens.  Season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat.

Preheat the oven to 375º.  Beat together the eggs, salt, pepper, milk, chives, and cheese.  Gently stir in the beets and greens.  Scrape into a 2-quart casserole dish.  Bake 35-40 minutes until set and lightly browned on top.  Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.  Serve hot, warm, or room temperature.  Leftovers keep for 4-5 days.

Curried Carrot Soup

I bought some carrots at the Farmer's Market.  The lady there was kind of funny.  She shoved a piece of carrot at me and enthusiastically proclaimed, "Try it!  Isn't it good?! Very sweet.  We have the best carrots!"  I was thinking to myself that it tasted like any other carrot, but I didn't want to hurt her feelings, so I just smiled and nodded and bought a bunch.  I decided to make a soup that was in my Conscious Cleanse book even though I'm not really doing the cleanse anymore.  I had heard good things about the soup so I gave it a try.  It was okay...something different.  I liked the curry seasoning with the carrots. 

Curried Carrot Soup

Yield: 4 bowls

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons curry powder
5 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
2 medium celery ribs, chopped
1/2 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
2-3 cups chicken broth
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
nutmeg

Directions:
In a stock pot over medium heat, cook oil and curry powder, stirring, for 2 minutes.  Stir in carrots, celery, and onion; toss to coat and cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes.  Stir in broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.  Skim grease from top if necessary.  

In a blender, working in batches of no more than 2 cups, purée soup.  Return to pot and heat through.  Season with lemon juice, salt, and pepper.  Add nutmeg if desired.  Serve.   Refrigerate leftover soup in a glass container for up to 3 days.