Almond Crusted Chicken and Nectarine Salad with Buttermilk-Chive Dressing and Friends

I was overjoyed to catch up on the phone with a very dear friend the other day. She is one of those friends that months can go by without speaking but we are able to pick up the thread of our friendship in a heartbeat. Do you know what I mean? She asked me when I was going to start posting recipes again and I promised I would .... so this one's for you Maureen, my dear friend.

Almond Crusted Chicken and Nectarine Salad with Buttermilk-Chive Dressing: (serves 4)

Dressing:

1/4 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon sour cream
1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh chopped chives
salt and pepper to taste

In a medium bowl combine the buttermilk, sour cream, vinegar and honey. Slowly whisk in the oil to blend. Whisk in the chives, season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.

The Chicken:

2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups almonds (raw, unsalted)
1/2 cup flour
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 pound)
salt and pepper
vegetable or canola oil for shallow frying

Set up your breading station. In a shallow bowl (such as a pie plate) beat the eggs.
In your food processor, grind the almonds, add the flour and pulse a few times.
Place the nut/flour mixture in another shallow bowl.

Slice the chicken breasts into strips about 1 1/2 inches wide and pound slightly. Season with salt and pepper, dredge in egg, then the nut/flour mixture. Place on wire rack set over rimmed cookie sheet and allow to "dry". Repeat with remaining chicken pieces. Throw away any nut/flour mixture and egg that may be left.

Heat oil in frying pan (about 1/2 an inch of oil) Working in batches, fry the chicken strips until golden (about 4 minutes per side). Remove to brown paper bags to drain, then place on a rack set over a cookie sheet* and place in a warm oven (about 275). Repeat until all chicken is fried.

Salad:

6 cups tender mixed lettuces (your choice, I used Romaine, Butter and Red Sails)
2 medium nectarines, pitted and sliced about 1/4 inch thick.

Arrange the salad on plates, top with chicken strips and drizzle with dressing.

*placing the cooked chicken on a rack will ensure that the chicken stays crisp, not soggy while keeping warm in the oven.

The chicken is also delicious served cold.

Make this for a friend, to thank them for.. well, being your friend!

As always, Bon Appetite.

Crazy Busy and Mom's Coffee Cake

Full disclosure. 

I have been running around like a maniac trying to get this family of five plus one large puppy ready for a road trip. 

Laundry

Cleaning

Packing

Blogging (okay, I like doing that)

Baking 

Gifting 

Gardening

Meeting with House Sitter - yes! My house, not my children, needs a sitter. When did my house get so complicated? 

Yesterday I made a few batches of fresh mozzarella cheese for gifting along the way:

It turned out beautifully and I packed the little bits of cheese in garden fresh herbs, sun dried tomatoes and extra virgin olive oil. 

I'm also gifting some homemade strawberry jam: 

Yesterday, I made two blueberry pies that are making the journey and today I decided to make my Mom's coffee cake. I do hate to show up anywhere empty handed. 

I updated mom's recipe by adding blueberries and almond slices to it. Yum. 

You think so? 

Even the best of cooks make mistakes. 

My mistake? 

I made it in one pan instead of two. In my frazzled mind I thought the square disposable pan was much larger than the two round cake pans I would normally use. 

The whole thing baked over, onto the bottom of my oven, because, DUH.. it had twice as much batter in the pan as it could hold and still rise. The smoke alarms alerted me to my mistake. This is what it looks like:

This is what its supposed to look like:


I'm going to give you the recipe because it's easy and delicious - just promise me you will use the two cake pans required. 

Mom's Coffee Cake (2 cakes)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

3 cups flour

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup Crisco

2 eggs beaten

1 cup buttermilk or 1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon vinegar added

1 teaspoon baking soda

Optional: 1 cup blueberries, 1/2 cup slivered almonds

OR 1 cup chocolate chips

Mix flour, sugar and crisco together until coarse crumbs form. Reserve a giant handful of crumbs. 

Add baking soda to sour milk, add mild to beaten eggs, add everything together in mixer with the crumbs (NOT THE RESERVED CRUMBS). Mix until smooth. 

Pour into buttered, floured pans (TWO OF THEM).

If you are using blueberries or chocolate chips, sprinkle them on now. 

Top with reserved crumb mixture. Sprinkle with cinnamon and dot with butter.

Bake for 30 - 35 minutes. 

Eat one, take one along on a road trip and settle down will ya?