Garlic

Sautéed Snow Peas with Garlic

~ The Blind Guy Cooks ~ Leave a comment

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Most Sundays, I hit up the Hiawatha Farmers’ Market in the 10th Avenue parking lot of Guthridge Park. It is my favorite farmers’ market in the Cedar Rapids area not only because it is conveniently close to home but also because it is just the right size. You can really get to know the vendors.

Last Sunday I picked up some snow peas from the friendly folks at Wittenburg’s Farm located just up the road in Springville, Iowa. I thought these would be a great side with the tomato and basil salad and mini-Hasselback potatoes made with other produce purchased from them.

This side comes together and is ideal to make the last minute before sitting down to eat. If you are serving a steak entree as I did, it can be made while the meat is resting.

Here is what I did:

Sautéed Snow Peas with Garlic

Ingredients

2 Cups fresh snow peas, washed, trimmed, and dried
2 Cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Fleur de sel or other finishing salt

Directions

Heat skillet or preferably wok over medium-high heat. Add oil and heat until shimmering. Add garlic and sauté until just beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Add snow peas and sauté constantly stirring until bright green yet still crisp, about 5 minutes. You do not want to over cook the snow peas as they will turn dull and become limp.

Remove from heat, move to serving bowl, and sprinkle with fleur de sel. Serve immediately.

Chicken Paillards with Asparagus and Lemon, Garlic, and Dill Sauce

~ The Blind Guy Cooks ~ Leave a comment

I stopped at a farmer’s market for the first time today and picked up some fresh asparagus, one of my favorite spring treats. When I got home I made this quick, easy dish. The chicken has a very light breading and the garlic, lemon, and dill complement the asparagus very well. Here is what I did:

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
3 oz. (2/3 cup) all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup chicken broth
6 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 lemon, zested and squeezed to yield 1 tablespoon zest and 3 tablespoons juice
1 lb. asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 Tbs. chopped fresh dill
2 Tbs. unsalted butter

Directions

Pound each chicken breast between 2 sheets of plastic wrap to an even thickness; ¼ to ½ inch.

Combine the flour with approximately 2 teaspoons of kosher salt and 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper.

Heat oil in a 12 inch skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge the paillards in the flour. Shake off excess flour and place in the skillet. Do not crowd the skillet. Cook two at a time if paillards are too large. Cook about four to six minutes total flipping once half way through. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.

Add the garlic to the skillet and cook over medium-high heat for about a minute or until right before garlic begins to turn color. Add the chicken broth and lemon zest, scraping up any browned bits from the skillet. Next, add the asparagus and nestle the chicken on top of the asparagus. Add any accumulated juice from chicken. Bring to a boil then turn the heat down to maintain a simmer and cook until the chicken is cooked through and the asparagus is tender, five to seven minutes. Transfer the chicken to a platter or plates.

Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the lemon juice, dill, and butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon the asparagus mixture over the chicken and serve.