Uncategorized 
Comments Off on The Little Legacies The Little Legacies
My sister’s former in-laws lived in the same town I did when I was growing up; I haven’t seen them for years, but I have them to thank for the Chicken Kiev recipe we enjoyed tonight. (As well as a carrot recipe so good I called her former mother-in-law for it–a year after the divorce. Getting that recipe was TOTALLY worth the five minutes of considerable awkwardness.) It’s one of the few recipes I brought to our marriage that my hubby really enjoys (he’s more of a steak and dessert kind of guy), and while it’s not exactly health food, it’s delicious. (Two words: Butter Sauce.) I haven’t the faintest idea what it has to do with Kiev, but here it is. Try it.
You’ll love it.
Chicken Kiev
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (NOT the Dolly Parton size)
2/3 C butter
1/2 C fine dry bread crumbs (I buy the Italian seasoned for this)
2 T Parmesan cheese (you want the canned kind–it’s easier to work with here)
1 t basil
1 t oregano
1/2 t granulated garlic
1/2 t salt
3/4 C apple juice
1/4 C chopped green onion (it needn’t be finely chopped)
1/4 C chopped parsley
Lightly spray the bottom of an 8 by 12 pan…or whatever the size just smaller than a 9 by 13 is. Melt the butter. Mix crumbs and seasonings in a shallow container. Dip the chicken pieces in the butter (reserving what remains), roll them in the crumbs, and lay them in your pan. Bake at 375 for 35 minutes or so, until golden brown and chicken is tender. Combine remaining butter with juice, green onions, and parsley (I throw in any leftover crumbs as well). Pour over the chicken and return to the oven until the sauce bubbles (you’ve got to cook the traces of raw chicken in it). Serve with rice; peas make an excellent side.
This is good stuff, folks. The crumb mixture smells amazing (it tastes pretty darn good, too). I was wondering aloud to my oldest why we hadn’t had it in so long when I remembered–oh, yeah. Cooking chicken made me ill during my last pregnancy.
Dark times, I tell you. That’s all in the past, though, and it was lovely to have this again.
If I had to, I’d call my sister’s former mother-in-law for this one, too.