Vegetables | Simple By Cindy

This is about as easy as it gets! The chicken cutlets don’t take a lot of time to cook and the broccoli is ready in minutes! I love the way broccoli looks after it cooked. If it is sautéed correctly, this beautiful bright green vegetable looks scrumptious!

You have to be very careful with the timing!

Take it off the heat as soon as it turns that radiant color because it will continue to cook after you take it off the stove. Nothing is more unappetizing to me than dark green, sad looking broccoli, so be careful and follow the directions!

Ingredients for Broccoli
Rinse broccoli and dry it very well. Drying thoroughly helps to keep it crisp.
1 bunch broccoli, chopped
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
5 cloves garlic, chopped very small
1/2 onion, chopped
Juice of 1 small lemon
4 tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Todays Hint: Just to let those of you who do not like the stems of the broccoli, I have a suggestion. Peel the stems like you would peel a carrot. Taste!! It is amazing how different the stems taste when they are peeled! They are sweet and delicious! You might change your mind and use them from now on! Maybe even use them as a snack!

Add olive oil to pan. When heated, add onions, a little salt and pepper (save some for later).

Cook onions until they are translucent about 8 minutes.

Add lemon, red pepper flakes and garlic.

Cook garlic only one minute. It is important that you do not burn the garlic. Remember you have other ingredients to add and the garlic will continue to cook.

Now add the broccoli, and some more salt and pepper.

Mix ingredients well.

Cook until broccoli turns bright green about 10 minutes. Immediately take the pan off the heat. The broccoli will continue to cook after you take it off the heat. You want the broccoli to be crunchy, not soft and mushy. Taking it off the heat when it turns bright green will ensure that you have the perfect consistency and a beautiful side dish.

Ingredients for Chicken Cutlets
6 small boneless chicken thighs
2 cups flour
2 tbsp. garlic powder
2 tbsp. onion powder
2 tbsp. oregano
1 tbsp. basil
2 tbsp. Kosher salt
2 tbsp. pepper
3 cups bread crumbs
3 eggs
1/2-cup olive oil.
Set oven to 350.

Mix flour, garlic powder onion powder, oregano, basil salt and pepper together in a plastic bag. Shake well to mix.

Make sure chicken cutlets are dry. Drop them into bag and shake well.

Beat eggs into bowl.

Place bread crumbs onto a paper plate.

Drop each cutlet into egg bowl, then into breadcrumb mixture. Make sure cutlets are evenly coated with bread crumbs

Heat olive oil in pan medium heat until sizzling. Drop cutlets into pan.

Each cutlet should take about 5-7 minutes to brown. Set your timer.

Do not crowd cutlets in pan. Do it in batches if you need to.

When you get to the second batch watch carefully. The oil is very hot the second time around, and the cutlets may take only 3-4 minutes to brown. You need to watch them so they do not burn.

Take chicken cutlets out of pan and place them on paper plate or board covered with paper towels. Let them sit a while to absorb the oil.

Place in aluminum pan and put in oven for 20 minutes. Set your timer!!

It’s that simple!

I love lemons as you can see from my blog’s banner picture. They are my go to ingredient for almost everything I cook. I buy them regularly at the grocery store (lots of them!) and always have fresh lemons in my house. When people in the grocery store see me purchasing 15 lemons at a time, they think I’m going to make lemonade! I tell them that I use lemons in most of my recipes. Green tea with fresh squeezed lemon is my daily drink. As a child, I remember eating lemon halves, much to the disapproval of my mother (she used to roll her eyes)! Old habits die hard and I still love them to this day (although I no longer eat them whole)!

Todays Hint: Cut lemons lengthwise. This makes them much easier to squeeze. Add a little lemon to anything–pasta sauces, salad dressing, marinades and all vegetables that you are roasting or sautéing- almost any recipe. It really adds a tangy kick and extra freshness to the dish.

This recipe is as easy as it gets! Fast and on the table in minutes.

Preheat oven to 350.

Ingredients for the Salmon
(2)½ pound center cut pieces of a good organic salmon (keep in mind that you can use ANY type of fish, but the cooking times will change)
Juice of 1 lemon
Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Magic Seasoning Blend, Blackend Redfish Magic

Place salmon in baking dish or aluminum dish (to cut down dishes to wash)

Squeeze lemon juice on salmon

Sprinkle Salmon with seasoning blend. The more you sprinkle on, the spicier it will be. It is a mild spicing, so if your family does not like it too spicy, a little is fine.

raw salmon

Place pan in oven.

For medium rare bake 20 minutes.

For medium well, bake 25 minutes.

Set the timer for 20 minutes for medium rare pieces, then reset timer for 5 minutes for medium well pieces.

Ingredients for Corn
2 bags frozen corn
6 tbsp. butter or margarine
2 handfuls basil
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
Juice of ½ lemon (or more if you would like)
1/2 tbsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Melt butter in skillet.

Add lemon juice and red pepper flakes.

Add corn, basil, salt and pepper.

Mix ingredients well. Then stop mixing corn for about 2-3 minutes. You want corn to brown and caramelize.

Stir again and keep repeating until corn is nicely browned all over.

Another Hint: If you have a gas stove top, put aluminum foil around all the burners you are not using. This protects other burners from getting dirty and cleanup is so easy!!!

It’s that simple! Enjoy! (Thank you, Simone!)

Chicken Cutlets and Broccoli

Salmon and Corn