A Lesson in Julienne

Citrus Chicken and Vegetables was the first new recipe I decided to try. It came from The Pillsbury Cookbook, which belongs to my mother and has been in my family since the 1980s--although I think I'm the first one in our family to use it for something other than baking.

The recipe calls for fresh green beans--or haricot vert--julienne-cut carrots, zucchini, flour ,sesame seeds, salt, pepper, chicken breast, butter, orange juice, lemon juice, rosemary and fresh parsley. The julienne-cut carrots gave me a little moment of panic, as I had no idea what that meant. Thanks to today's technology, I simply looked up how to julienne carrots on YouTube--see below.

Once I had a general idea of what I was doing, I went to the grocery store and got my ingredients. I'm going to do a little plug here for my local grocery store Weis Markets. Living in a rural town, I don't have access to a Whole Foods or a lot of exotic produce, but Weis tends to carry fresh fruits and vegetables of good quality, fresh fish and meats and a good selection of other products. I love the staff who work there and make my shopping experience enjoyable. I also love my guys in the meat department who not only get me what I need, but help me learn what cuts will be good for what I'm attempting to make. Okay, enough about my great grocery store...

I am not a fan of how recipes are laid out in cookbooks because a lot of times it's misleading as to what you should do first. So, I take the advice of many chefs on television and get everything prepared ahead of time. I started with the julienne-cut carrots and then the haricot vert, and then the zucchini. One they were all cut, I then cleaned and cut the chicken--I cannot stand fat or those thin veins that run through chicken breast, so I typically "clean" them up when I get them. I'd also like to make a note that I chose to use chicken tenderloins instead of a full breast. Knowing I had to cut them into bite-sized pieces, it was much easier using the tenderloins and they cooked much quicker.

Once all of my ingredients were prepared, I began the process of cooking. I started a cup of white rice in medium size saucepan. In another saucepan, I boiled my carrots and haricot vert and added the zucchini after about 15 minutes. After coating the chicken with flour and sesame seeds, I placed it in a skilled with butter and cooked until done and lightly brown.

At this point, the recipe directs me to "cool down the skillet" and then add the orange and lemon juices and bring to a boil. I'm not sure if I used too large of a skillet or if it was too high on heat, but the moment I put the juice in the pan it began to sizzle. So, instead, I quickly added the vegetables and the chicken and added more orange juice. I sprinkled with rosemary, covered and simmered for a good 15-20 minutes making sure the juice cooked down into a glaze.

I plated my rice first and then topped that with my chicken and vegetables. I sprinkled the fresh parsley on top. I served with a glass of red wine--okay, I don't drink alcohol, so it's grape juice, which still has the same health benefits of wine. 

Overall, I'd say the recipe was easy enough for a beginner, but challenging enough to feel accomplished after making it. It was also very tasty and I had enough left over for dinner the next day. It kept well in the refrigerator and the vegetables didn't get too soggy. I've actually made this recipe twice because it's so quick and easy and full of healthy yumminess.