Comfort Food Chicken

The weather has been rainy and on the cold side here so I decided to make a yummy, cozy chicken dish. I got this from the San Francisco Chronicle several years ago. Here's the link:http://www.sfgate.com/food/recipes/detail.html?p=detail&rid=16119&sorig=qs

It's called Grandmother's Oven-Baked Chicken, it's not my Grandma's chicken but I think she would approve.

I used cut up chicken pieces, Panko breadcrumbs and dried herbs to save time since I work and swim. You can use fresh herbs, make fresh breadcrumbs and a whole chicken, cut up if you like. Mike and I like dark meat so I buy thighs, remove the skin and trim all the fat off.

I also recreated a zucchini dish that Abigail and I had a Italian restaurant in San Anselmo, Cucina Restaurant & Wine Bar. http://cucinarestaurantandwinebar.tumblr.com/
It's fresh and light. I cook it a little longer than they do but try it your way.

Grandma's Chicken My Way:

1 large clove of garlic
4 chicken thighs, skin and any fat removed
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
About 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel garlic clove, cut in half and remove any sprout inside and cut lengthwise into slices about 1/8-inch thick.

Melt butter in a large casserole dish by placing it in oven for several minutes. Remove from oven.

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Pierce surface of each chicken piece with the tip of a knife to make small incisions, big enough to insert a garlic slice. Insert garlic slices inside each piece of chicken. Reserve any leftover garlic pieces.

Combine basil, oregano and breadcrumbs in a wide bowl. Put flour in a separate wide bowl. In a third bowl, big enough to dip the chicken in, use a whisk to whip the eggs with 1 tablespoons water until well blended.

Meanwhile, dredge each piece of chicken first in flour, then in the egg mixture, and finally in herbed crumbs.

Place the coated chicken pieces into the warm butter, arranging pieces to fit tightly. Tuck in any leftover garlic pieces, small or large. Bake chicken for 45 minutes on the middle rack, then carefully turn over each piece of chicken. Bake for 35 more minutes, or until the chicken is well browned and crisped on the edges. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.

Cucina Zucchini:

3-4 organic zucchini, peeled and grated
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large garlic clove, pressed
2 tablespoons slivered almonds
parmesan cheese, freshly shaved or grated
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
fresh ground nutmeg, optional

Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick saute pan. Saute garlic until fragrant. Add almonds and cook for another minute or two. Add the zucchini and cook for 1 minute. (At the restaurant they do not cook the zucchini.) Season with salt and pepper and nutmeg. Top with parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!