Getting Back on Track and Walnut Chicken

Whew! It’s 2024 and time to get back on track. I’ll admit it, I love this time of year for a lot of reasons. My home is cleaned up and streamlined after having holiday stuff cluttering things up. I’ve eaten my way through every batch of cookies, and all my indulgent leftovers like the Mac N Cheese and Popovers, and I finally feel ready to clean my act up. The main reason I love January is that it feels like a fresh start and we could all use a fresh start!

For me, 2023 had its ups and downs. The biggest upside to 2023 was getting back to work in France, IE, rebooting ATOP food and wine-focused trips to France. I was in Paris in April 2023 with a fantastic group of ladies and then back to Provence in September with a darling group. It was a wonderful feeling to be back in the saddle after 4 years on the sidelines (too many metaphors?). And I’m thrilled to report that travel with ATOP in 2024 is a GO. I still have a couple of seats in the Provence trip if you are thinking of hopping over the water, it would be a good year to leap.

For me, the deepest low was the discovery of a brain tumor on my sweet husband, Marks, pituitary gland. Listen, friends, this was scary. Thank the good Lord, the surgery was successful, the recovery was amazingly fast and we were back on track in no time. Of course, this was traumatic for my whole family. When something like this happens, you are forced to walk through it, like it or not. For me, I dug deep, and prayed bigger than ever, and I’m so incredibly grateful that we are all well for 2024!

So…what do you have planned for 2024?

I plan to continue to develop great recipes and other lifestyle content for you guys and get back to teaching in my home kitchen AND of course culinary-inspired trips to France, so basically, back to business as usual!

So let’s do it!

I’ll be posting recipes over the next few weeks that you are going to love! These recipes are designed to taste amazing and feel indulgent all while maintaining a healthy profile, what’s better than that?

My first recipe is a standard at my house, if chicken is on the menu, you can bet it’s this or some variation of Herb and Walnut Crusted Chicken and when I serve it with Vibrant Slaw, wow the plates pop!

One of my favorite kitchen hacks is to cut the thick chicken breast in half horizontally instead of pounding the chicken flat for even cooking. Pounding chicken does make it more tender but wow what a mess!

Once the chicken is ready, just brush it with a mixture of butter, mustard, and honey, then dip it in a coating of walnuts, breadcrumbs, and herbs and it’s ready for the oven! BTW if you want FRESH walnuts, let me tell you about an amazing source called Better Walnuts, this business is family owned and run, and wow do fresh walnuts taste amazing!

Vibrant Slaw is another go-to recipe at my house. Salads are a mainstay for lunch so by dinnertime, I’m ready for something a little different. This slaw is loaded with color so it will add beauty and crunch to any dish. Just dress finely cut carrots, peppers, purple cabbage, and onions with a traditional vinegar and you are ready to serve! Another great thing about this recipe is it keeps overnight in the fridge even after it’s dressed!

Herb and Walnut Crusted Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup Panko breadcrumbs

½ cup walnuts, finely chopped

1 teaspoon dried parsley

½ teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon dried dill

1 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons honey

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place chicken breasts in a zip top bag and pound until they are ¾ of an inch thick, or cut the breasts in half to create 8 cutlets. In a small bowl, mix butter, mustard, and honey and set aside. In a shallow dish, mix Panko with walnuts and other seasonings. Salt and pepper each breast. Using a pastry brush, coat the entire surface of the chicken with the mustard mixture. Next, dip each breast into the Panko walnut coating, pressing the crumbly mixture onto the chicken breasts. Place the breasts on a greased baking sheet and into the oven until they are browned and the chicken is done (about 20-30 minutes depending on thickness).

Vibrant Slaw

1 cup matchstick carrots

1 red bell pepper, julienned

2 cups purple cabbage, shredded

2 green onions, finely diced

1 cup garbanzo beans

½ cup feta cheese, crumbled

Dressing

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

3 tablespoons olive oil

To prepare dressing, whisk together ingredients in a small bowl. Assemble slaw in serving bowl by layering the ingredients. Add dressing, then toss to coat. Serve.

Seriously, what do you have planned for 2024? I’d like to know! Start the conversation below!

There is already 1 cooking class on the schedule with lots more to come in the next few weeks. The Girl’s Night Out class will feature a Chocolate Grazing Board…I can’t wait! Check it out and join the fun in my home kitchen!

Girls Night Out Cooking Class Thursday, February 8th 6:30-9:00- Ready for a night out with the girls?  Grab a friend or come solo to this night of food and merriment! Join me in the kitchen to concoct crave-able appetizers that reflect the flavors of the season.  Sip festive Cranberry Mojitos as stunning as they are delicious and join the fun in the kitchen or sit back and watch as each dish unfolds.  With Valentine’s Day on the horizon, we will keep chocolate and romance in our minds as we concoct Heart Shaped Raspberry Brie En Croute, sure to wow all that partake. Pear B&B Crostini is a taste sensation, pears are the base for bacon and blue cheese and the results are amazing. Register and READ MORE

Hope to see you soon!

XO
Lorie