“Reading is an exercise in empathy; an exercise in walking in someone else’s shoes for a while.” —Malorie Blackman
NOTE: I spend my Wednesdays Unplugged from appointments. It’s my day to stay home, enjoy cooking and welcome our kids and grandkids for dinner in the evening. We end our meal with quotes from the Norwegian ‘Quote Cup’ passed on to me from my grandmother. I share a quote and a recipe here each week, along with an update and photos of what has been going on in our lives. I love trying new recipes…and love getting recipes you would like to share!
I recently read a fascinating book about what happened to Nora after she walked out in Ibsen’s ‘The Doll’s House”. It really grabbed me as not only a plausible continuation of Nora’s story, but also gave me insight into the challenges for women at that time, when our grandparents emigrated from Norway to the Midwest. (Both John and I are 89% Norway, 9% Sweden) Then I got a message from a client about her new book, “The Scientist and the Spy”, a contemporary true story connecting the US & Midwest with China… I had to stop at a bookstore and pick it up on Tuesday this week, the day it was released!
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
This is a simple one-pan meal to throw in the oven… of course you can use your favorite veggies. The recipe came with a dipping sauce, but I liked ours better after tasting it so included that one.
SHEET PAN PARMESAN CHICKEN and VEGGIES
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon season salt, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
- 1/2 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
- 1 small red potato, diced
- 1 sweet bell pepper, chopped
- 1 cup broccoli florets, chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- 1 1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, pounded flat
Our favorite dipping sauce
- 1/2 cup Miracle Whip
- 1/2 cup Heinz 57 steak sauce
- 1/4 cup ketchup
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Combine oregano, parsley, paprika, garlic powder, seasoned salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
Place veggies in a bowl, drizzle with olive and mix to coat. Sprinkle with half of seasoning mix and stir to coat. Spread vegetables on one side of pan.
Place flour in a bowl; melt half stick butter in another bowl; combine Panko, 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese and rest of seasoning mix in another bowl.
Slice chicken in 1 1/4 inch strips. Coat in flour, then dredge in melted butter, then dip in the Parmesan-Panko mixture until heavily coated. Place on the empty half of the sheet pan and sprinkle with any remaining Parmesan-Panko mixture, pressing onto the chicken.
Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, flip chicken strips, stir the veggies and return to oven. Bake until chicken juices run clear and veggies are crisp-tender, 10-15 minutes. Chicken temperature should read at least 165 degrees on an instant -read thermometer.
While chicken is cooking, whisk together dipping sauce.
Remove chicken and veggies from oven. Toss veggies with remaining Parmesan cheese. Serve with dipping sauce.
