Dinner menu

Last night I cooked dinner for Julia and her boyfriend. Julia has dietary restrictions so I tried to create a menu that she could eat without getting deathly ill. On the menu: Parmesan chicken, apple cheddar latkes and kale chips (a main staple of my diet while I'm at school). We had lots of wine and catching up and it was a great night! Also how cute is this ill pup Eli? He wouldn't stop licking my pant leg while I cooked.

Parmesan chicken, courtesy of Ina:
Ingredients
4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 extra-large eggs
1 tablespoon water
1 1/4 cups seasoned dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
Unsalted butter
Good olive oil

Directions
Pound the chicken breasts until they are 1/4-inch thick. You can use either a meat mallet or a rolling pin.

Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a dinner plate. On a second plate, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of water. On a third plate, combine the bread crumbs and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan. Coat the chicken breasts on both sides with the flour mixture, then dip both sides into the egg mixture and dredge both sides in the bread-crumb mixture, pressing lightly.

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan and cook 2 or 3 chicken breasts on medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Add more butter and oil and cook the rest of the chicken breasts. Serve with extra grated Parmesan.

Apple cheddar latkes, courtesy of A Cozy Kitchen:
4 apples (1 large honey crisp & 2 granny smiths), peeled, cored and halved
1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1/4 cup all-purpose flour1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 1/4 cup aged sharp cheddar, grated
1 large egg
Vegetable oil

1. Using a box grater, coarsely shred the apples, lengthwise, into a medium bowl. Toss the grated apples with the juice from one lemon and sprinkle in the salt. Allow to stand for 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and freshly ground pepper. In another small bowl, lightly beat the large egg and set aside.

3. After the apples have sat, gather them in the center of a few layers of cheesecloth and squeeze out the excess juice. Place them back in the medium bowl and add the flour mixture and cheese; toss until the apples are evenly coated. Add the beaten egg and mix until completely combined.

4. Place a skillet over medium-high heat, and pour in vegetable oil until it reaches 1/2 inch up the sides. Once the oil is hot, for each latke, place a heaping tablespoon of the apple mixture into the pan, slightly flattening the latke with the back of a spoon. Cook the latkes on their first side for about a minute or two or until golden brown. Carefully flip and cook the opposite side for an additional minute. Transfer to paper towels to drain and then place them in a preheated 200˚F oven to keep warm. Repeat the process with the remaining apple mixture. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of black pepper.


Kale chips:
1 bunch kale
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon seasoned salt

Directions
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a non insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper.
With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt.
Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes.