But there is one thing I do believe in. In all cases, at all times, I believe in honesty. And honestly, over the past 5 months, there is almost nothing in my life that has stayed the same. From the people I was closest to, to the plans I had for my future, everything changed and for the first time, I had to really figure things out for myself and coincidentally was given the beautiful gift of freedom to plan my own life. I don't want to think of this change as a "life hands you lemons" type of situation because after realizing that I had been freed of the only thing holding me back, I grabbed life by the horns and am finally doing what makes me happy.
There are a couple people who I will never be able to thank enough for picking me back up and putting me where I really belong. They are the kind of friends that not only pick you up when you are down, but that crank up the music so you can dance your way back to the top. The kind that slept for 7 days in a tiny dorm room with me during the aftermath of the Tuscaloosa tornadoes. The kind that always remembers my love of "Chicks, Ducks, and Bunnies" at Easter. The kind that sings Destiny's Child's "Say My Name" to me over Skype while I'm all the way over in Italy (also the kind that refuses to make me beef stir fry).
Well, this recipe is for you. The weeks following the April 27th tornadoes in Tuscaloosa were exhausting- physically and emotionally. After long days of working in the city clearing debris, giving aid to survivors, or helping the students at the University of Alabama find a safe way to get home, we all needed a way to get our minds off of the weight that Mother Nature had placed upon our shoulders.
I made this dish one night during that week and from now on, it will always be the dish I crave when I need comfort... comfort with a little pizazz.
When thinking about all the happened over these past few months, there is something that my Dad has told me my entire life that rings truer than ever: "Remember who you are and where you come from." Even though you may lose friends, make new ones, lose the building you once called home, or finally realize that its the people that make a house a home, there is something constant: family. And fortunately for me, I have a handful of friends close enough to call family as well. Its these people that come together to make my "home" and to make me "strong enough." I don't need someone to tell me I have do things on my own, because I know I'll never have to.
Orange Crusted Chicken Breast with Browned Butter and Sherry Sauce
The Players:
2 Chicken Breasts, cut horizontally (parallel to the cutting board- will make 4 pieces) *tenderize with a meat mallet if desired
Bread Crumb (Dry Dredge): (Mix ingredients well)
- 3/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- All the zest from 1 large orange
- 1 large shallot, minced
- Black pepper to taste
- 2 T Dijon Mustard
- 2 T Orange Juice
- 1/4 cup Sherry
- Salt to taste
- 1 Orange
- 1/2 stick of butter
- 3 T sherry
Game Time:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together ingredients to create the dry mixture. Whisk together the ingredients to form the wet mixture.
Coat each chicken breast in the wet mixture and then dredge in the dry mixture. If there is excess dry mixture, feel free to top the chicken breast with it.
Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Place chicken on the tray and then roast until done (approximately 35 minutes but will vary according to the size and thickness of the chicken breast). If you just happen to have extra butter lying around like I always do, feel free to "dot" the top of the chicken with small pieces of butter to add a richer flavor and golden color.
While chicken is baking, segment your orange. Begin by removing the peel by using a knife to cut around the exterior of the orange.
(please excuse the funny looking orange. I use the same orange for the zest as well as for the segments)
Very carefully, cut along each of the segments leaving the membrane but allowing the flesh of the orange to maintain it's structure.
Melt the butter on medium heat in a non-stick pan.
Once melted, stir slowly allowing the butter to slightly brown. Add the sherry and simmer until the alcohol has been cooked out, approximately 6 minutes.
Add the orange segements and reduce heat to low. Simmer until the chicken is done.
Remove the chicken from the oven and top each breast with a nice, tasty, heaping spoonful of the orange sauce.
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