Weekday Supper post: a hearty meal for a sick kid in the family -- simple chicken cutlet with lemon, basil sauce!

Happy Halloween!  

Our pumpkin doesn't look very impressive by day, 

but by night he rules!

a little bit of the "Joker" don't you think?

Thanks to Randy's handy pumpkin carving skills

speaking of this time of year,

Fall in Eastern Long Island is gorgeous!

During this glorious season, 

I like my table to match the 

richness and beauty outside.

Last week I showed you how I set this table.  After a fun-filled afternoon of apple and pumpkin picking, we headed home and whipped up two farm-to-table tarts.  This is Part II of that evening, and I am sharing my easy supper recipe.  In October and November I like to use ingredients from the local farms -- the apples, pumpkins,

spinach and last crops of basil, lemons and tomato before the winter settles in.

for our dinner, we added a cornucopia of colors to our table from blue, white, orange, yellow, grey and green, just by mixing patterns and the produce we picked up at the local farm.   

Poor Miles was feeling badly, and running a fever, stuck in bed...

Since my grandma gave me lots of tea with lemon whenever I was sick, I feel lemons make you feel better. 

After a week of missing school, Miles was wiped out.  He requested his favorite meal, fried chicken cutlet.  I decided to spiff it up a bit and make it healthy as well.  So, I added lemon, basil, wine sauce, roasted tomatoes, and fresh spinach to the chicken cutlet.  I improvised and came up with this divine and simple dinner with "grown up" appeal, and I think it would be perfect for guests as well.

Take a simple "kid friendly" chicken breaded cutlet and add a "grown up" flair with strips of fresh basil and a reduced lemon sauce on top, pair that with roasted halved tomatoes, egg noodles and fresh spinach 
and you have a delicious, easy Fall meal!

The roasted English-style tomatoes gives the plate color and something healthy.  When roasting the tomato it mellows the acidity and the flavor melds nicely with the lemon and basil chicken. 

Tamara's chicken cutlet w/lemon, wine, basil sauce

& English roasted tomatoes, fresh spinach and noodles

ingredients

4 boneless chicken cutlets pounded thin

1 package fresh spinach

1 package Mueller egg noodles

2 tomatoes cut in half

breadcrumbs

two whole lemons

3/4 C White cooking wine

handful of fresh basil 

4-6 pats of butter

2 eggs

splash of milk

flour

First 

prepare egg noodles, spinach and roasted tomato set aside

*cut two tomatoes in half, lay on a cookie sheet and cover the tops with breadcrumbs, salt & pepper, drizzle of olive oil.  Cook for 10 minutes at 400 degrees until browned on top.  Set aside on a warm stove top.

*prepare the egg noodles (on package) and drain, toss with a bit of butter and keep covered in a pan to stay warm

*Wash and chop the spinach - steam in a small amount of water 5 minutes, squeeze a bit of fresh lemon and cover. 

Next,

prepare the chicken:

dredge the chicken in a mixture of beaten eggs and splash of milk, then dredge in flour, then back to egg, then cover with breadcrumbs

heat a pan with 1/2" of vegetable oil with a touch of olive oil on high heat, when hot reduce to med/high

brown the chicken on both sides then reduce heat and cook through (about 5 minutes) after it is browned. Set the chicken on plates and cover.

Now, make the sauce.

In a deep frying pan, heat the butter on medium (not bubbling), then add the wine and turn to medium high and cook until the sauce reduces for about five minutes.  Turn off the flame, squeeze a whole lemon into the cooking sauce, then sprinkle slightly with small amount of flour, whisking constantly for a minute until thickens. Cut the basil into strips into the sauce and stir in.  

Plate the noodles, spinach and chicken then drizzle generously with the  lemon/wine sauce. Serve with the roasted tomato on the plate and a lemon wedge.

It's never good when someone in your home is under the weather, but thankfully Miles is back in good health with his energy high again. 

I secretly think this Weekday Supper 

started him on the mend,
and just in time for Halloween and candy!

Happy Nesting 

XO Tamara