[Jan '13] Sunday Dinner with Chef Simon

SaskMade Marketplace would like to welcome the esteemed Chef Simon of Simon's Fine Foods in Saskatoon for a new post series here on our blog. Sunday dinners have become a rare and treasured time for families to make time for each other, make meals to remember, and make memories to last a lifetime. Chef Simon will be bringing you inspiration and instruction for your own Sunday meal, using local Saskatchewan ingredients and European inspiration.

Pan fried herbed chicken breast, spicy salsa and porcini mushrooms

January 2013 and the start of another culinary year! This month I’m going to keep it simple, hearty and tasty.

Tomato sauce is a staple in most households but after a while they tend to taste the same, so instead of a tomato sauce I’m going to cook the chicken breasts in salsa! This will give the chicken a bright zippy flavour and a taste of fresh tomatoes, which is perfect for January in Saskatchewan. Herbs are another way of imparting lots of flavour. and eating fresh is no longer a challenge especially with Floating Gardens and their Hydroponics growing methods.

SaskMade shopping list:

• Rylee Green canola oil
• M&M Just Right Salsa
• Floating Gardens' fresh thyme, rosemary and tomatoes
• Prairie Infusions' dried porcini mushrooms
• Willow Creek golden flax seed

 

Ingredients:

• 2 large skinless boneless chicken breasts
• 1 pack fresh thyme
• 1 pack fresh rosemary
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• ½ jar salsa
• 1 cup chicken stock
• ½ pack dried porcini mushrooms
• 1 tbsp flax seeds
• 2 cup cooked pasta of your choice

Directions

In this dish I made some fresh Gnocchi but you can use any pasta you have in the house.

Take the herbs and pull off the leaves chopping them well to release the oils and then place them over the chicken breasts with a glug of canola oil. Turn the chicken breasts over a number of times in the bowl so the herbs are evenly distributed, then season with salt and pepper. You can do this 4-6 hours ahead to allow the herbs to flavour the chicken thoroughly.

In a warmed sauté pan, sear the chicken breast for 1 minute on each side. Place into a casserole dish with the porcini mushrooms, chicken stock and the salsa, pop on the lid and into a pre-heated oven at 365F. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the chicken breast is cooked through, if the sauce is too runny just pour into a saucepan and reduce to the desired consistency.

Cook your pasta and place in a bowl, slice the chicken breast and place over the pasta then pour the sauce over the top. o I sprinkled flax seeds over at the end to give a lovely nutty flavour as well as a boat load of Omega 3s!

The end result is a perfect comfort food for a cold Sunday night.