Four-Cheese Balsamic Crusted Chicken Tenderloins
Alright, I know it has been a while since my last post. I have been planning for my wedding day next weekend and it has taken up almost 110% of my available time for the past month. Fret not, I am still cooking and still eating as much as ever, therefore, the ideas for this blog are now simmering together and reducing longer, allowing for a thicker, more sustainable glace-like lewdness.
I also got a new Nikon DSLR camera, therefore my foggy point-and-shoot pics should be a thing of the past. See, isn’t that worth waiting for?
Now on to the grub.
This was really a cook what you have recipe that is ridiculously easy to prepare. My bride-to-be brought me home a healthy bundle of sweet basil and I wanted to put it to use as soon as possible. Cooking is really half what recipes and techniques you use. The rest is the quality of your ingredients. Though I once wanted to write a book for college kids using ingredients entirely bought at Aldis, Sav-a-lot, and other ghetto grociers, I have found that fresh ingredients are really inexpensive and of the highest quality if you buy them in season. Fresh ingredients will really make a dish even if you are not formally trained or experienced.
Four-cheese balsamic crusted chicken tenderloins
- 1 pound fresh chicken tenderloins
- 3 tablespoons fresh sweet basil (chopped)
- aged balsamic vinegar
- shredded parmesan, romano, and asiago cheeses
- shredded mozzarella
- salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
In a sautee pan, heat extra virgin olive oil under high heat. While the oil is heating, season your chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. A good rule of thumb with seasoning any meat is to use twice the salt as the pepper. Cheese is usually salted, so you do not need to salt too much at this point. You can always add more later if needed, however, it is important to always season your meat before cooking. This will help to ensure that the entire cut is seasoned all the way through. Roll your tenderloins in the parmesan, romano, and asiago cheeses until covered. Once the olive oil begins to smoke (and not long after as it can burn) place the chicken into the pan. Immediately after the chicken begins to cook, pour a few tablespoons of balsamic vinegar into the pan. It should boil immediately and begin absorb into the salted chicken, keeping it moist and turning the liquid into a glaze. Add more balsamic as needed and be careful not to burn the sauce or the chicken. After about two minutes, turn the chicken to the other side. The chicken should be browned, though the balsamic reduction will likely make it look black. If you turned it on time this should be no problem at all and add a bold, tangy flavor to your dish. Carmelized cheese is probably one of the best things there is. While the other side is cooking, sprinkle a little mozzarella onto the cooked side. The melted mozzarella will provide a nice color contrast and work as an adhesive for your fresh basil. Once the other side has cooked, probably less than two minutes, plate the chicken on a bed of sauteed seasonal vegetables and serve with your starch of choice, preferably seasoned with other fresh herbs. Sprinkle your chicken with the fresh basil and indulge in your creation.
Nutritional Information (per serving):
Servings: 3
Food energy: 286kcal Saturated fatty acids: 3.54g Monounsaturated fatty acids: 9.35g Polyunsaturated fatty acids: 3.18g Total fat: 16.07g Calories from fat: 144 Cholesterol: 122mg Carbohydrate, by difference: 0.07g Total dietary fiber: 0.04g Protein: 29.66g Total lipid (fat): 17.97g Water: 116.31g Ash: 1.43g Total sugars: 0.01g Calcium: 30mg Iron: 1.71mg Magnesium: 34mg Phosphorus: 229mg Potassium: 316mg Sodium: 123mg Zinc: 2.82mg Copper: 0.10mg Manganese: 0.06mg Selenium: 20.42μg Vitamin C: 0.48mg Thiamin: 0.11mg Riboflavin: 0.25mg Niacin: 10.11mg Pantothenic acid: 1.86mg Vitamin B6: 0.50mg Folate, total: 15μg Folic acid: -- Food folate: 15μg Folate: 15μg dietary folate equivalents Vitamin B12: 0.54μg Vitamin A: 289IU Vitamin A RAE: 52μg retinol activity equivalents Retinol: 45μg Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol): 1.65mg Vitamin K (phylloquinone): 20.04μg Alpha-carotene: -- Beta-carotene: 83μg Beta-cryptoxanthin: 1μg Lycopene: -- Lutein+zeazanthin: 149μg Percent refuse: --
