Desperate Housewives: Chicken Saltimbocca, Potatoes with Herbs, and Ginger Baby Carrots

Chicken Cutlets Saltimbocca

This dish turned out to be more complicated than I first thought, but was very tasty and worth the effort!

First the chicken cutlets are cut in half, but not the easy way.  They’re cut in half crosswise so they now look like two skinny chicken breasts instead of one big one.  That being said, you can just buy chicken cutlets and skip this step.

The cutlets are placed in between plastic wrap and pounded with a hammer (I used an empty beer bottle) until about 1/2-inch thickness, and then sprinkled with salt and pepper all over.

Now two fresh sage leaves are placed on each piece of chicken, with a half-strip of prosciutto placed over those.  Once more it’s lightly hammered to prevent the prosciutto and sage from falling off.  At this point, the cutlets can be stored in the fridge until you’re ready to start cooking.

Once you’re ready, the cutlets are dipped in flour and then cooked over the stove until no longer pink on the outside.  They are then removed while the sauce is prepared.

The sauce requires either marsala or white wine; I happened to have white wine already, so that’s what I used.  Once it’s mostly cooked off, chicken broth is added, followed by butter.  Now the chicken cutlets are added back in and cooked until no longer pink inside and the sauce is thickened.

Taste: 9/10

This was really good!  It actually tastes like it’s from a restaurant.  The sauce is creamy, and the prosciutto and sage go with it very well.

Difficulty: Average

For me, the most difficult part was cutting and pounding the chicken cutlets.  You can save yourself some headache and time by purchasing chicken cutlets instead of chicken breasts, if possible.

Cost: Average

You will need chicken breasts/cutlets, fresh sage leaves, prosciutto, flour, white wine, chicken broth, and butter.

Steamed Tiny Potatoes with Herb Butter

These were more simple than expected, but I used the wrong (small) burner so it took longer than the recipe quoted.  On a normal burner they should cook as the recipe describes.

The small potatoes are cleaned and then placed in a heavy pan with 1/4 inch of water.  They are sprinkled with salt, pepper, and butter, and then cooked over the stove until softened.

At this point, the water is cooked off and the herb of choice (I used their recommended fresh dill) is mixed in before serving.

Taste: 8/10

These were good, but I wish I used a different herb.  Dill is what was recommended, but I think Rosemary would have been better.

Difficulty: Easy

Very simple to make!  The most annoying part is washing all those little potatoes.

Cost: Cheap

All you need is potatoes, salt, pepper, butter, and an herb of your choice.

Ginger-Spiked Baby Carrots

These were my favorite dish on the table tonight!  And best of all, they were quick and easy to make.

Chicken broth, soy sauce, sugar, cumin and ginger are all combined together and then put in a skillet or pot with carrots and butter.  It’s covered and simmered until tender, and then cooked uncovered until the carrots are nicely coated with the glaze.

Taste: 10/10

Loved these!  I really like the spices and flavoring used; they didn’t overwhelm the flavor at all like I thought they may.

Difficulty: Easy

Just combine everything, and then cook over the stove.

Cost: Cheap/Average

You’ll need baby carrots, chicken broth, soy sauce, sugar, cumin, ginger, and butter.