Flapjacks for all!

It's National Pancake Day... I almost forgot!

Head to IHOP for free pancakes or make some of your own!

Impatience and shrimp

Who here has ever been in a job interview when the employer asked you this question: "What is your greatest weakness?"

I certainly have.  And I remember thinking it was the most useless question to ask of a potential employee.  No one is going to answer honestly with something like, "I procrastinate too much," or "I avoid group projects like the plague."

Instead, applicants are advised to reply with some bad-is-really-good response like, "I am a perfectionist and need to have every last detail in place."  Do you a) think your future boss hasn't heard that one before, and b) want a pat on the back and a cookie?  Nothing like fishing for compliments before you're even on the payroll.

So, let's pretend I'm back in a job interview and you've just asked me to share my greatest weakness.  And let's pretend that I'd actually give an honest answer.  Impatience. 

And the winner is...

Us!  Because we had ourselves a pretty killer Oscars party.  Festive decor, check.

Sweatpants, check.  Ballot tally sheets, check.  Plennnnnnnnnnnty of judging and cackling (poor Matt), check.

Delicious and themed spread of food?  Check, check, and check!

Fast Friday: Walnut rosemary chicken

Have I ever mentioned how I love being off work on Fridays?  I think I have once or twice.  I had such grand plans for today: wake up early, go to hot yoga, run errands, clean like crazy, and all before 4.

Of said grand plans, guess what I've accomplished?  One load of laundry, turning the oven to "self clean,"  and sleeping in almost 3 hours past my normal wake-up time.  At least the latter impressed my potential hot yoga buddy  -- she's a gem (and a newly-engaged one at that!).

Also slightly impressive was the next great chicken recipe that I discovered this week.  Matt and I picked up a lot of chicken last weekend at Costco.  A lot meaning enough to feed a small army/the Jolie-Pitt family (it is Oscars weekend, after all) for a while.  Intent upon not driving us into a chicken rut for the next few weeks, I did a little scouring of the interwebs for inspiration.

Chicken is one of the greatest culinary canvases, and this particular piece is one of the many reasons why.  All of the ingredients are common pantry staples and combine for a breading so packed with flavor that you won't be missing a trip to the deep fryer one tiny ounce.  Get yourself ready for walnut rosemary chicken!

Crunchy, nutty, fragrant, cheesy!  So many words to describe such a humble breading that took about 30 seconds to throw together.  I liked this breading so much that I'm going to try it for homemade chicken nuggets later.

Baking the chicken on a wire rack over the baking sheet was totally critical to get that super crunchy texture on the outside.

The walnuts were toasted, the corn flakes crunchy, the cheese salty and married to the chicken... yum!  Quick and easy, fast and breezy (Monica Gellar and the answering machine, anyone?), perfect for a hassle-free dinner.

Happy weekending, friends!  Oscars recap next week :)

One year ago: Peanut butter cup crunch brownies
Two years ago: Pear spice muffins


Walnut and Rosemary Chicken
(adapted slightly from Cooking Light)
-serves 4

1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 (6-ounce) chicken cutlets
1/3 cup crushed corn flakes
1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
3/4 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 425° F.  Combine buttermilk and mustard in a shallow dish, stirring with a whisk.  Add chicken to buttermilk mixture, turning to coat. Combine crushed corn flakes, nuts, cheese, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish.  Remove chicken from buttermilk mixture; discard buttermilk mixture. Dredge chicken in dry mixture.

Arrange a wire rack on a large baking sheet; coat rack with cooking spray.  Arrange chicken on rack; coat chicken with cooking spray. Bake at for 15 to 20 minutes  minutes or until chicken is done.

So nice, I did it twice!

Matt is a fairly easy to please kind of guy.  Especially in the kitchen, which he considers my domain and happily gives me the reigns to plan meals week after week.  With a few exceptions (steamed broccoli, cucumbers, and black olives) he'll eat almost anything.

On Friday or Saturday, I'll ask if he has anything in mind for dinners next week.  He'll reply, "Oh, not really.  Whatever you make will be great."

And, although he knows I'm going to ask what he wants to eat, and I know that he'll respond that it doesn't matter to him, we continue to do our little dance.  We're creatures of habit, I suppose.  I call it the meal plan dance.

Confession: I just made that up.  I'm creative like that.

So, last week when I began our little waltz, I almost stepped on Matt's feet when he said, "You know, I could go for pasta.  With meat sauce.  You made it a long time ago, and I really liked it.  Yeah, that sounds good." 

Whaaaaaaat?  Who was this guy and what had he done with my husband?

Mardi Gras!

Don't wait until tomorrow to start your celebrating!  If how I treat a birthday week is any clue as to how I treat every other holiday, you should already have ordered a king cake and be sporting beads around your neck.  Take it from this little fella:

Adorbs, right?  He/she (I'm assuming he because it's sillier) is totally ready to party.  To get yourself into an indulgent NOLA mood, check out these festive links.

• Set it and forget it crock pot shrimp creole.  This is as easy as it gets and so hearty!

• A classic king cake if you're in a DIY mood.

• Brown Eyed Baker's homemade beignets for a sweet treat.  These look so light and fluffy!

How do you celebrate Mardi Gras/Fat Tuesday?  Have you ever been to NOLA for the crazy holiday?  It's definitely on my bucket list.

One year ago: Warm spinach and corn salad with lime dressing

Fast Friday: Grilled balsamic chicken

TGIF!  I've had a pretty fun week reliving an exciting trip to the west coast, enjoying the first Valentine's Day with my husband, and getting back on the hamster wheel treadmill since the Pittsburgh marathon relay is a few months away now.  Delaying laundry, bills, and cleaning just one more night was a must because Thursday night TV with Matt is a top priority.  (Did you watch?  It was 90 minutes of pure comedic genius, if you ask me!)

In order to minimize cooking time (and the growls coming from my stomach) and maximize couch time, I whipped up a perfect grill dinner.  Yep, you read that correctly -- grill, baby!

But, really, you don't need a grill.  Use a skillet.  Use a Griddler.  Use an oven.  Use a neighbor's oven.  Do whatever you must do to get this on your dinner plate, folks.

I give you the first of hopefully many installments of Fast Friday recipes: Grilled balsamic chicken with mozzarella and pesto!