Last Night's Dinner

Making dinner for others much more fun than making it for yourself. Last night, I decided to make my co-worker's infamous lentil Soup & Jamie Oliver's pan cooked chicken. They both turned out great (look and taste-wise).

Though I have to add, if you're making dinner for your Asian parents with tastebuds that only long for any type of Asian food, they probably won't care for lentil soup (my mom wasn't a fan). However, it's also a recipe loved by my department (a combo of health nuts & fancy eaters).

Try it! Both recipes are very simple and the chicken is so good it's my 2nd time making it (my sister also made it for the 2nd time this night for her guests).

Pan Cooked Chicken with Aspargus, Pancetta & Olives

Jamie Oliver - FoodNetwork.com

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 15 min

Level: Easy

Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients:

• In Italy they use olives instead of salt, as they give a gentle seasoning, perfume and meatiness to dishes.
• 1 chicken breast supreme, skin removed
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil
• 3 slices smoked pancetta
• 8 medium-sized spears asparagus, woody ends trimmed off
• 8 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 5 kalamata olives, stones left in
• Handful basil leavesSmall knob unsalted butter
• Splash white wine

Directions:

Slice the chicken into 3 finger size pieces, but ensure that you keep it as 1 piece (fan it out). This will help to cook the chicken much faster. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a medium-sized frying pan, add some oil, and brown the chicken on all sides.

Place the pancetta on top of the chicken and the asparagus around it, let it char a little, then put the pancetta on the bottom of the pan to crisp up and turn the chicken over. Turn up the heat, throw in the tomatoes, olives, basil, and a good knob of butter. Take off the heat once the butter has melted and add a splash of wine to make a sauce, squishing in a few of the tomatoes to finish it off.

Side Dish: You can use anything, but I paired it with brown rice for a healthier alternative.

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Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion
• 2 carrots
• 1 cup green lentils
• 1/2 head of cauliflower (or broccoli), cut into small florets
• 1-2 cups of chopped bell peppers
• 1 quart chicken (or veggie) stock
• 1/2 cup chopped dill or parsley

1. Saute chopped onion & carrots in evoo & salt in stock pot
2. Rinse lentils in warm water
3. When sauteed veggies are soft, pour in lentils, 1/2 of the stock & 2 cups of water
4. Simmer on low until the lentils are soft (about 30 minutes), adding water as needed
5. Add remaining stock & veggies and cook until soft (about 15 minutes)
6. Add herbs and season to taste
7. Puree with hand mixer until smooth
8. Serve with a dollop of sour cream

Yields: several bowls - probably enough for a few people or a few days, for two!

Enjoy!