I picked up some asparagus at the supermarket during my last shopping trip and wanted to make dish that included it in some way. As I was flipping through my copy of Everyday Food : Great Food Fast — can’t get enough of the food photography in any Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia publication, I saw the gorgeous photo of this meal and had to try it.
The original involved grilling everything and included baby red potatoes as one of the side dishes. Since we’ve been having chilly, windy weather (ah, the joys of life in New England), I knew that the grill was out of the question. So, I just sauteed the chicken breasts and roasted the asparagus. Easy enough. And, instead of baby red potatoes for the second side dish (as in the original), I just steamed some carrots.
Even though I’m not a huge fan of mustard, which was one of the main components of the vinaigrette, I really enjoyed this dish. B gave it a thumbs up, as well, so I’m definitely putting it on my list of “make again” meals.
adapted from Everyday Food : Great Food Fast by Martha Stewart Living Magazine
Ingredients
FOR THE CHICKEN AND VINAIGRETTE
1 1/2 pounds chicken cutlets or chicken breasts (butterflied), about 6
3 fresh thyme sprigs
2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced or finely grated
pinch of sugar
salt and pepper to taste
FOR THE ASPARAGUS
1 1/2 lbs. medium thick asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2 inch long pieces
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
FOR THE CARROTS
1 lb. carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 Tbsp. butter
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Whisk together vinegar, mustard, and garlic. Slowly drizzle in olive oil and whisk until an emulsion forms. Alternatively, shake ingredients together in a mason or other jar with a tight fitting lid until emulsified. Add sugar, salt, and pepper to taste. In a ziploc bag or other container, add 1 Tbsp. of the vinaigrette and thyme sprigs to the chicken cutlets/breasts and marinate at room temperature for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, place cut asparagus on a cookie sheet. Toss with 1 Tbsp. olive oil, salt, and pepper and arrange in a single, even layer. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until tender. While the asparagus is baking, place the cut carrots in a steamer basket over a saucepan of water. Cover with the lid and bring the water to a boil. Steam for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the carrots are fork tender. Season with salt and pepper and top with butter and chopped thyme.
4. Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat excess marinade off with a paper towel. Heat a skillet until a droplet of water sizzles when dropped in the pan. Sautee chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side. Serve the chicken and vegetable side dishes and top with the remaining vinaigrette, if desired.
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