Welcome to The Blue Kitchen, as someone who has always loved to cook and had a passion food I decided to start this newsletter simply as a way for me to test out new recipes and create some fun content along the way - because if there’s anything you can never consume too much of, it’s some tasty content.

I’ll be the first to admit, I’m no Laurent Dagenais (I’ve kindly hyperlinked for reference in case you’re not familiar with the king, you’re welcome), however having consumed an abundance of culinary content of the years, picking up a thing or two along the way as well as having a genuine curiosity and love for cooking - I felt it would be appropriate. In this newsletter you can expect to read about recent recipes, restaurants, and any other food-related topics I think are worth sharing with you hungry bunch.

To start things off I figured I’d share a quick and easy one that I’ve made repeatedly over the last few months that never gets old - Chicken Milanese w/ Arugula Salad. About as simple and effective as it gets folks, easy to make - easier to consume. Chicken cutlets fried to a golden crisp in extra virgin olive oil, paired well with some greens to help eliminate any guilty feelings you might have after polishing off that cutlet in record time.

Chicken Milanese w/ Arugula Salad

The key focus here, as is with all recipes that involve cooking in olive oil, is to make sure you don’t skimp out on the good stuff - trust me, spending the extra money goes a long way. Check out the ingredients and recipe instructions below, and in the meantime follow on IG & TikTok for updates and more delicious content!

Ingredients:

• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Red pepper flakes to taste

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 2 large eggs

• 1 cup breadcrumbs (I prefer the brand 4C, but if you have the means, blending up day old bread is ideal)

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• Olive oil for frying

• Lemon wedges for serving

• Arugula or mixed greens for serving

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Chicken:

   • Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper.

   • Pound them with a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy pan until they are about 1/4 inch thick. This ensures even cooking and tenderness.

   • Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.

2. Set up the Breading Station:

   • In three separate shallow dishes, set up your breading station. Place flour in one dish, beaten eggs in another, and breadcrumbs mixed with Parmesan cheese, oregano in the third dish.

3. Bread the Chicken:

   • Dredge each chicken breast first in the flour, shaking off any excess.

   • Then dip the chicken into the beaten eggs, allowing any excess to drip off.

   • Finally, coat the chicken in the breadcrumb mixture, pressing gently to adhere the crumbs to the chicken.

4. Fry the Chicken:

   • Heat about 1/4 inch deep of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

   • Once the oil is hot, carefully add the breaded chicken breasts to the skillet.

   • Fry the chicken for about 3-4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and cooked through. The internal temperature should reach 165°F (75°C).

   • Transfer the cooked chicken to a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess oil.

5. Toss the salad on top and GO TO TOWN!

Cheers,

Jack