Lemon Chicken with Lemon Dill Risotto

Risotto is SO yummy! It is made with Aborio rice which makes its own creamy sauce. It is also very versatile, you can flavor it any which way, you can even add chicken, shrimp or salmon to the risotto itself to make it a nice main dish. Risotto is not as labor intensive as it is made out to be. It does, however, require frequent but not constant stirring. Lemon chicken is super easy to make and fairly quick. It really pairs well with the risotto. Serve with some green beans or asparagus to make a lovely meal!

Lemon Dill Risotto

• 1 cup aborio rice (you really do need to use aborio rice)
• 5 cups hot chicken stock
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• juice and zest of one lemon
• 1 tsp. dill
• salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large skillet with deep sides, add the onion and garlic and cook until onion is translucent. Add the rice and cook about one minute to toast it slightly. Add the wine and cook another 2-3 minutes until reduced. The next part is very important. Add hot chicken stock one cup at a time and allow to cook about 3-5 minutes until absorbed before adding the next cup of stock. Stir before and after each addition. Once the last cup of stock is added, allow it to be absorbed by the rice and then add the lemon zest, the lemon juice and the dill. Stir while adding the parmesan. Add salt and pepper. Let cook one minute more, stirring constantly until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is creamy.

Lemon Chicken
I am not sure how I came up with this chicken, but it has always been a hit. One thing I should mention is that it does have butter in it. Many people who know me can't believe I still cook with butter, so let's discuss this for a minute. Butter is considered a whole food that comes from nature. I learned a majority of my cooking skills in France where butter is used frequently in cooking. Butter is high in fat, but it is not bad for you if you are smart about how and when you use it. Also, butter is MUCH better for you than margarine which is made in a lab from processed corn. I don't have any qualms about cooking with butter, but if you take issue with it, it can easily be left out or substituted. Also, both the risotto and the chicken have wine on the ingredient list. It is perfectly acceptable to cook with wine when you have children as the alcohol cooks off. If you are nervous about it though, you can substitute with chicken stock.

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
• 2 tbsp butter - divided
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• salt and pepper

• juice and zest of one lemon

In a large skillet, heat the 1 tbsp. butter and the oil. Mix the flour with the salt, pepper and garlic powder. Dredge chicken in flour and add to the skillet. Saute until chicken is browned, about 5 minutes on each side. Remove chicken from the skillet and add the white wine to deglaze the pan, cook about 2 minutes or until reduced. Add the chicken stock and hte other tablespoon of butter. Stir until butter is melted. Add the lemon juice and zest, cook another minute. Add the chicken back into the skillet, stir to coat with the sauce and the cover and cook another 5-10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is the consistency of syrup.

I hope that you enjoy this meal. As always I welcome your feedback and I welcome your meal ideas as well! I am always looking for new ideas.
On that note, I found a couple of really good websites for recipes and meal planning. The first is Kitchen Monki, http://www.kitchenmonki.com/. This website is great because it not only helps you plan meals and provides recipes, it will also make you a grocery list. The other website is http://www.familycorner.com/. This is a great site because it has ideas for healthy snacks and kid friendly recipes. It is also a great website for kids' crafts and parent support.

Anyway, until tomorrow, happy cooking!