The Sexy Forever Recipe Bible (84 page)

Four 6-ounce skinless and boneless chicken breasts

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Juice from 3 lemons

6 tablespoons olive oil

40 fresh sage leaves, or 2 teaspoons dried

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter

4 lemons wedges, for garnish

Season the
chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Place them in a casserole dish. Add the lemon juice, half of the oil, and the sage. Turn the chicken to coat evenly, cover, and set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Add the butter and the remaining 3 tablespoons oil. When hot and bubbly, take each piece of chicken out of the marinade (reserving marinade and sage) and place in the skillet. Cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken breasts over, then remove the sage leaves from the marinade and add to the bottom of the skillet. Cook another 5 to 7 minutes, until breasts are cooked through. The sage should get crispy in the bottom of the pan. (If it is getting overcooked, remove it from the pan and set aside.) Remove the chicken breasts and sage and cover loosely with foil while you make the sauce.

Return the pan to medium-high heat. Add the reserved marinade and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the sauce boil until it reduces to a thick syrupy sauce, about 1 minute. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Garnish with the lemon wedges. Serve immediately.

SERVES 4

chicken scaloppine with tarragon

PROTEIN, HEALTHY FATS, VEGETABLES, INSULIN TRIGGERS
DETOX, LEVEL 1, LEVEL 2

8 chicken cutlets, pounded to ¼-inch thickness (see Note)

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

8 sprigs fresh tarragon

8 paper-thin slices pancetta (or prosciutto)

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ cup dry white wine (use stock for Detox)

½ cup chicken stock or broth, preferably
homemade

4 lemon wedges, for serving

Season both sides of the cutlets with salt and pepper. Place 1 large tarragon sprig on each piece of chicken. On top of the cutlet and tarragon, place 1 piece of pancetta. Press the tarragon and pancetta against the cutlet to make them stick. Repeat until all the cutlets are prepared. (The cutlets may be prepared as above up to 4 hours in advance. Cover them and place in the refrigerator. Just make sure you remove them from the refrigerator 15 minutes before cooking to allow them to come to room temperature.)

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter. When the butter is melted, add as many cutlets as will fit flat in the pan. Cook for 2 minutes on each side. As the cutlets are cooked, set aside in a warm oven. Continue until all the cutlets are cooked.

After removing the last cutlets from the skillet, add the wine. Cook until the steam disappears. Add the stock, then reduce the sauce by half, turn off the heat, and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter until melted.

Place two cutlets on each plate and top with a little sauce. Serve with a lemon wedge.

SERVES 4

NOTE
 Ask your butcher to pound the cutlets to ¼-inch scaloppine.

chicken pot pie

PROTEIN, HEALTHY FATS, CARBOHYDRATES, INSULIN TRIGGERS
LEVEL 2

6 tablespoons olive oil

Three 6-ounce skinless and boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch fingers, or 3 cups cooked chicken

3 yellow onions, thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, chopped

2 red bell peppers, cored and thinly sliced, then cut in half

2 tablespoons (¼ stick) unsalted butter, plus ¼ cup (½ stick) melted

1 tablespoon whole wheat flour

2 cups chicken stock or broth, preferably
homemade

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste

½ teaspoon sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 package phyllo dough, thawed

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Heat a medium sauté pan (with straight sides) on high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. If using raw chicken, sauté until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve on a plate.

Adding more oil as needed, fry the sliced onions over medium heat for 15 minutes, until golden brown. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the red peppers and sauté for 5 minutes more.

Add the 2 tablespoons butter and stir it into the mixture. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Then add the chicken stock, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Reduce liquid for 5 minutes more. Add the chicken and cook for another 2 to 5 minutes. Sauce should be thickened and brown in color. Place the hot filling in a baking dish. (This recipe can be made in advance up to this point. Reheat the filling before assembling the phyllo crust.)

When you are ready to assemble the pie, brush 5 sheets of phyllo with melted butter and arrange the phyllo atop the filling one sheet at a time in a ruffled-flower free-form design.

Bake for 10 minutes. Watch carefully, as the crust should be lightly browned and crisp. Serve immediately.

SERVES 4 TO 6

chicken curry with cucumber salad

PROTEIN, HEALTHY FATS, VEGETABLES
DETOX, LEVEL 1, LEVEL 2