Rania's Recipes: Buttermilk Pecan Chicken & Linguine With Scallion Sauce & Sautéed Shrimp
Rania Harris stopped by PTL to show off some "five-ingredient" recipes that are perfect for people with hectic schedules.
Buttermilk Pecan Chicken
- 4 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 cups toasted pecans
- 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
- Vegetable oil for frying the chicken
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Place each chicken breast between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and gently flatten with a meat mallet or heavy flat object to an even 1/3-inch thick.
In a shallow bowl add the chicken and the buttermilk. Cover and marinate for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
In a food processor, pulse pecans until finely ground. Transfer the pecans to a large rimmed dish and add the Panko bread crumbs. Mix to combine well.
Remove marinated chicken breasts from buttermilk and shake off excess. Dip chicken in breading mixture, evenly coating both sides.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil. Add breaded breasts and shallow fry about 4 to 5 minutes on each side until golden in color. Remove from oil to and drain on paper towels. Immediately season with salt and pepper. Serve with an arugula salad.
Serves: 4
Linguine With Scallion Sauce and Sautéed Shrimp
- 3 large bunches scallions ~ cut into 2-inch pieces
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 large cloves of garlic – minced
- 1 pound medium shrimp – cleaned and deveined
- 1 pound fresh linguine
Directions:
Cut the scallion greens into 2-inch pieces to measure 3 cups and finely chop the white parts.
Cook the white parts of the scallions in 2 tablespoons of olive oil over moderately low heat until tender. Add the garlic and cook for a minute longer. Transfer the scallion-garlic mixture to a food processor.
Blanch the scallion greens in a large pot of boiling salted water for about 30 seconds and transfer them to the food processor, using a slotted spoon. Add ¼ of the scallion water to the food processor and keep the pot of boiling water on the heat for boiling the pasta. Blend the scallion mixture with 2 tablespoons of olive oil until smooth and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Heat a bit of olive oil in a deep skillet and sauté the shrimp just until pink and cooked through.
Meanwhile, cook the linguine al dente in the scallion water. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water. Add the pasta to the shrimp in the skillet with the sauce and add about ¼ cup of the pasta water and heat over low heat, tossing and adding more pasta water as needed, until just heated through.
Serves: 4
