these days, i feel like i'm spinning my wheels a bit. it has been a true blessing to have all my businesses grow over the summer, but my schedule has filled up to the MAX. in fact, for the first time ever i had to turn away a marketing opportunity because I JUST CAN'T. 

now i know, i know, this sounds a bit like complaining. i'm not. i promise. i am insanely grateful and somedays i literally have to pinch myself that wes and i are building the life we always dreamed of. when i'm delivering cakes on a special occasion or teaching a kid to take his first strokes, my heart literally bursts with joy. i cry happy tears OFTEN. 

BBBUUUUUUUTTTTTTTTTT. yup, there it is. 

now that i'm cooking for work, sometimes at the end of the day, the idea of cooking one more meal is just too much. so i've taken one of my favorite dishes and pretty much made it as easy as possible. i've taken the laborious parts out of chicken saltimbocca, but managed to keep all the flavor. the prep on this dish is a cinch and it really only requires one pan and one platter. easy to make. easy clean up. easy when i just can't. 

chicken with prosciutto and sage
serves: 2
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 20 minutes
total time: 25 minutes
ingredients: 10-12 oz chicken tenders. 2 oz prosciutto, chopped into 1 inch pieces. 8 medium sage leaves, chiffonade (thin slices). 4 tbs butter, divided. .25 cup dry white wine. .75 cup chicken stock. 1 tsp kosher salt. .25 tsp fresh ground black pepper. 2 cups arugula for serving. large heavy enamel or cast iron pan (you can always use whatever large pan you have on hand if you don't have either of those). 

start by heating your pan over medium low heat. add in your prosciutto and cook until it has crisped. 5-7 minutes. while your prosciutto is crisping, pat your chicken dry and season it with half the salt and pepper. 

remove the crispy prosciutto and place it on a paper towel so the excess fat can dry off.

add half the butter and increase the heat to medium high. 

when the butter has melted and is sizzling, add in the chicken and cook till browned on each side, about 3 minutes a side. 

remove the chicken to a platter. 

add the remaining butter and the white wine. bring the liquid to a heavy simmer and cook until the wine is reduced by half. about 2 minutes. 

pour in the chicken stock and most of the sage (keep a few fresh bits for garnish). bring the liquid back to a simmer and cook until it has reduced again by half. about 3 to 5 minutes. 

add the chicken back to the pan as well as the prosciutto and let it simmer till the chicken is nice and saucy and warmed through. about 2 minutes. 

serve your chicken on a bed of arugula and drizzle with the sauce. 

top with any additional sage for garnish and serve hot. 

xo, a

chicken with prosciutto and sage
serves: 2
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 20 minutes
total time: 25 minutes
ingredients: 10-12 oz chicken tenders. 2 oz prosciutto, chopped into 1 inch pieces. 8 medium sage leaves, chiffonade (thin slices). 4 tbs butter, divided. .25 cup dry white wine. .75 cup chicken stock. 1 tsp kosher salt. .25 tsp fresh ground black pepper. 2 cups arugula for serving. large heavy enamel or cast iron pan (you can always use whatever large pan you have on hand if you don't have either of those).
tart by heating your pan over medium low heat. add in your prosciutto and cook until it has crisped. 5-7 minutes. while your prosciutto is crisping, pat your chicken dry and season it with half the salt and pepper. remove the crispy prosciutto and place it on a paper towel so the excess fat can dry off. add half the butter and increase the heat to medium high. when the butter has melted and is sizzling, add in the chicken and cook till browned on each side, about 3 minutes a side. remove the chicken to a platter. add the remaining butter and the white wine. bring the liquid to a heavy simmer and cook until the wine is reduced by half. about 2 minutes. pour in the chicken stock and most of the sage (keep a few fresh bits for garnish). bring the liquid back to a simmer and cook until it has reduced again by half. about 3 to 5 minutes. add the chicken back to the pan as well as the prosciutto and let it simmer till the chicken is nice and saucy and warmed through. about 2 minutes. serve your chicken on a bed of arugula and drizzle with the sauce. top with any additional sage for garnish and serve hot. 

wes has been working at the VERY high end nobu restaurant that recently opened by our house for about five months now. and while their food is absolutely delicious, it is WAY too pricey for either of us to be eating there on the reg. so we have taken to recreating their signature dishes at home. 

since the restaurant is the new hotspot in town, many people have been asking me before they go if i think it is "worth" the somewhat hefty price tag. and the answer is YES. and here is one of my main reasons why. they do even the SIMPLEST things BETTER than anyone else. the dishes i've had there have been heads above other versions of the same japanese dishes i've had at many other places. and my favorite of all? the currently menu trendy shishito peppers. i feel like everywhere i eat these days has shishitos on the menu and the nobu version just crushes all the others. 

so these nobu style shishito peppers have become a reoccurring dish in our house. now nothing is quite as good as the real thing (because food always taste better when someone else made it for you) but they are pretty damn close. 

nobu style shishito peppers
serves: 4
prep time: 2 minutes
active time: 8 minutes
total time: 10 minutes
ingredients: 8 oz shishito peppers, washed and dried. 2 tbs sweet miso paste (recommend white miso). 1 tsp lemon juice + lemon wedges for serving. couple pinches kosher salt. 1 tsp sesame seeds. grill trey or large heavy pan. 

start by blistering your shishito peppers. with either a grill trey over the open flame on your stove, or in a hot, large pan, cook the shishitos over high heat till the outsides blister. flipping once or twice. about 5-7 minutes. remove the shishitos from the heat when they have blistered. 

while they are cooking, in a small bowl, whisk together the miso paste with the lemon juice. use a little more juice from a wedge if need be to make the miso paste more like a sauce. 

when the shishitos are blistered, toss them in a bowl with the lemon juice and miso. 

season with the kosher salt. top with sesame seeds and lemon garnish and serve. 

xo, a 

nobu style shishito peppers
serves: 4
prep time: 2 minutes
active time: 8 minutes
total time: 10 minutes
ingredients: 8 oz shishito peppers, washed and dried. 2 tbs sweet miso paste (recommend white miso). 1 tsp lemon juice + lemon wedges for serving. couple pinches kosher salt. 1 tsp sesame seeds. grill trey or large heavy pan.
start by blistering your shishito peppers. with either a grill trey over the open flame on your stove, or in a hot, large pan, cook the shishitos over high heat till the outsides blister. flipping once or twice. about 5-7 minutes. remove the shishitos from the heat when they have blistered. while they are cooking, in a small bowl, whisk together the miso paste with the lemon juice. use a little more juice from a wedge if need be to make the miso paste more like a sauce. when the shishitos are blistered, toss them in a bowl with the lemon juice and miso. season with the kosher salt. top with sesame seeds and lemon garnish and serve.