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. 

it's not that often anymore, but every once in a while, a client orders a dessert other than a cake. we recently catered for a party that had a gluten free hostess, so i was really challenged to create some desserts that were just as delicious and even more beautiful than their gluten full friends. 

tweaking the classic shortbread crust on this tart was surprisingly easy. and in my opinion, the addition of almond flavor really stepped things up a notch. not only is the tart delicious, because your not baking the filling, you can really set the berries in any style you like. you can throw them in at random or build a really beautiful pattern. the world is your oyster. 

blueberry lemon tart + gluten free almond crust
serves: 8-10
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 20 minutes
bake time: 20 minutes
total time: 45 minutes
ingredients: 2 cups almond flour. .25 cup sugar. .25 tsp kosher salt. 4 tbs butter, cubed, plus 1 tsp to butter the tart pan. .5 tsp vanilla extract. 1 egg. 2 cups greek yogurt. 1 cup lemon curd. 1 cup blueberries. baby mint leaves as desired. rectangular or 8-9 inch round tart pan. 

start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees f. in a food processor or in a mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, sugar, salt, butter, vanilla extract and the egg. 

pulse (or mix) until the mixture forms a rough ball. 

lightly butter the base and edges of your tart pan and dump your dough into the tart pan. 

using your fingers, gently press the dough to cover the bottom of the pan and up the edges. 

prick the base of your dough with a fork a generously and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the edges begin to lightly brown. remove the shell from the oven and allow it to cool slightly.

while the shell is cooling, combine the lemon curd and greek yogurt. 

stir till it is completely combined. 

pour the lemon yogurt filling into the tart shell. 

add in your blueberries and any mint you like in your desired pattern. 

serve immediately or chill in the fridge until ready to serve. can be made a day or two in advance. 

xo, a

blueberry lemon tart + gluten free almond crust
serves: 8-10
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 20 minutes
bake time: 20 minutes
total time: 45 minutes
ingredients: 2 cups almond flour. .25 cup sugar. .25 tsp kosher salt. 4 tbs butter, cubed, plus 1 tsp to butter the tart pan. .5 tsp vanilla extract. 1 egg. 2 cups greek yogurt. 1 cup lemon curd. 1 cup blueberries. baby mint leaves as desired. rectangular or 8-9 inch round tart pan.
start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees f. in a food processor or in a mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, sugar, salt, butter, vanilla extract and the egg. pulse (or mix) until the mixture forms a rough ball. lightly butter the base and edges of your tart pan and dump your dough into the tart pan. using your fingers, gently press the dough to cover the bottom of the pan and up the edges. prick the base of your dough with a fork a generously and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the edges begin to lightly brown. remove the shell from the oven and allow it to cool slightly. while the shell is cooling, combine the lemon curd and greek yogurt. stir till it is completely combined. pour the lemon yogurt filling into the tart shell. add in your blueberries and any mint you like in your desired pattern. serve immediately or chill in the fridge until ready to serve. can be made a day or two in advance.