Happy New Year!
As we venture into the new year, most of us plan to eat healthier, exercise better, and work towards our goals for the upcoming year. Of course, my goal is always to eat healthier, exercise, and write more.
So today I’m sharing one of my favorite recipes, which is mostly healthy.
Jake, the hero in Final Mend, is a recovering alcoholic who cooks food as a means to relax and work off his anxieties. Saucy Baked Chicken, paired with Herbed Vegetables and cherry cheesecake or strawberry shortcake for dessert is the absolute perfect way to impress a date. And to eat healthy!
My husband cooked this for me, and it’s one I beg for time and time again. This dish pairs well with chilled Moscato wine, but Jake chooses to drink sparkling apple juice. Following the recipe is a short excerpt of this scene where Jake cooks for Winona.
I’d love to hear what you think!
Saucy Baked Chicken
Adapted from Time Life recipe card
Ingredients
6 chicken cutlets (about 1 ½ pounds)
1 medium onion, sliced
8 oz sliced white mushrooms
¼ cup olive oil
1 ½ cup chicken broth
4 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 ½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 450. Pour oil into large roasting pan. Add chicken, onion, and mushrooms, turning to coat with oil. Bake 5 minutes; turn chicken over and stir vegetables. Bake an additional 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in medium bowl, whisk flour into chicken broth. Add vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, stirring well.
When chicken has cooked for 10 minutes, add broth mixture to roasting pan, cover with foil and bake 10 minutes. Remove foil; stir vegetables and baked, uncovered, until sauce bubbles and is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
Heat broiler. Turn chicken over. Place pan 6 inches from heat and broil until chicken just starts to turn golden, about 3-5 minutes. Serve immediately.
Side Dish: Herbed Squash, Potatoes, and Green Beans
Ingredients
1 to 1.5 pounds total of the following: green beans, squash, and potatoes, or any vegetable in season at the time. Almost anything works well with this dish.
2 tsb olive oil or butter
3 largely sliced shallots
½ tsp sugar
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
2 tsp grated lemon zest
¼ cup thinly sliced basil leaves
½ cup heavy cream
Directions
Bring ½ cup heavy cream to boil. Add vegetables and simmer low under tender-crisp, about 8 minutes. Adjust to taste or depending on how saucy you like it. You can also drain any sauce if you don’t want saucy.
Meanwhile, heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and sugar; cook until softened and golden, about 2 minutes. Add salt, pepper, lemon zest, basil leaves, and vegetables. Cook, stirring, until heated through, about 2 minutes.
Excerpt:
Bags in hand, he walked to her condo, praying she was home. If not, well, hell, maybe he’d knock on her brother’s door and offer to make him and Naomi a meal. He had to cook before he went crazy.
He heard scrambling behind the door after he knocked, a muttered curse, and a “Just a minute.” His heart fluttered as he wondered what all the commotion was about. Had she just gotten out of the shower and was getting dressed? He should have called, but he wanted to surprise her.
Winona opened the door with green on her face and her hair wrapped in goo. She wore a pink, slinky robe tied tight around her, but it didn’t completely conceal her cleavage. His body responded, but he urged his lust to go away. Now was not the time.
She eyed his grocery sacks. “What’s this?”
“Dinner.” He pushed her aside and set the sacks on the bar. Removing the wine, he stored it in the fridge to chill. “What is that on your face?”
“An avocado mask.”
“What’s in it?”
“Avocado.”
He swiped his finger across her cheek and licked his finger. “Mmm. Pretty. I brought dinner. I hope you’re hungry.”
“Excuse me? I thought we were meeting at your place later.”
“I’ll go crazy if I don’t cook and my room doesn’t have a kitchen.” Jake unloaded the vegetables and set them out on the counter, hoping to entice her with the pretty colors and fresh smells. He stored the chicken in the refrigerator and washed his hands. “Do you mind if I use yours?”
“You could have called first.”
“And miss that green gunk on your face?” Jake stopped what he was doing and looked at her, grinning.
God, she was beautiful, even with a green face and goo in her hair. His eyes trailed the length of her robe and he caught a glimpse of her leg as the robe sliced open. She was barefoot, save for a glimmer of silvery pink on her toenails.
She set her hands on her hips and wrinkled her nose. “Fine. I’m going to take a shower. Help yourself to the kitchen and anything you need. And pour me a glass of wine.”
“Yes, Ms. Boss.” He felt better already as he watched her sashay her hips down the hall to her bedroom.
She paused at the door. “Wait a second.”
“What?”
“What are you doing with wine?”
He hesitated. She’d called him a recovering alcoholic last night, her scornful voice still trolling through him. “It’s for you.” He held up the sparkling juice. “I’m not drinking.”
“I’m not either.”
He shrugged. “Your loss.”
She tossed her head and stuck her tongue out at him, then disappeared into the room.
Chuckling, he preheated the oven and set about preparing the marinade for the chicken. As it set, he cut up the veggies and prepared the sauce. While the chicken baked and the vegetables simmered, he prepared the cherry cheesecake and stewed over Winona.
He’d never tried to hide his problem. It was all over the Internet. And she’d been right that it wouldn’t take long for the paparazzi to proclaim news of a relapse if someone saw him, recognized him, and called. His reputation would be ruined, possibly his career, especially because he was already in the spotlight with Brandon’s death.
Winona emerged from her room while he was in the middle of mixing the cream cheese. He stopped what he was doing to look at her. She smelled of jasmine and roses. She’d dried her hair and it flowed down her back in soft waves. A natural beauty. He barely noticed her eye makeup. She wore a flirty summer dress that flared at her knees. Her eyes flickered when she met his gaze.
“Is this a date?” he asked as he topped the cheesecake with cherries.
“No,” she barked. “It’s a business meeting.”
“Do you attend all your business meetings looking like a sex goddess?”
She blushed, and fire shot straight to his loins. Frowning, she rolled her eyes and glared at him. Probably doing everything she could not to look like a sex goddess. It didn’t work.
“Sorry,” he said. “You look really beautiful.”
“Should I go change? Put that green gunk back on my face?”
“I liked the green gunk,” he admitted.
“Whatever you’re cooking, it smells good.” Winona eyed the table, which he hadn’t had a chance to set up yet. He finished adding the fresh cherries on top of the cheesecake and placed it in the fridge.
“Can I help with anything?” she asked.
He checked his veggies and the temperature on the chicken. He’d bought a meat thermometer at the store because he didn’t know if she’d have one. The secret to good chicken was the right temperature.
“I just finished setting the table. Do you want to pick out music?”
“Music? I’ve never had a business meeting with music.”
“It doesn’t have to all be business,” he said. He already felt better after cooking, and Winona would be enjoyable company.
“If you think this fancy dinner and charming table set up with soft music and candlelight is going to make me sleep with you, think again.”
“If I wanted you to sleep with me, I wouldn’t go for dinner.” Jake carried plates and utensils to the table. Arranging a small arrangement of flowers he’d picked up at the market, he lit the array of candles beside it. “I do this for Amy all the time. She loves it. Cooking is my … I don’t know. It’s how I relax. I love it.”
“So you’ve never done it to impress a woman?”
“I never said that.”
“What would you do?”
“About what?”
“If you wanted me to go to bed with you. What would you do? How would you play it?”
The fire in Jake’s loins made camp, blasting his entire lower extremities with heat. He burned with the need to watch her squirm. Sweeping his gaze over her body, he grinned and shrugged. “I don’t know. I’d start by kissing you. I’d slowly come in with my mouth.” Heart pounding, he swaggered slowly towards her, his smile wide and confidence at its peak.
She impeded that confidence with a palm to his chest as he closed in.
“Won’t work.”
“Maybe not right now,” he drawled.