Tenderloin Francese

Organic chicken shopping is troublesome enough without having to settle for not exactly what you want. I take it as a personal affront when my only choice is a package of tenderloins. It's like the butcher's telling me that I'm not competent enough to slice a chicken breast into strips, and so I grumpily grab the package and shove it in my bag, internally asserting my skill set... to no one and for no reason, really. Now what? Ugh, tenderloins! The solution comes later in the week, when I decide to make chicken francese strips. Along with some instant mashed potatoes and edamame beans in butter and cracked pepper, it's a meal my mother would call "very well-balanced."

 The Ingredients:

1 package organic chicken tenderloins

2 Soffer Farms eggs

½ cup organic flour

¼ cup corn starch (adds crispiness)

1 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, onion powder and parsley (optionally)

½ cup vegetable oil for frying

1 cup edamame (soy) beans

1 tablespoon butter

1 package instant mash potatoes (I am on the hunt for an organic version, but in this case, Betty Crocker makes a cameo)

The Steps:

Heat the oil over medium heat. Preheat the oven to 415 F. Mix the flour and cornstarch and seasonings together in one dish (not a plate) and scramble the eggs in another. Remove the tenderloins from the package (there is really no need to wash chicken, but if you feel the need, don't dry them off, as the moisture helps the flour cling to the surface better) and dredge in the flour mixture. Once coated, dredge in the eggs and place into the oil. Cook each side until a nice color forms and transfer to a paper towel. Once all the strips are par-cooked and on the paper towel, transfer those to a parchment-lined sheet pan and cook in the oven for at least ten minutes.

For the edamame beans, add a cup of the beans to a cup of water and the butter with cracked black pepper in a microwave safe bowl and cook for 2-3 minutes, then let stand. Mine were a little sturdy still, and they should be firm without being crunchy, so maybe next time, I'll go with stove cooking instead. Following the instructions on the instant mashed potato box, I at least was able to use organic butter and milk to offset what I'm sure is a wicked preservative level. The two sides cooking with the chicken in the oven allows for everything to come out done at the same time. There you have it – quick, balanced, filling dinner even if my chicken was cut for me.