It's amazing what a sense of accomplishment results from something as simple as cooking dinner and feeding your family. I've been too long away from kitchen, burying my need to cook under the busyness of grad school first, then the demands of a new job. There is such sweet satisfaction in the licorice smell of fresh basil, the tangy green of parsley, and the brightness of lemon offset against the sharp bite of Parmesan cheese.
Tonight's dinner, all from Barefoot Contessa: Family Style, was Parmesan Chicken, hearts of romaine with Lemon Vinaigrette, and Provencal Tomatoes. These dishes complimented each other nicely, with the Parmesan in the tomatoes echoing, but not really repeating, the Parmesan in the chicken. It went together fairly quickly once the prep work was done. Somehow, I got my skillet too hot and had a hard time cooling it down, so once the chicken was browned, I put it in the convection oven heated to 325 degrees for about 15 minutes--just for insurance. While the chicken finished in the oven, I cleaned up the kitchen, dressed the greens with the Lemon Vinaigrette, and prepared to plate the meal.
My husband's comment was that the meal just tasted fresh and healthy, and was absolutely correct. I loved the vibrant taste of the vinaigrette against the more solid flavor of the chicken, and spooned some extra over my portion. I'm looking forward to leftovers for lunch tomorrow.