Crispy Chicken Cutlets with Shallot-Pear Sauce over Wilted Spinach
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Recipe shared with us by USA Pears - adapted and reprinted with permission from the publisher, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, from Weeknight Wonders by Ellie Krieger. Copyright 2013. All rights reserved.
Author:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • Salt, to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour (see option in post above for gluten-free)
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 3 tablespoons dairy-free buttery spread / non-hydrogenated margarine, divided
  • 2 shallots, thinly sliced
  • 2 large pears, peeled, cored and cut in ½-inch dice
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • ¾ cup chicken or vegetable stock
  • 4 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme (about 4 sprigs)
  • 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley
  • 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1-1/4 pounds fresh spinach, trimmed, washed and dried
Instructions
  1. Place each chicken breast between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Using a mallet, pound breasts to ¼-inch thickness. Season both sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper and coat with the flour.
  2. Place 1 tablespoon each of olive oil and margarine in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the margarine begins to foam, add two chicken breasts and sauté one side until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the chicken breasts over and sauté the other side until cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to plate, raise heat to medium high and repeat with another tablespoon each of olive oil and margarine and other 2 chicken breasts.
  3. Add the shallots and pears to the pan and cook over medium-high heat until lightly translucent and golden, about 3 minutes. Add the lemon juice, mustard, chicken stock and any juices on the plate and deglaze the pan, scraping to loosen any brown bits on bottom with wooden spoon. Simmer until the sauce reduces by half, about 4 minutes. Add chopped thyme and parsley, and gradually stir in the remaining margarine until just melted.
  4. For the spinach, add the remaining olive oil and sliced garlic to a large sauté pan. Warm oil over high heat. When very hot, and before garlic has color, add the spinach and cook, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes or until spinach is bright green and slightly wilted. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  5. To serve, divide spinach between four plates, placing a mound on each. Top spinach with cutlet and spoon shallot and pear sauce over top.
Recipe by Go Dairy Free at https://www.godairyfree.org/recipes/crispy-chicken-cutlets-pear-sauce