The Betty Crocker Project : Chicken Nicoise & Garden Patch Saute

Why hellooo, little Garden Patch Saute & Vegan Chicken Nicose. What's a fancy French dinner like you doing in a blog about Betty Crocker?

One of the things I love the most about Betty is that mixed in with the Cheeseburger Pies and Patty Melts are some pretty schamncy dishes that you'd expect to find at one of the upscale vegan/vegan-friendly restaurants in LA or NYC.

Chicken Nicoise is one of those. Betty suggested pairing it with salad and serving it over rice, but I looked into it a bit, and I guess the French actually eat it with roasted potatoes or a baguette to soak up the garlicy white wine "au jus", and pair it with a side of sauteed seasonal vegetables. So tapping into my inner pretend French person, I followed suit. For the sake of authenticity, of course--not because I fell in love with the organic Artisan bread I used for the Avocado sandwich and want any excuse to eat more. That would just be selfish.

I had a lovely pretend French evening; I watched Love Me if You Dare and Paris, and ate this with several glasses of chilled mineral water. I admit I abuse mineral water on a regular basis. Polishing off bottles left and right, sometimes 2 in a day... we all have vices.

It was a stay-cation to France that I would highly recommend. Maybe spray your sofa with some lavender and play this song to add a little extra something.

Chicken Nicoise

• 1 1/4 Cups Dry White Wine
• 4 Vegan Chicken Breasts (I made these using Match Vegan Meats Chicken and recommend that you use that product. Because it isn't already formed, you can make your own serving sizes and it soaked up the White Wine and other flavors perfectly without getting soggy. It was perfection. You can also use Gardein Chicken Breasts as well.)
• 3 Cloves of Garlic (minced)
• 1/2 Cup Small Whole Onions (also called Pearl Onions)
• 1/4 Teaspoons Fresh Basil (diced)
• 1/4 Teaspoon Oregano (dried)
• 1/4 Teaspoon Thyme (dried)
• 1/4 Teaspoon Celery Seed
• A Pinch of Onion Powder
• 1 Green Bell Pepper (diced)
• 1/2 Cup Kalamata Olive (It's OK to get some of the Kalamata Olive Oil in there, but not too much.)
• 1 Warm Baguette to eat it with

If you are using the Match Chicken , form the Chicken Breasts into cutlets a little smaller than your hands and a little thicker than a slice of bread.

In your bien 'aime cast iron skillet, heat the White Wine on a medium heat to a boil. Place the Fake Chicken in there and cook for around 3-4 minutes. You're going to want to flip it a few times to make sure it gets a soft golden color to it.

Add Garlic, Onions, Seasoning, Bell Peppers and Olives and let it cook for another 3-4 minutes. You're going to want to keep flipping and stirring it a bit to make sure everything gets evenly cooked.

Now unless you're so awesome you're legendary, you may not a second cast-iron skillet to make the Garden Patch Saute. Many of us don't have a sautee pan either, so any old skillet will do. But I recommend using a cast-iron skillet or a saute pan if you're that awesome*. I also want to add that Betty's recipe was already vegan and just needed a bit more to it.

Garden Patch Saute

• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 Medium Zucchini (cut into coins)
• 1 Medium Yellow Summer Squash (cut into coins)
• 1 Cup Mushrooms (sliced)
• 1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes (cut in half)
  2 Tablespoons Fresh Chives (chopped)
• 1 Clove Garlic (minced)
• 1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
• Splash of White Wine

In your pan of choice, heat the Olive Oil on a medium heat. Cook Zucchini, Squash and Mushrooms for about 3-4 minutes until the vegetables are tender but still crispy.

Stir the Tomatoes, Chives, Garlic, Garlic Powder and White Wine. Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Serve once the Tomatoes start to soften.

*I used a wok so please don't think I'm judging.