It's Movie Night, Honey!

We are celebrating movies over at I Heart Cooking Clubs this week, such a fun theme. My husband and I were lucky enough to tuck the kids in and watch one of the newest romantic comedies, Leap Year. It was a cute movie, and even featured a cooking scene where the two main characters made a Coq Au Vin.

In honor of the movie I created a romantic meal featuring honey, to eat with my honey! I chose three recipes, all by Mark Bittman. For dinner, I made Mark's Panko Chicken with Grapefruit-Honey Sauce. To accompany the chicken, I served a light salad of Romaine lettuce and Mark's Orzo "Risotto". To go along with the citrus and honey theme, I made Mark's Lemon Mascarpone Mousse for dessert, drizzled with honey and topped with ladyfingers.

Panko Chicken with Grapefruit-Honey Sauce
Adapted from Kitchen Express by Mark Bittman
Pound chicken breasts to one-quarter-inch thickness; dredge them first in a beaten egg and then in panko breadcrumbs seasoned with salt and pepper. Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil; cook the chicken on both side until golden and just done; about four minutes total. Wipe the pan clean and soften some minced garlic for a minute in some more oil or butter; add half a cup of grapefruit juice and a tablespoon or so of honey. Season with salt and pepper and reduce until syrupy. Serve chicken generously drizzled with the sauce and garnished with fresh grapefruit slices.

Orzo "Risotto" with Chives (or without chives in my case)
Adapted from Kitchen Express by Mark Bittman
Heat a mixture of butter and olive oil until foamy; stir in a handful or two of chopped chives and some salt and pepper and cook until the herbs are softened and fragrant (I omitted the herbs). Now stir in a pound of orzo and keep cooking and stirring until it begins to get translucent. Stir in chicken stock (or water), a ladelful at a time, waiting for the pan to get almost dry before adding another. Repeat until the pasta is al dente and most of the liquid is absorbed, about eight minutes. Add butter, grated Parmesan cheese, and enough stock to reach the consistency you like. Serve, passing more cheese at the table.

Now, for dessert.........................


Yum....Lemon Mascarpone Mousse!

Lemon Mascarpone Mousse
Adapted from Kitchen Express
Finely grate the rind of a lemon. Whisk together a cup of mascarpone, the lemon's juice and grated rind, and about a quarter cup of sugar (or more to taste) until smooth. Add a tablespoon or two of heavy cream to moisten if needed. If you have time, chill for a bit before serving in pudding cups; top with a drizzle of honey and serve with ladyfingers.


Notes/Results: I loved the recipe for the Panko Chicken with Grapefruit-Honey sauce. The chicken turned out perfectly and the sauce was both tangy and sweet with little bits of minced garlic running through. It paired great with a light salad. The orzo "risotto" is total comfort food and is something that we will definitely make again. The lemon mascarpone mousse was the star of the show, especially drizzled with honey and topped with a ladyfinger or two. A fabulous, quick dessert that you can throw together in no time, definitely worth a repeat!

A quick, easy, super tasty meal featuring honey! I hope you all have time to grab your honey, your kids, your friend, or even your favorite blanket and relax with a great movie!

Click HERE to see what everyone else made for Movie Night!!