Lemon-Sage Chicken & Braised Mustard Greens

This week's "box" contained:

• 1 zucchini
• 2 summer squash
• 4 bell peppers (yellow and red)
• 4 tomatoes
• Bunch of purple-orange carrots (so beautiful!)
• Bunch of purple green beans
• 1 canelope melon
• 2 onions
• 2 eggplants (long, thin eggplants)
• Bunch of mustard greens

Week 11 brought something new: mustard greens! Mustard greens are the leaves of the mustard plant (the mustard plant produces the brown seeds used to make Dijon mustard). Most mustard greens are dark, emerald green in color (like mine), while others can be dark red or purple in color.

I decided to braise the mustard greens with bacon (adapted from this recipe) and use the sage growing in my garden to make lemon-sage chicken (adapted from this recipe).

Braised Mustard Greens

(Yields 2 servings)

Ingredients:

• 2 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 bunch mustard greens, chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 1 Tbsp. vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Place chopped bacon into a hot pan. Cook over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes, or until bacon is browned
2. Add chopped mustard greens and vinegar; cook for 1 minute
3. Add sugar, salt, pepper and chicken broth. Cover pan, reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes (while the greens are simmering, cook your chicken!)

Here is a picture of the finished mustard greens:

Lemon-Sage Chicken

(Yields 2 servings)

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 Tbsp. flour
• 1 egg
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2 sprigs of sage (pick leaves from stem)
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter 

Directions:

1. Place chicken breasts between plastic wrap and pound each chicken breast until they're about 1/4 inch thick
2. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper
3. Place flour on a plate. Beat egg and lemon juice together in a bowl
4. Heat pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add olive oil (enough to coat pan)
5. Dredge each chicken breast in flour (tap off excess), then dip it in the egg. Make sure you are coating both sides of the chicken breast
6. Place chicken in hot pan. Cook for 2 minutes. Add sage leaves and flip chicken. Cook for another 2 minutes
7. Remove chicken and sage from pan. If you have oil sitting at the bottom of your pan, pour it out
8. Pour wine and chicken broth into pan. Cook until liquid is reduced by half. Add butter and swirl until melted
9. Pour sauce oven chicken breasts and serve

Here is a picture of the completed meal:


Enjoy and thanks for reading!