By BeeWench Farm 

If you really want to wow someone this Valentine’s Day with a very simple and tasty meal, try the Marry-Me Chicken recipe! It got its name from being so good that whoever eats it will want to marry the chef. Worth a try if you are looking for a proposal, but this is also a super simple and delicious meal perfect for any weeknight. We use our BeeWench chicken breasts and pair it with a simple green salad with some fresh pasta from Etto. Etto also sells the best sundried tomatoes for this recipe and has many great things in its store in Tin City. This dish pairs very well with a glass of your favorite red wine. My favorite is the Veracity from Epoch Wines.

If you need a sweet treat after dinner, try chocolate fondue. It’s great for a date night and extra fun for kids. I do not own a fondue pot, but I do have a mini slow cooker, and it works great to keep the fondue the perfect temperature. Just set it to keep warm after you have made the fondue on the stove and set it up with lots of treats. You can also just leave it in the saucepan and reheat on the stove as needed. We are so lucky to have some delicious locally made chocolate, so check out Celia Chocolatier or Green Love Elixir Bar for the best chocolate bars and flavors to chop into your fondue. I personallylove using the orange and salted chocolate from Celia Chocolatier. I love dark chocolate, so I only added a little coconut oil, but the kids preferred adding in heavy cream, and we all loved chocolate-covered mandarin slices.

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In season fruits and vegetables that can be found at the farmer’s markets this month are: 

Fruits:

  • Blood Oranges
  • Kiwi
  • Kumquats
  • Grapefruit
  • Mandarins

Vegetables:

  • Parsnips
  • Celery
  • Kale
  • Mushrooms
  • Brussel Sprouts
  • Winter Squash

Marry Me Chicken

Ingredients

  • 3 large chicken breasts boneless and skinless, sliced lengthwise into thin cutlets (should be about ¼” thick)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour (sub gluten free)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter*
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 cup chicken stock or broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream*
  • ½ cup parmesan cheese grated*
  • 1 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
  • ¼ teaspoon oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon thyme
  • ⅓ cup sundried tomatoes chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh basil leaves

*To make this dairy-free, use extra olive oil or ghee instead of butter. You can sub coconut cream for heavy cream or justomit and use extra broth. Use dairy-free parmesan cheese, or just sprinkle on some nutritional yeast.

Instructions

  1. Season chicken with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour and shake off any excess.
  2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and melt the butter on medium heat. Swirl pan to coat with oil and butter evenly.
  3. Brown the chicken (do not overcrowd and work in batches if needed) for 4-5 minutes on each side or until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer onto a plate and set aside.
  4. Sauté the garlic for a minute or until it’s fragrant. Add the chicken stock and deglaze the pan scraping any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
  5. Adjust the heat to medium-low and add the heavy cream, parmesan cheese, and the sundried tomatoes to the skillet. Allow the sauce to simmer for a couple of minutes, then season with chili flakes, thyme, and oregano.
  6. Season with salt and pepper to your taste, then put the chicken back in the sauce and let the sauce simmer and thicken for about 4 more minutes.
  7. Garnish with chopped fresh basil leaves and serve warm over pasta or rice.

Chocolate Fondue

Ingredients

  • 18 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
  • ½ – ¾ cup heavy cream (sub non-dairy alternative like coconut cream)
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • Flaky sea salt, for topping, optional

Dipping Ideas

  • Fresh fruit: such as bananas, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, clementines, etc.
  • Cookies, marshmallows, pretzels, potato chips, cake, brownies, ect.

Instructions

  1. Combine chocolate and heavy cream in a medium saucepan. Stir until melted. Do not allow to boil.
  2. Add in vanilla
  3. Add in additional cream if needed to get it to a smooth consistency.
  4. Put mixture into a fondue pot, slow cooker, or just leave it in the saucepan and reheat as needed.

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