Chicken Paillard with Asparagus

 Shot with my Iphone- not kidding when I say this was a fast and easy weeknight meal!

Something I've been doing to make veggie making a bit easier, is blanching them and storing in the fridge for a quick reheat in the skillet.

We wanted a quick and easy meal and this whole thing came together in less than 30 minutes. Paillard is basically a French term for pounding- and it's a great way to cook a chook fast! Place a boneless, skinless breast between a few layers of plastic wrap and smash it with a mallet. A great way to pound out any aggressions from a stressful work day ;-)

I found some gorgeous little asparagus at the store and quickly boiled them for 1 minute and dunked in an ice bath. Patted them dry and stored in a Tupperware. They cooked up perfectly in a non stick skillet with a few drops of olive oil, sliced grape tomatoes and a dash of balsamic at the last minute. Salt, pepper- easy!

We pounded the chicken breasts, seasoned with some tarragon, garlic powder, celery salt and fresh pepper. Seared them in the panini press for 10 minutes and voila. We made fast n easy mashed potatoes by peeling and dicing a potato and boiling till soft- about 20 minutes. Mashed them with a masher over a double boiler while the chook cooked. Easy, fast... Perfect for a weeknight.