Chicken Sauté a al Justin

Please don’t think I’m getting all Family Circle on ya, but I have a recipe for you that is quick, easy and quick. And easy.

See, when my kid comes to visit, I have to feed her something other than whatever Budget Gourmet is less than nine months old in my fridge. And, she’s a non-red-meat-aterian, though she calls herself a vegetarian. Pork is out. So is beef and anything else that’s “gross.” I would guess that includes liver and onions and kidney pie. So, each time I need to cook something up, it’s dilemma and trial and tribulation time. Well, my old Polish buddy, Justin, has saved the day, for today, at least.

Image glommed from http://stefanbatoryoceanliner.weebly.com/

He says that he learned how to cook from the head chef of the S.S. Stefan Batory, a Polish cruiseship. Who am I to argue that as fact or fantasy? I do recall my mother poring over brochures for the ship when I was a wee lad. She never went aboard, so there’s no verification from that quarter, either.

But he does know good food, especially Polish food, to which I am partial, and he has made a gift of this recipe to me. Here goes:

• OVERVIEW: Cook stuff up in a pan and then eat it.
• SPECIFICS: Will make enough Sauté a al Justin for six hungry Polacks
• WHAT YOU NEED: Fire or alternate, manageable heat source, couple of good saute pans. I use Farberware heavy clad pans, myself.
• STUFF YOU PUT IN IT:

1. 2 pounds chicken breast, trimmed of fat, split and subsequently portioned into french-fry-length strips
2. 3 small peppers, 1 each green, red, yellow
3. 2 medium zucchinis, peeled or not, sliced across the seed
4. 1 can of fresh mushrooms (I know this makes no sense – just do it.)
5. A little sweet paprika, just for colour
6. Freshly ground black pepper to taste
7. Sea salt, any cheap brand will do, to taste
8. About an eighth cup of soy sauce
9. About a half-cup of tart white wine, NOT cooking wine.

• STUFF YOU NEED TO SERVE WITH IT: Some kind of rice.

On a bit of oil, quite hot, sauté all of the non-chicken ingredients except for the zucchini and pepper until “golden” and then add the zucchini and pepper, heating the zucchini until golden but not soft. In a separate pan, on very hot oil, sauté the chicken with soy sauce until “golden” (again with the golden – oy) and then add the white wine and reduce for a few minutes. Serve with white or flavoured rice when hot.

There you go. Dinner tonight, allegedly in fifteen minutes. It better be good.

***UPDATE*** Nope, I did it wrong. One dinner guest politely and silently commented by pushing the chicken bits away from the rest of the meal. Too much teryaki, I’m guessing.