MESSY PLATE #10 chicken schnitzel caesar + lemon, garlic courgette pasta

a love letter to courgettes

Welcome back to messy plates, this week I’ve got a bit of a thing for courgettes.

When I was a kid, ‘pasta surprise’ was a regular on the menu - this loosely translates to pasta (obviously), with whatever you can find in the fridge alongside deep green courgettes.

Because of this, courgettes will always hold a special place in my heart. They’re incredibly versatile, take on lots of flavour and are available in many different varieties. They can be enjoyed raw - adding a crunch element to a salad or cooked down until soft with a slightly creamy, sweet flavour. I could go on…

They’re simply delicious.

So first up for my free subscribers, I’ve taken inspiration from the ever-popular Caesar salad. A breaded chicken breast paired with a crisp raw courgette, celery salad dressed with salty anchovies, tangy yoghurt and loads of parmesan!

I also have a lemony, garlic courgette pasta for my paid subscribers. The courgettes are cooked down until jammy in texture, creamy and sweet. They take on all the flavour from the garlic and lemon, tossed into pasta and (again!) lots of parmesan.

Both dishes also work well together, it’s all about keeping it simple.

Side Note: Actually, before I share the recipes I wanted to take a quick poll on the preferred publishing time and day - when would you like messy plates to hit your inbox?

The behind-the-scenes stats here on Substack tell me that Sunday may not be ideal. So, I’m thinking of sending it out on Friday mornings just before the weekend kicks in (but I’m also open to suggestions) - let me know what you think in the comments please!

As always, sending love and enjoy.

Lx

chicken schnitzel caesar

For me, salads must have 3 things;

1. A crunch (think crispy raw fruit and veg, nutty toppings or croutons)

2. A warm element (because cold food isn’t a meal, right?!)

3. A flavourful dressing (there’ll be no undressed sad leaves here)

This Caesar-inspired recipe has all three and is fresh, and summery but still comforting. YUM!

serves 2

cooks in 10 minutes with prep time

ingredients

dressing

1 small garlic clove

2 anchovies

1 tbsp capers

20g parmesan, finely grated (plus extra for serving)

70ml kefir yoghurt or natural yoghurt

1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Squeeze lemon juice

chicken schnitzel

chicken - 1 large breast around 300g or 2 small around 150g each

50g panko breadcrumbs

1 tbsp plain flour

1 egg, whisked

1 tsp paprika

50ml vegetable oil

salad

1 small courgette, thinly sliced

2 celery sticks, thinly sliced

1 romaine or little gem lettuce, roughly chopped

to serve

lemon zest

method

I like to begin with the dressing, this way it sits for a while and the flavours merge.

In a pestle and mortar bash the garlic and anchovies to a paste. Add the capers and bash again until you have a chunky consistency, stir in the parmesan and yoghurt followed by the olive oil. Add a squeeze of lemon and some cracked black pepper. (I tend to skip seasoning with salt here as there is enough from the anchovies, capers and parmesan).

To bread the chicken, place a layer of baking paper on your work surface and add the chicken on top. Cover with another sheet of baking paper and use a meat tenderiser or heavy pan to bash the chicken until it is roughly 1cm thick.

Add the flour, whisked egg and breadcrumbs to 3 separate shallow bowls. Season the flour with salt, pepper and the paprika.

Dip the chicken into the flour to coat, then into the egg, then toss the chicken in the breadcrumbs to completely coat.

Add the vegetable oil to a large non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Once hot (test the heat of the oil by dropping a few breadcrumbs in, once they sizzle, it’s ready), add the chicken breast and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until the chicken is golden and cooked through. set aside.

Add the chopped salad ingredients to a medium bowl and stir through the dressing.

To serve - plate the chicken topped with the salad. Add cracked black pepper, lemon zest and parmesan.

A few notes:

Dressing: I use a pestle and mortar in the method, however, you can use a small blender - add all of the dressing ingredients and blend until smooth. Season to taste at the end.

Yoghurt: I’ve used a kefir yoghurt in the dressing as I like an extra tang, however, natural yoghurt will work well here too.

Chicken: I like to buy one large chicken breast and serve it plated as a sharing plate between 2. If using 2 smaller chicken breasts follow all the same steps and plate between 2 plates.

Courgettes and celery: I use a food processor with a slicer attachment or a mandolin to thinly slice the courgettes and celery (it’s super quick!), but hand chopping will work just as well.

Storage: Leftover salad doesn’t store well if it’s been pre-dressed. Store the salad and dressing separately if you’d like to save leftovers.

lemon, garlic courgette pasta

This is my modern-day ‘pasta surprise’.