What’s Matt Cooking Now?

So people (and by people I mean our Moms) often ask Matt what it’s like to get to eat all of the blog posts on a daily basis. In fact, Matt’s eating adventures even inspired his friend Tom to start a spin-off blog chronicling what Matt is eating now. But every so often, (warning this next statement is going to be shocking) I don’t feel like cooking. And that’s when Chef Matt steps in. Last night was one of those nights, and when Matt rode in like my knight in shining gym clothes toting D’Agostino’s bags full of groceries, I poured myself a glass of wine, turned on Bravo and let him work some magic in the kitchen.

He was making one of his favorite dishes he picked up while studying abroad in Rome, chicken saltimbocca. Traditional chicken saltimbocca is made with a thinly pounded out chicken cutlet layered with prosciutto and cheese. Matt decided to do a healthier version and swapped out the cheese for spinach. (Well, he had a little help from Giada for the spin on the dish.) The whole thing is rolled up, browned in a skillet and then poached in some chicken broth and lemon juice. It’s perfectly salty from the proscuitto, and nicely balanced with the lemon sauce. It tastes healthy and decadent at the same time. There’s something so perfect about a really rich bite, followed immediately by something light, crisp, and tangy. For the accompainiment I suggested we use up the leftover arugula from the Monday night, shave some parm on top  and finish it with a little drizzle of olive oil and white balsamic. The salad was so perfect I wanted seconds…of a vegetable! This is certainly new territory.

For dessert we had another Roma specialty. Prosciutto e melone. It’s salty, it’s sweet. It’s a classic for a resason…because it’s absolutely perfection.