This post is all about my chicken breasts served with a pistachio gorgonzola sauce but first a peek at what winter is like where I live.
It was a glorious winter day on the Sunshine Coast. John’s dad asked if we could go out and take some photos to send to his friends because it was such a beautiful day. We went to Mooloolaba (muh LOO la ba) 10 minutes from home and stopped on the esplanade for food. In our group, Charlie was the most excited. The look on his face was priceless when we stopped the car in the parking lot and I reached for his leash and opened the door.
“You mean I don’t have to wait in the car???” We never leave him in the car alone but sometimes he has to wait with one of us and this time he got to go.
Only recently our local government has relaxed their ban on allowing dogs to sit at outdoor tables. He thought that was very cool. You could almost hear him thinking, “So this is what they do when they leave me at home?” If you were thinking he was a poor mistreated dog, he does have a hair appointment on Tuesday. He’ll have feet instead of slippers.
Are you SURE there’s nothing for me?
You can certainly tell which folks are on vacation and which folks live here. Tourists are all in shorts and sandals in contrast to we locals who take every opportunity to wear our winter clothes. It’s August and spring arrives in September.
We were out til nearly dark o’clock but I had dinner planned in my head. Recently I had a chicken dish at a local restaurant, Cala Luna, that I’d been eager to try myself. I didn’t nail it so we’ll be having this again. This is good, and it could be orgasmic but I’d make some changes and I’ll share those when I make it again if I like it better.
I know, I know, I should have chopped the pistachios. I like whole pistachios so I left them whole but the decision at the table was that I had been dumb. Roughly chopped pistachios next time!
- 4 boneless chicken breasts
- 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
- 1½ cups panko crumbs
- 1 egg, beaten
- ½ cup seasoned flour
- 2½ cups cream
- 80 grams gorgonzola cheese - preferably the crumbly one
- 2 tbsp parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- salt and pepper
- ½ cup pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
- Preheat oven 180C/350F
- Place chicken breasts in flour seasoned with salt and pepper, shake off excess and dip in beaten egg and roll in a mixture of seasoned bread crumbs and panko.
- In a heated skillet with a bit of oil, cook chicken until golden brown and then place on a baking tray and place in the oven for 20 minutes. (if your chicken is fairly large, cook longer - nothing worse that under or overdone chicken)
- Add cream to a sauce pan and bring to the boil and boil until the cream is nearly as thick as a white sauce.
- Remove from the heat and add the gorgonzola, parmesan salt and pepper.
- Whisk until all the cheese has melted and then toss in the chopped pistachios.
Scrumptious dish! I probably would not have minded the whole pistachios, but I can see how chopping them coarsely would work well too
Love all photos, particularly the dog with slippers! 😉
Yes, Sally, I did agree with them. I hated agreeing with them, mind you!
Oh Maureen… such a beautiful day out in a beautiful place! Love the puppy! And your recipe sounds simply delicious!
We had a terrific day out and dinner was pretty special.
Heck, I’d eat the sole of a shoe if it was covered with Gorgonzola sauce! And this looks much better than that! Great recipe – kind of a sophisticated chicken-fried steak and cream gravy! This is wonderful – definitely something I’ll try. And I’m for chopping the pistachios, too. 😉
Simple, delicious and a really unexpected flavour combination. I love melted gorgonzola – but – it is such a special – and such an expensive cheese – that another blue may work as well – do your think? YUMMY!
🙂
V
Valerie, I think most any blue cheese would work in this recipe. It’s very forgiving. 🙂
I just left a comment – then it disappeared?
Poor Charlie, you’re so cruel to him, taking him out for walks in the cold and sending him out to have those fuzzy slippers trimmed down when he needs the fur to keep him warm. 🙂
It’s nice to see your chicken recipe in progress. It still sounds quite rich and delicious even if you have to crunch through those pistachios. I buy a half pound bag of the undyed shell ones, as at my age I no longer find having red dyed finger tips fun, and munch my way through the whole thing in a couple of sittings.
OK – here it is again – I said that this looks very simple to make, yet delicious! Gorgonzola is such a special and expensive cheese – and I wonder if you think another blue would work? I think so… and the melting transforms blues into a buttery mass with that blue umaminess that is so addictive.
🙂
V
Awww, I just love Charlie, he is sooooo precious! My puppy is not good with other dogs, otherwise I would take her everywhere too. Your pics are gorgeous! Love the look of that sauce, it sounds amazing! Hugs, Terra
Ooh la la! I can’t decide what I like better, the yummy chicken, that DARLING dog or your photos of a beautiful day out. Wow, this was a lovely post Maureen.
Oh, and I love Charlie’s hair long like that, he is the cutest thing ever! How could you ever get mad at a face like that?:)
I love him with long hair. To me, there’s nothing better than a fuzzy dog but when his fur gets really long he gets mats under his collar and then it’s time to start over. 🙂 People laugh when I say Charlie has a hair appointment.
Charlie is so cute and those eyes, how can you say no to those eyes?
Combining seasoned breadcrumbs and panko is such a great idea. Love blue cheese so I know I will love this dish.
Yum, yum and thrice yum, I can practically taste that gorgonzola sauce. I do love the Sunshine Coast, don’t know it well but there’s time for that yet… in fact must grab hubby as we were talking about a trip there in the next school holidays. Isn’t winter in Australia just the business, very like summer in Scotland – gorgeous.
Don’t know which I adore most……..Charlie or the chicken. I’ll go with Charlie just for the heck of it. I can have chicken anytime.
This glaze sounds divine because of the gorgonzola!
That’s winter with you?! Your dinner looks like the perfect end to a lovely day.
The weather in Sydney has been lovely too and we really have had a fairly mild winter and I’m not complaining. Charlie is just gorgeous – more photos of Charlie, please! My dogs haven’t been to the groomers either. I tend to only take them in the warmer months. I did give them a bath yesterday and brushed them so they’re not neglected. But the fur between their toes is getting rather long and they look a bit like the Grinch. I love gorgonzola with chicken and I’ll take pistachios any way I can get them! xx
Charlie is in the car on his way to the corner pet store/groomer. Thankfully John is taking him this time. I like to pick him up because he’s REALLY glad to see me. I don’t like the, “DON’T LEAVE ME,” look in his eyes when we drop him off.
The sauce sounds unreal, so rich…yum!!
The sauce was lovely. Everyone went back for extra.
What a gorgeous dad out with your FIL and Charlie! Charlie does look happy to be able to share the patio with y’all. 🙂 Thank you for this Gorgonzola sauce recipe! I bought a rather large wedge of gorgonzola the other day and am having a challenge in using it all. This delicious recipe is going to help. It looks delicious, but yes – I will definitely coarsely chop the pistachio. 🙂
You’re the cook, you get to decide how the nuts are presented! We were at the beach this weekend too and it was magnificent weather. Still chilly though (I was rugged up).
ABSOLUTELY gorgeous Maureen, true!
Drooling and your photo looks so mouth-watering too!
Cheers! Joanne
Thanks, Joanne!
I’d like to send you a photo of what winter is like here Maureen, but it’s usually too cold and wet to take the camera out, so I’m a bit jealous. And I’m with Clare – if they don’t like how the food is presented, tell them to get it themselves!
Thanks for the memories . . . . reasonable winter in the Southern Highlands or not . . . how on earth could a gal be so stupid as to leave your neck of the woods after over thirtern years. . . thanks for the lovely photos . . .
That is such a beautiful way to dish up and serve a simple chicken breast! Beautiful and tempting clicks.
Thank you. It was a lovely meal.
A scrumptious dish and combinaton!
Charlie is so cute.
Cheers,
Rosa
Thanks, Rosa. You’re a pet person too 🙂
oh Charlie, what soulful eyes you have!! What a glorious winters day Maureen, I can see why Johns Dad would want to show off the beautiful weather.
And yum to the gorgonzola cheese, I do love a good cheese sauce x
Ooh – Charlie looks like an ‘oodle? We have oodles of oodles in our family! I have a Cavoodle and a Spoodle, CPoo’s parents have a Labradoodle and CPoo’s brother has a Moodle! Such good dogs!
Charles is a Cavoodle. He’s also known as Charlie, Chuck, Who wants chicken? and Who pooped on the deck AGAIN ? I think oodles are the best dogs in the world. This is definitely the smartest dog we’ve ever had. He has quite a large understanding of words. He knows when we’re spelling beach or park now and dashes for the front door. Oh.. the doorbell is always for him, just ask.
Mine are Oscar and Trevor, otherwise known as Princeling, Poo-man-chew (he’s grown out of that thankfully), and Tiny Highness, and Little Punk respectively. I love that they are clever, but not neurotic. And we can’t get away with spelling things either, especially not Walk or Horse – they know exactly what it means . Ours don’t go for the doorbell, but they have their own bell on the back door that they ring with their paw when they want to go out. Agreed – best dogs in the world!
A gorgeous day, an adorable dog (and I know all about the slippers to pays thing) and a great looking dish. All is well with your world it seems! Happy Monday.
I see people in singlets! Singlets! Wow what beautiful weather you guys are having! And Charlie’s expression in these pics are priceless too 🙂
I had on a long sleeve shirt and sweater and jeans!
Charlie is too cute and I love your sauce, a perfect way to reinvent chicken!
He’s my best friend 🙂
Oh??
*Charlie* is your best friend now?
Maybe I should grow my hair longer and get some slippers 🙂
Okay, he’s my second best friend. But when you’re in the dog house, he’s #1. 🙂
I’m in love with Charlie ! Look at those cute, little paws! And the nose 🙂
Thank you for freezing those gorgeous moments and then sharing with us.
– I must try that luscious sauce ASAP before I got to bed!
(I’ll come back to your post just to take another long, deep look at picture#6. Waves, foams, rocks, ocean, blues, serenity, love, spirituality…..
He is in the car on his way to his “hair appointment” and he wasn’t one bit happy about it. The only reason he’ll go is because the groomer is at the back of his favorite store where he gets to shop. 🙂
Dear Maureen, I am happy for Charlie ! He looks so content.
He reminds me of my little Inka. They love going and being a part of everything!!
The chicken looks very good. Gorgonzola is one of my favorite cheeses I love it before, during or after dinner with fruit.
I guess you can tell I like it.
Blessings dearest. Catherine xo
LOL You definitely like gorgonzola!
p.s. The scenery is breathtaking!! and it is winter! Blessings, Catherine xo
I moved to Australia from Orlando and it’s very similar weather. I love it here.
Beautiful pictures Maureen, and the chicken looks delicious, topped with the creamy Gorgonzola sauce…yum!
Thanks for the recipe and have a fabulous week ahead 😀
Awww Charlie is adorable! He looks so excited at his outing. And that gorgonzola sauce looks so inviting. I would never have thought to use pistachios in a sauce like this.
Aw, I LOVE Charlie…slippers and all! And your chicken dish looks extraordinary! Bill would be picking out all the pistachios anyway, so leaving them whole would be perfect 🙂
Maureen, I feel more relaxed and happy just reading about your fantastic day and looking at all of your photos. A really nice day out and I think “Mr. Charlie” will never let you leave him at home again. I love your dish it is so comforting with that thick and rich gorgonzola sauce and I am sure the crunch of the nuts is very nice. Thanks for sharing your day. Take Care, BAM
Okay you know how much I love pistachios so this is right up my alley.
Your pup is so cute.
What gorgeous pictures and Charlie is just adorable!!
Charlie is absolutely gorgeous. 🙂 I love that sweet face of his. 🙂 And the chicken sounds simply amazing. 🙂
Your pictures are beautiful Maureen – as is Charlie! Winter is a beautiful time of year when you live in the right place 🙂
Your pictures are beautiful Maureen – as is Charlie! Winter is a beautiful time of year when you live in the right place 😀
Hi Kari and yes, we feel very privileged to live here. Not only is the weather nice but the people are very friendly and welcoming.
Hi Maureen! Love the pictures!! I love seeing bits and pieces of Australia through the lens..I’ve never been..sad, I know. I just adore Kari @ bite-sized thoughts blog, and I look forward to following you as well ;). Charlie is so so adorable! “feet instead of slippers” hahaha! How I can relate. Kona, my miniature schnauzer, is in desperate need of trim as well.
I’m not a huge fan of gorgonzola but love the idea of creamy cheese sauce on top of chicken!
Oh, btw, your Google+ social media icon doesn’t seem to be working..
Hi Min, and thanks so much for coming by an dleaving a comment. Charlie has been trimmed and he looks like someone else’s dog today. 🙂 I’ll check out the social media thingos, thanks.
Ohhhh yumm!! This look so delicious!!! pistachio and cheese…lovely!! Spring is almost upon you it seems….for us, Fall is around the corner, though I read it as winter.
Maureen – this sounds so super rich and Charlie is so damn cute!!!