Outside Lands was so fun! It felt pretty different from Coachella. A lot more laid back. You were allowed to bring food and a lot of people snuck in their own alcohol. We kept it pretty classy by bringing along crackers, hummus, and trail mix, and sipping on wine. The only downside was that it was reallllly cold. Record low temperatures.
It was our first airbnb experience. We rented a spacious apartment near Pacific Heights that was stocked with organic fruit, tea, oatmeal, eggs, and toast for each morning. And we got to share the apartment with a 16-year-old cat named Darci.
After the festival was over, we had a quick day to do some more exploring in the city. My only request was that we absolutely must go to Bi-Rite Creamery. Okay, I guess that’s more of a demand than a request… Anyway, we got there just in time because there was barely any line, but when we left it stretched to the end of the block. I opted for a double cone with three flavors: Ricanelas (cinnamon ice cream with snickerdoodle cookie chunks), honey lavender, and brown sugar with ginger caramel swirl. I think my favorite was the honey lavender — it was very light and refreshing. Josh said my Cinnamon Toast Crunch Ice Cream is better than the Ricanelas flavor… which made me smile for sure!
Needless to say, running around Golden Gate Park and walking around the city for four days has made my lazy butt pretty exhausted, so I’ve been relying on quick recipes with few ingredients. A panko crusted chicken breast is one of my go-to’s. Here I’ve served it with rice, tomato sauce, and steamed kale with a quick tahini dressing (tahini, a drop of sesame oil, and rice vinegar).
This is a base recipe you can customize to your liking. Here are some spice ideas:
Spicy: Add 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper.
Herbed: Add 1/4 teaspoon each rosemary, thyme, and oregano, 1 1/2 teaspoons grated parmesan cheese.
Sesame Ginger: Add 1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds and 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger.
Barbeque: Replace the dijon and lemon juice with 1 tablespoon of your favorite barbecue sauce.
Bacon: Add 1/2 tablespoon bacon bits.
Curry: Add 1 teaspoon curry powder.
Nutty: Add 1/2 tablespoon of your favorite chopped nut (pistachios, pecans, peanuts, walnuts).
panko crusted chicken
serves 1
- Ingredients
- 1/2 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1/2 tablespoon water
- 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 4 oz chicken breast, raw
- 2 tablespoons panko bread crumbs (or regular breadcrumbs)
- salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray or olive oil.
In a wide, shallow dish, combine the dijon, water, and lemon juice.
In another wide, shallow dish, combine the panko crumbs and any spices desired. Season with salt and pepper.
Trim the chicken breast of any excess fat.
Dip the chicken in the mustard mixture and turn to coat. Let the excess drip off, then coat in panko crumbs, pressing to make them stick.
Place the chicken on the baking sheet. Pat excess breadcrumbs into chicken.
Bake for 20 minutes or so, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken reads at least 175 degrees, or until the center of the chicken is no longer pink.