HANK RYAN'S YUMMY CHICKEN KIEV

LUCY BURDETTE: Today I'm so happy to welcome my pal and wonderful writer Hank Phillippi Ryan. With her new book just out and working on a million other things, how does she have time to cook? But she does when it counts, and here's one of her favorite recipes. Don't forget to enter a comment and you might win a copy of TRUST ME!

HANK: Even though it's decadent, this recipe is such a staple for us.  The yummy crunchy outside and the gooey buttery inside--fabulous. And I use almond flour instead of regular flour.  Pair this with a super-simple fettuccini Alfredo and a green vegetable and salad--and add white wine if you're celebrating. And hey--what's not to celebrate?  

Ingredients:

Chicken breast cutlets pounded flat (one per person--maybe two)

Two sticks of very cold butter

One cup almond flour  

Two egg whites

Salt and pepper to taste

3 T. Olive oil and 2T butter for sautéing each batch

Directions:

Put egg whites into a flat saucer.

Put flour into a different flat saucer.

Set aside.

Pre-heat oven to 350.

(You may want to start the pasta water now--see below.)

Pound chicken breasts flat.   

Place a chunk of cold butter (less than 1T)  in the center of each flattened piece of chicken.  Season with salt and pepper. Flap up the sides, then the top and bottom, to form a roll. 

One at a time,  roll each pocket into the egg whites to coat it, then into the flour. The egg whites will make the flour stick.  Place each roll onto a wax paper covered plate. 

(You will have to do this one at a time, rinsing your hands in between, because they will get very gooey. If the pockets aren't staying closed, you can secure them with a toothpick.)

When all the pieces are coated and place on the waxed paper, put the plate in the refrigerator to chill for an hour or so.  (Or! You can freeze some of these now and use another time!)

Prepare a large skillet by covering the bottom with olive oil, then adding a tablespoon or so of butter. Heat to medium.  Saute the rolls over medium heat until they are golden brown on all sides--2 to 3 minutes.  

Transfer to a baking tray and bake 20 minutes (at 350) or until cooked through.

Meanwhile, make:

HANK'S EASY ALFREDO

Pasta of your choice  (fettuccini works)

Heavy cream (up to one-half cup)

Grated high-quality parmesan cheese (keep some aside for topping)

Butter (up to 3 Tablespoons)

Pepper

Bring a pot of water to a vigorous boil.

Add the pasta, cook al dente.

Drain the pasta, and return to hot pan.  (Reserve a little pasta water just in case)

Add a chunk of butter, a scant third cup of cream, and however much parmesan you want. Stir until mixed--you might want to add a bit more cream if needed. Or a little of the pasta water if it is too thick.  Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Sometimes I add cooked frozen peas to the pasta--it's very pretty! And you can sprinkle with parsley. 

You are trying to make the pasta finish at the same as the Kievs.  (The pasta will hold, for a little bit, if it's covered, and you can rejuvenate by adding hot cream.)

Serve one Kiev per person, accompanied by the pasta.  It's good to include a green vegetable as a side--steamed broccoli works well, and makes the whole dish beautiful.   When you cut into the Kievs, the melted butter comes out...it's so yummy!

HANK WILL BE GIVING AWAY ONE COPY OF TRUST ME—LEAVE A COMMENT TO BE ENTERED IN THE DRAWING!

TRUST ME by Hank Phillippi Ryan

The first psychological standalone from nationally best-selling author Hank Phillippi Ryan. 

Everyone's talking about it--notorious party girl Ashlyn Bryant is accused of an unspeakable crime.

But If Ashlyn is innocent, why doesn't she say so on the witness stand? Convinced of Ashlyn's guilt, journalist Mercer Hennessey fanatically writes the true story of this provocative case.

Everyone agrees--only the despicable Ashlyn could have committed this crime.

But did she?

One obsessed journalist. One troubled mom. Two smart women facing off in a high stakes psychological cat and mouse game  prove their truth about a terrible crime. But which one is the cat? And which one is the mouse? I dare you to find the liar. 

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN is the on-air investigative reporter for Boston's WHDH-TV. She's won 34 EMMYs and dozens more journalism honors. The nationally bestselling author of 10 mysteries, Ryan's also an award-winner in her second profession—with five Agathas, three Anthonys, two Macavitys, the Daphne, and for THE OTHER WOMAN, the coveted Mary Higgins Clark Award. Critics call her "a master of suspense" and "a superb and gifted storyteller" and she is the only author to have won the Agatha in four different categories: Best First, Best Novel, Best Short Story and Best Non-Fiction. Her novels have been named Library Journal's Best of 2014, 2015 and 2016.  Hank's newest book is the acclaimed standalone psychological suspense thriller TRUST ME (August 28, 2018), which Suspense Magazine's reviewer calls "By far one of the best thrillers I've read in years."  The Booklist starred review says “It’s a knockout,” and New York Post, BOOK BUB, PopSugar, CrimeReads and Real Simple Magazine named it one of the Best Thrillers of Summer 2018.

Hank is a founder of MWA University and past president of National Sisters in Crime. Visit Hank online at HankPhillippiRyan.com, on Twitter @HankPRyan, on Instagram @hankpryan and Facebook at HankPhillippiRyanAuthor.