I didn’t feel like cooking dinner this evening. Actually, my apprehension was kicked off at seven o’clock this morning when my children started asking about dinner before they had even eaten breakfast! I am putting it down to either “Friday-itis” (the end of week version of Monday-itis), or  having a to-do list that seems to grow longer not shorter, or being heavily pregnant. My very kind and honest husband suggested it is a combination of all three. 

Whatever the reason, I still wanted to serve up and enjoy a home made meal but I needed a helping hand, and so I turned to the ever reliable Lisa from Locantro Fine Foods (Hunters Hill and Leichhardt). Her focus on fresh, quality ingredients is reflected in the daily selection of home made soups, sauces, lasagne’s and other dishes available in the cafe.

Late this afternoon, Lisa cooked up a golden batch of chicken tenderloin schnitzels, each plump, moist piece encrusted in breadcrumbs with herbs and parmesan. There is a HUGE difference in cooked chicken schnitzels available for sale. What appeals to me about Lisa’s version is that it mimics my own and because they are made BY Lisa in her cafe kitchen. I too use chicken tenderloins because although they take a little longer to cook through, the result is guaranteed to be soft and succulent. 

To accompany the chicken schnitzels, I made a simple but delicious warm potato salad with a one kilogram bag of chat potatoes that I picked up today at the Norton Street Grocer in Leichhardt. They were so young and fresh that the fine skin was almost transparent and the potatoes had a subtle sweetness that had all my children reaching out for seconds. I boiled the potatoes in a pot of salted water for about 20 minutes, then drained them and while still warm, tossed though the following:

1 x tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
good grind of black pepper and sea salt
2 x tablespoons creme fraiche – I use the Meander Valley Pure Creme Fraiche which is handmade in  Tasmania and has a velvet smooth texture with a fresh tangy taste.  

I also tossed together a salad with crisp baby cos, chunky squares of creamy avocado and the sweetest of sweet grape tomatoes. A dressing consisting of two tablespoons of Maggie Beer’s Verjuice, one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and a little sea salt finished this off perfectly. 

Dinner was a success with everyone well fed and content. So, I’ve decided to follow a similar process each Friday evening and use the expertise of my favourite suppliers to make my evening more manageable.