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Chicken Parm with My Sauce

16 Monday Jul 2012

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Chicken Parm
If you’re from Middle America, you might refer to this dish as NY-style chicken parm {I do.} Chicken parm in mid-Ohio is generally breaded and fried. NY-style chicken parm, a’la my Dad’s kitchen on Long Island, has no breading. It’s baked in a tomato sauce of some kind {here I used my homemade sauce} and served atop some sort of pasta.

If you’re making sauce from scratch, you’ll need: tomatoes!! And lots of ’em. I use a mix of vine-ripened and Roma tomatoes. You’ll also need garlic, a white onion, Italian spices, EVOO, salt, black pepper, sugar, a carrot, and a red pepper if you’d like to spice it up a bit.
Prep time is about an hour and simmer time is at least 2 hours; the longer it simmers together the better it will be!
~ Liberally coat the bottom of a large pot with EVOO. While on the lowest possible heat setting add diced onions, Italian seasonings and freshly chopped garlic.
~ Put a small to medium pot of water on and bring to a boil. Fill with tomatoes; as they heat their skin will crack. Once this happens, remove from the boiling water with a slatted spoon and drop into a bowl of cold running water. The skin will pull back farther from the tomato meat and will make peeling SO MUCH EASIER! Just don’t burn your fingers 😦 For a chunky sauce, put the tomatoes into your large pot to boil. For a thinner, smoother sauce, run your tomatoes through the blender before putting into your pot. Repeat as many times as needed to get through your tomatoes.
~ Once you start adding your tomatoes, toss in a pinch of black pepper and salt, a tablespoon of sugar, and a few grated carrot pieces. If you want a kick, add a few small pieces of red bell pepper.
~ Simmer 2+ hours and serve.

To make the chicken parm you’ll need: chicken, sauce, V8, garlic, Italian spices
~ Liberally coat the bottom of a baking pan with V8.
~ Cut chicken into small pieces and spread in the pan; pieces can touch but do not overlap.
~ Cover the chicken in sauce {here I used my homemade sauce}, garlic and spices.
~ Bake at 300 for 30 minutes.
~ After the chicken has been placed in the oven, bring a pot of water to boil and make a pasta of your choosing. Here, I used bow tie. The pasta will be done around the same time as the chicken parm.
TO PLATE: ladle sauce on top of your pasta noodles. Put a few chicken pieces on top, cover with more sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serve!

Tasty Tacos

12 Thursday Jul 2012

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Tasty Tacos
Why bring home quickie tacos when you can make your own?! This meal qualifies under the “eat clean” food plan, is quick and tasty. PLUS you might even have left overs for lunch the next day 😉
You’ll need: around a pound of ground beef, 6″ soft tortillas, taco seasoning, Del Monte no salt added corn, La Preferida refried black beans, La Preferida Spanish rice, salsa, your own taco toppings
Prep time + cook time: 20ish minutes
~ Brown the ground beef in a skillet. {It is helpful if the meat is already defrosted.}
~ Put the water on to boil for the rice.
~ Once the ground beef is completely cooked, add the taco seasoning and follow the directions on the packet. Around this time the water should boil for the rice; add the rice to the water and follow the directions on the box.
~ While the rice and meat and cooking, warm up the refried beans and the corn.
~ When the meat is done cooking, immediately remove from heat so it doesn’t burn.
~ Once the rice is done, add a little salsa for an extra kick. I also add freshly chopped onion, grape tomatoes…whatever I’m in the mood for. It’s the fresh additives that make it feel less like a boxed rice and more like a masterpiece!
To Plate: I hold the tortilla in one hand and spoon 1-2 big spoonfuls of meat into the center. I then cover with cheese, onions, salsa…refried beans if I’m feeling funky. Fold the bottom of the tortilla up, then fold the sides in. It looks more like a burrito than anything, but this is a helpful way for small hands to have tacos in their tummies instead of on the floor. Add a spoonful of rice, corn and beans {covered with a little cheese} and you’ve got a winner! This dinner is SOOOO much better for you than drive-thru tacos, less expensive AAAAAND tastier.

Savory Salmon and Couscous

28 Thursday Jun 2012

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Savory Salmon and Couscous*
Another amazing dinner in 30ish minutes!
You’ll need: salmon, EVOO, black pepper, a lemon, tin foil, and couscous
~ Cut the lemon into slices and place onto the tin foil; you’re making a bed for the salmon to lay on.
~ Lay the salmon on the lemon bed and drizzle with EVOO; sprinkle black pepper on top
~ Bake in the oven for 30 minutes at 300
~ While the salmon is baking, prepare the couscous per the instructions. I used Near East Basil & Herb couscous and it was AH-MAZEBALLS!!
~ The salmon and the couscous will be done about the same time — BE CAREFUL WITH THE COUSCOUS! It gets sticky and can clump if it gets done too far ahead of the fish :/ Add a veggie! You’re done. And your special someone will call you, “Martha Freaking Stewart.” And you will throw your head back and laugh because you know it’s totally true!

*Couscous: {per Wikipedia} “is a North African Berber dish of semolina traditionally served with a meat or vegetable stew spooned over it. Couscous is a staple food throughout Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Libya.
Couscous was elected as the third favorite dish of French people in 2011 in a study by TNS Sofres for magazine Vie Pratique Gourmand and the first in East of France.”
UGH! you might be thinking…it’s green…you said it clumps…it looks weird. WHY DO I WANT TO EAT IT?! Because it’s amazing, filling, easy to make and good for you! It’s just like eating rice. If Scott likes it, you’ll like it! And, you can totally make your friends jealous with your high-brow cuisine 😉 C’est Française!

Shrimp Spaghetti with Garlic and Lemon

26 Tuesday Jun 2012

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Shrimp Spaghetti with Garlic and Lemon
You’ll need: shrimp, a lemon, EVOO, basil, oregano, thyme, grape tomatoes, garlic, spaghetti and Parmesan cheese
Total cook/prep time: 30 minutes
~ Put a pot of water on to boil {for the spaghetti.}
~ In a large skillet, liberally coated with EVOO, saute minced garlic, lemon zest, basil, oregano, thyme and grape tomatoes.
~ Once the pasta water has come to a boil, add the spaghetti to the water and the shrimp to the saute pan.
~ Saute the shrimp for 2-3 minutes on each side until tender; cook the spaghetti for 8-10 minutes until al dente.
~ Plate the spaghetti; top with the shrimp mixture and garnish with the Parmesan cheese.
Voila! You’re awesome 😉


Smooth and Fantastical Mashed Potatoes

20 Wednesday Jun 2012

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Smooth and Fantastical Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Fancy Moses! These babies are restaurant quality and SO EASY TO MAKE you’ll never go back to instant potatoes. Ever.
You’ll need: potatoes {russet, yukon, red skinned…whatever you feel like and/or have on hand,} green onions, garlic, dill, butter, milk, salt and a good mixer
TOTAL PREP+COOK TIME: 40 minutes
~ Wash your potatoes and put them in a pot of water; bring to a boil. Once boiling, continue to cook in the boiling water for 30 minutes. Drain.
~ Put cooked potatoes into mixing bowl and slice into pieces.
~ Thinly chop the green onions, garlic, dill and add to the potatoes.
~ Start up the mixer and slowly add a slice or two of butter, a splash of milk and a dash of salt. Pretty much, you want to add the milk until you get a nice consistency and the butter and salt to taste. Once you have a nice consistency, VOILA, you’re done!
A friend told me several years ago that she made her mashed potatoes in her KitchenAid stand mixer. What?! This was a ground-breaking idea to me. I’d grown up watching my mom boil her potatoes, peel them, and then hand-mash them. It took forEVER and they were usually lumpy. Sorry, mom 😦 Not only does putting the potatoes into the mixer save time, it gives you a nice, smooth consistency every time. If you’re trying to eat clean like I am, this is a much more desirable {and tasty} option than using potatoes from a box. Actually…I’ve got boxed potatoes in my cupboard that are about a year old. I don’t think I’ll be needing them 😉

Fall-Off-the-Bone Turkey

20 Wednesday Jun 2012

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Fall-Off-the-Bone Turkey
Yes, you read that right! This recipe will give you a turkey so succulent and juicy the meat literally falls off the bone. Your children will gobble {ha!} it up without gravy or ketchup because it’s really that good!
You’ll need: a turkey, EVOO, salt, lemon juice, carrots, celery, an onion, rosemary and thyme
Prep time: 10-15 minutes
Cooking time: 4 hours, depending on the size of your bird
~ Pre-heat oven to 400
~ Remove fully-thawed turkey from packaging; then remove innards, neck, face, etc from the turkey cavity. Rinse with cool water and pat dry. Place in roasting pan. I got this succulent bird from Bowman Landes: free-range, grain-fed and HORMONE FREE!
~ Splash lemon juice into the empty turkey cavity. Toss in a little salt.
~ Chop the celery, carrots and onion; fill the center cavity with the veggies. Close the legs and position the bird breast-side up in the pan.
~ Drizzle the bird with enough EVOO to coat all the surfaces, then lightly sprinkle with salt, rosemary and thyme. Turn the bird over in the pan {breast-side down} and repeat. Put pan into oven. {The key to amazing turkey is to cook it breast-side down, against the pan – no rack. Yes, it looks a little backwards, but once you taste it you won’t care!}
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS, from Simply Recipes
For a 15lb turkey, start the cooking at 400 for the first 1/2 hour. Reduce the heat to 350 for the next 2 hours. Then reduce the heat again to 225 for the next hour and a half. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU DOUBLE-CHECK THE COOKING INSTRUCTIONS ON YOUR TURKEY’S PACKAGING. If your turkey is smaller, the above instructions will over-cook it. If your turkey is larger, you’ll need to cook longer.

Strawberries & Cream

19 Tuesday Jun 2012

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Light, Tasty Strawberries & Cream
It’s summer! What better way to end your dinner than some fresh strawberries over spongy cake cups with a little cream on top?
I totally cheated. To make the above tasty deliciousness, you’ll need:
fresh strawberries, Cool-Whip and spongy cake cups {these were non-special Meijer brand.}
~ Plate the cake cup.
~ Wash strawberries; cut off stem, then quarter and arrange in the cup, points facing out. If the strawberries are small, cut a second strawberry in half and put in the center of the opened strawberry pieces.
~ Add a dollup of cream!
The strawberries are sweet enough, there is no sugar needed! It’s lighter than an ice cream but just as cool and satisfying after a summer dinner.

Nutella

14 Thursday Jun 2012

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Nutella
Imagine, if you will, that you’re late to work, you can’t find your shoes, you’re only wearing one earring, and you have three tiny faces staring at you with hunger in their eyes…what do you do?? You get out the Nutella! It’s like creamy chocolate peanut butter {technically it’s hazlenut.} If you have 2 minutes, a toaster and some whole grain bread, you can make a warm Nutella sammich {after the toast pops out of the toaster, spread the Nutella and fold the bread in half to make a half-sammich.} It’s warm and tasty and you can eat it with one hand while flying out the door!
Note: the Pepperidge Farm 15 grain bread shown above pairs well with the Nutella due to a nutty taste all its own!

From their website:
Nutella® hazelnut spread was first imported from Italy to the U.S. over 25 years ago by Ferrero U.S.A., Inc. The popularity of Nutella® has grown steadily over the years and it is the number one selling branded hazelnut spread in America.
The unique taste of Nutella® hazelnut spread continues to come from the combination of roasted hazelnuts, skim milk and a hint of cocoa. In addition, Nutella® has no artificial colors or preservatives.
Nutella® spread, in its earliest form, was created in the 1940s by Mr. Pietro Ferrero, a pastry maker and founder of the Ferrero company. At the time, there was very little chocolate because cocoa was in short supply due to World War II rationing. So Mr. Ferrero used hazelnuts, which are plentiful in the Piedmont region of Italy (northwest), to extend the chocolate supply.

Grilled Chicken with Mango Chutney

14 Thursday Jun 2012

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Grilled Chicken with Mango Chutney
You’ll need: Tyson Grilled & Ready chicken chunks, Sharwood’s mango & ginger chutney and Patak’s coconut curry simmer sauce
Prep time: 3ish minutes
~ Spread chicken chunks into a single layer in a pan.
~ Drizzle chicken with chutney and curry.
~ Bake for 20min at 375
Serve with Jasmine rice. If you want to get fancy, chop up some green onion and sprinkle over the chicken after you plate it.
Try this for an amazing, light BBQ taste. Don’t be afraid of the curry; yellow curries are very mild. My kids love it!
Note: The mango chutney is also AH-MA-ZING on salmon, too!

Savory Salmon

14 Thursday Jun 2012

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Savory Salmon
{This is not my recipe…it’s a great find from Pinterest!}
You’ll need: salmon, a lemon, butter, black pepper, tin foil
Prep time: 3ish minutes
~ Cut your lemon into medium-sized wedges and place in the middle of the tin foil square.
~ Center the salmon over the lemon wedges.
~ Lay thin strips of butter on the salmon; lightly sprinkle with black pepper.
~ Tightly wrap the salmon in the tin foil. Note: do not double-wrap the salmon – it will take longer to cook.
~ Bake for 30min at 300
Super moist, super tasty…you can’t go wrong with this!
*Note: in the future I’m going to try EVOO instead of the butter…