Chicken Parmesan with Fresh Tomato Relish

I'm a fan of chicken Parmesan...mostly. Though what I'm not a fan of is the chicken being smothered in marinara sauce. I like marinara sauce, don't get me wrong. And I believe it has its place with chicken Parmesan, but it really shouldn't be so "in your face". In my opinion.

I think I've found the answer to my prayers.  Chicken Parmesan with Fresh Tomato relish. Can I get a YUM!?

Yes, that's my actual plate tonight for dinner.  And yes I take the time to make it pretty because we eat with our eyes first...or so I'm told.

Anyhow, what I really like about this recipe is the fresh tomato relish.  It adds a tomato flavor without an over powering marinara flavor.

The side dish is a simple pesto. I had some basil I had to use up and the recipe notes suggested serving it with a pasta with pesto...so I did.  That's way too much pesto though. I'm really a couple of bites of pesto and I'm done kinda girl.  Still, it added a nice freshness to the overall meal.

So, I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

Chicken Parmesan with Fresh Tomato Relish
Serves: 8 (Obviously I made a smaller portion of this for me and a left over)

• 2/3 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and pounded 1/4 inch thick
• Salt and Pepper
• 3 T Extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup shredded fresh mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
• 2 T chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1 T minced capers (you may notice in the picture that I substituted green olives for capers)
• 1 T red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp tomato paste (I completely forgot to add this to the relish - can't say I missed it)

Preheat oven to 450F.

Combine panko and Parmesan. Place panko mixture, flour and eggs separately in three shallow dishes. Cut each chicken breast in half; season with salt and pepper. Dredge cutlets in flour, egg, and panko mixture. Set aside and let them rest for 5-10 minutes (the resting allows the breading to secure itself to the meat. That way when you fry it you won't lose your breading).

Heat 2 T oil in large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Sauté chicken, turning once, until golden, 2-3 minutes per side. Remove cutlets to a baking sheet; top each with 1 T mozzarella. Cook cutlets until cheese melts and chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.

Combine tomatoes, basil, capers, vinegar, tomato paste and the remaining 1 T olive oil for relish in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve chicken over pesto pasta, top chicken with relish!

You won't be disappointed. I promise you.

My plan for the remaining cutlet, BTW, is to make a sandwich with it and the remaining tomato relish tomorrow.  Nice hunk of good Italian bread....oh man...I'm hungry just thanking about it.

Pork Stroganoff

I'm a HUGE fan of stroganoff.  And by HUGE I mean a weigh a ton...okay not quite a ton, but let's just say stroganoff helps me keep my girlish figure.

I am not usually a fan of pork.  Or maybe it's better to say that pork is not a fan of my system.  Still I decided maybe it's time to give it a try again.  And what better way to welcome pork back into my life other than with stroganoff.

Now if you're a reader of this blog...all 2 of you...you may know I have a Kickass Stroganoff recipe.  I don't mess with that perfection.  This recipe...well it's not perfection but it's good.  I only made one small adjustment to it and that is I added sliced mushrooms.  How can you have a stroganoff without mushrooms?  Well that and I had some that needed to be used.

Pork Stroganoff
Serves 4

• 8 oz dry egg noodles
• 2 T Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups thinly sliced onion
• 1 lb boneless pork loin, trimmed and cut into strips
• 2 T paprika
• 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Bring a pot of water to boil. Cook noodles according to the package; drain and set aside.

Heat oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add onion (this is where I added the mushrooms too) and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add pork and cook until browned all over; 3-5 minutes. Stir in paprika; cook 1 minute, then add broth.

Bring to a boil; simmer to reduce liquid, about 5 minutes.  (This is where I got impatient and I added a bit of cornstarch and water).

Remove stroganoff from the heat and stir in sour cream and parsley.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve stroganoff over cooked noodles.  Or, do as I do and mix the entire thing together before serving.

Steak with Brandy Mushroom Sauce, Parmesan Roasted Broccoli, and Parmesan Potatoes

One of these days I'm going to remember to take pictures while I'm cooking.  Unfortunately I get so caught up in the cooking that I all but forget everything else. 

Blueberry came over tonight for dinner. As usual she was thrilled to be not only my cousin, but my guinea pig.  We have yet to toss aside whatever it was I made and order pizza. So she's pretty confident whatever I make will be good.

Tonight's menu was Steak with Brandy Mushroom Sauce, Parmesan Roasted Broccoli, and Parmesan Potatoes (I had some Parmesan cheese I needed to use up, can you tell?)

First the steak. I totally splurged and bought the New York strip they recommended in the recipe.  One relatively good sized steak fed both Blueberry and I so it wasn't too bad.  My dad would probably faint if he knew how much I paid a pound, but we won't tell him. It's my little secret.

The broccoli I had seen on Barefoot Contessa. I love broccoli. But like chicken, I get real tired of it real quick. It's one of the only real vegetables I'll consider eating on a regular basis.  Therefore, I need to be creative with cooking it. This recipe proved to be good, different and well, GOOD.

The potatoes were mostly because I liked the photo in the magazine. But really when you mix red potatoes and Parmesan cheese, could you even go wrong? I think not. 

Steak with Brandy Mushroom Sauce
Makes 2 Servings

• 2 Beef New York strip steaks (8oz ea, 1 inch thick)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 T Extra virgin olive oil
• 8 oz Button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 T Minced Shallot
• 1 T Tomato paste
• 1 1/2 tsp Flour
• 2 T Brandy
• 3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth

Season steaks with salt and pepper; sear in oil in a large saute pan over high heat for 6 minutes, turning once. Remove from pan; let steaks rest until sauce is ready. (Note: of course I didn't actually do this step. I BBQ'd the steaks instead).

Add mushrooms and shallot to pan that was used to cook the steaks; saute over medium-high heat until any liquid is evaporated.

Stir in tomato paste; cook until it begins to brown. Add flour; cook sauce for 1 minute.  Deglaze pan with brandy; reduce until liquid is almost evaporated. Add broth; cook, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens, about 3 minutes.  Serve over meat.

Parmesan Roasted Broccoli
Serves 6:

4 to 5 pounds broccoli

• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
• Good olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves (about 12 leaves)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.


Cut the broccoli florets from the thick stalks, leaving an inch or two of stalk attached to the florets, discarding the rest of the stalks. Cut the larger pieces through the base of the head with a small knife, pulling the florets apart. You should have about 8 cups of florets. Place the broccoli florets on a sheet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Toss the garlic on the broccoli and drizzle with 5 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned.

Remove the broccoli from the oven and immediately toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, the lemon zest, lemon juice, pine nuts, Parmesan, and basil. Serve hot.


Parmesan Roasted Potatoes
Serves: 6

• 1 1/2 lb small red potatoes, cut into 1/2 " slices
• 3 T Extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup Shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 375F. Place baking sheet in the oven to preheat.
Toss potatoes with oil in a bowl. Combine Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs and parsley; add potatoes and toss gently until potatoes are coated.

Arrange potatoes on the preheated baking sheet. Bake until potatoes are tender, 30-35 minutes.

Alaskan Cod with Hoisin and Ginger Sauces

I'm not a huge fish fan, but I know I have to get it into my diet some how.  I like white fish that is not too fishy tasting, of which cod is perfect. Halibut being the other perfect white fish to me.

Last night I made this recipe. It was good, but not great.  All the flavors I love were all there, but somehow they just didn't do it for me.  Still, I feel obligated to share it. Who knows? You may LOVE it...and I hope you do.

Alaskan Cod with Hoisin and Ginger Sauce
Serves: 4

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped green onions
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 2 1/4 teaspoons hot chili paste
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 4 7-ounce Alaskan black cod fillets

Steamed rice

Whisk first 6 ingredients in small bowl.

Preheat oven to 450°F. Stir hoisin and chili paste in another small bowl. Heat oil in heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add cod, skin side up. Cook 2 minutes, then turn cod over. Spoon hoisin mixture over fillets, dividing equally. Transfer to oven and bake until fish is just opaque in center, about 5 minutes. Place 1 fillet in each of 4 shallow soup bowls. Spoon ginger sauce around fish and serve with steamed rice.

Basque Chicken

Ah Espana!  How I love your cuisine!  And this recipe does not hold back on the bold Spanish flavors. 

I'm a big fan of Paella, but frankly it just takes too long to make Paella correctly. That and I'm not a big fan of clams, mussels etc.  So Paella for me is a little boring in that I only like the chicken, the chorizo and the shrimp.

This recipe though, really brings together many of the traditional, or what I think of as traditional, Spanish rice dishes.  Its a simple one-dish meal that will put a delicious dinner on the table in under an hour. 

The ham and olives in this dish, which you find quite a bit in Basque cuisine, add a nice salty side that balances nicely with the rice and the flavors of the dish.

Basque Chicken
Serves 4

• 1 T Smoked Paprika
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Pepper
• 8 Boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat (I'm not a big fan of dark meat so I used chicken breasts and it was just fine)
• 2 T Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup Diced ham
• 1 T Minced garlic
• 1/4 cup Dry Sherry
• 1 can Whole tomatoes (28oz)
• 2 cups Low sodium chicken broth
• 3/4 cup converted rice (I had no idea what converted rice was so I used regular old white rice)
• 2-3 sprigs fresh Thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 1 cup Chopped green olives (with or without pimientos...its up to you)
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley

Combine paprika, salt and pepper in a bowl. Toss in chicken and coat it.

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chicken; brown pieces on both sides.  Remove from the pot and set aside.

Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes, until it's soft. Add ham and garlic and sauté for another 3 minutes.

Deglaze the pan with sherry (note: if you don't like sherry use white wine or if you don't like alcohol used chicken broth).  Reduce the liquid until it's evaporated.  Stir in tomatoes, broth, rice, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer. Add chicken pieces back in. Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and simmer until rice is cooked, 25-30 minutes. DO NOT OPEN THE PAN!  Let it cook. 

Once it's done, toss in the peas, chopped olives, and chopped parsley.  Heat them through. Serve immediately.

Sunday Dinner - Sept 12, 2010

Last night was the second Sunday Dinner.  And the chaos that was my kitchen after displays just how great of an evening it was.  I had 10 people total (including me) and what a fun time we had. The kitchen was an absolute mess by the time all was said and done, and it was well worth the 2 hours of clean up. 

The menu was:

Appetizer: St. Louis Fried Ravioli (Cuisine at Home)

Dinner: Spaghetti Bolognese (courtesy of Tyler Florence), Basil Green Goddess salad dressing over some spring greens (courtesy of the Barefoot Contessa), Olive Cheese bread (courtesy of Pioneer Woman)

Dessert: Pretty little mini brownie bites (courtesy of Pioneer Woman)

The St. Louis Fried Ravioli's were a big hit...especially with Baby Jack (Baby Jack who's no 1 year old).  He seemed to really love those little bits of goodness.  I made enough for 3 per person and discovered that 2 per person would have been fine.  Had a couple left over, that I'm hoping will heat up nicely today.  Scroll down for this recipe.

I made the Bolognese on Saturday fearing I wouldn't have enough time on Sunday for it to sit and cook for hours.  Turned out to be the best thing I've done for the Bolognese.  Things like that are always better the day after...and this Bolognese is no different.

The Spaghetti Bolognese recipe is by Tylor Florence and can be found here.

The olive cheese bread was a HUGE hit.  For the record, there is NOTHING fat free with this bread.  It is full of flavor and something I highly recommend.  My friend Kim saw the recipe hanging on the refrigerator and said, "Oh man, I hope we have this for dinner."  She had no idea we were having it.  When I brought out the bread she all but cried. Joking, but she almost did.  Sent her home with the recipe and the left over bread...she promised to make the bread (and she's not a cook). 

The Olive Cheese Bread recipe can be found here.

The salad was quite good as well. I had been watching Barefoot Contessa (whom I used to really dislike and now kinda like). She was making this Bibb lettuce salad with Basil Green Goddess dressing.  I'm a big fan of Green Goddess dip, so I figured a salad dressing can't be all that bad.  I didn't use Bibb lettuce because it was expensive and didn't look so great. Instead I used a baby spring mix. If I did it again, I'd use a heartier lettuce.  Still, it was good.  I think it would make a great vegi dip too.

The salad recipe can be found here.

The mini brownie bites were the big hit.  Several people didn't believe I had actually made them. They look so fancy, but are so easy to do.  They do take time and planning, but I promise they are worth it.  They are rich, so the small bite size pieces are perfect.  I'm not a huge fan of homemade brownies, so when I do these again, I may use box brownie mix. I'm a rebel that way.

The Mini Brownie Bites recipe, can be found here.


Recipes

St. Louis Fried Ravioli's

• 1/4 cup Flour
• 3 tablespoons whole milk
• 3 egg
• 1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 T Paprika
• 1 (25 ounce) package frozen cheese ravioli (you can either thaw them or not, it's up to you)
• 3 cups vegetable oil for frying
• Grated Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley for garnish
• 1 (16 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce

Get your dredging station set up. First bowl, put the flour.  Second bowl, combine milk and egg (whisk together). Third bowl, place breadcrumbs, grated parmesan cheese, and paprika. Dip ravioli in flour tapping it to remove excess.  Then dip it in the milk mixture, and coat with breadcrumbs mixture.  Set aside.  Allow ravioli's to sit for 15 minutes after dredged. Helps keep the breading on the ravioli.


Cook ravioli until golden brown in heated oil.  Allow them to drain on a plate covered with a paper towel.  Put them on a plate for guest, garnish with chopped parsley and parmesan cheese.

Heat the marinara and set alongside the ravioli for guests to add to their plates.

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Homemade Chicken and Noodles

No I didn't make the noodles from scratch.

There! Now that that's out of the way.

Have I mentioned I'm slightly obsessed with The Pioneer Woman and her cookbook and blog?  Well if not, guess what, I am.  I LOVE her. 

Last week she started a new section for Comfort Foods. With the weather changing I thought, "oh yah, comfort foods."  Her first entry was for Homemade Chicken and Noodles.

The photos alone made me want to make this darn meal.  But the recipe was easy, and the outcome was delicious.  And I have a ton of leftovers.

Go check out the recipe and the photos!  I promise you...you won't regret it.

Steak Tacos

This is a delayed post. A very delayed post. I made these back in early August I think. The cookbook got buried on my desk and the recipe never got entered. Will you ever forgive me?

Good.

Now on to the goodness.

These were pretty good as I recall. My notes on them have drops of the sauce so I'm guessing they were pretty good as it was likely I was writing my notes as I was eating them. 

Easy recipe and very flavorful is what the notes say. Followed by...MMMMM. 

I added a dollop of sour cream to my tacos even though the recipe doesn't call for them. After I remembered thinking, taking the left over sauce and mixing that with the sour cream would be quite good as well.

Anyhow, enjoy.

Steak Tacos
Serves 2 - but is easy to make for more

Herb Paste

• 1/2 cup Fresh Cilantro
• 3 Garlic cloves, peeled
• 3 scallions, roughly chopped
• 1 jalapeno, stemmed and seeded
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 T fresh lime juice

• 12 oz Flank Steak (I used strip steak because it was cheaper than Flank that day)
• Salt
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 2 tsp Vegetable oil
• 6 (6 inch) corn tortillas, warmed

For the herb paste:
Pulse the cilantro, garlic, scallions, jalapeno, and cumin in a food processor until finely chopped, 10-12 pulses.

Add oil and process until smooth and resembles pesto, about 15 seconds, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.  Transfer 2 T of the herb paste to a medium bowl, whisk in lime juice and set aside.

For the steak:
Pat the steak dry with paper towels. Using a fork, poke the steak 10-12 times on each side. Salt and pepper the steak. Place the steak into a zip loc bag, add the herb paste. Seal the bag, massage in the paste fully covering the steak.  Place the steak flat and let it marinate for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.  You should put it in the fridge during that time. Take it out 15 minutes before you are going to grill it.

Scrap the herb paste off the steak and sprinkle it with sugar. Cook the steak to your liking. I grilled mine, but you can grill it, put it in a frying pan, or broil it.

Transfer to a carving board and let it rest for 5 minutes.
Slice the steak thinly across the grain into small pieces, add to the bowl with the reserved herb paste and lime juice. Toss to coat.

Warm your tortillas. Spoon in an amount of steak to each tortilla.

Optional: As I said, I added a dollop of sour cream and I squirted a bit of lime juice over them.