Jul 28

Chicken Parmigiana

A fresh, delicious way to have chicken parmesan from your own kitchen. I watched Tyler Florence from the Food Network make this a few years ago, and it became a favorite. I love this fresh marinara sauce instead of the heavier spaghetti sauces that are often used. When using a chicken breast instead of a cutlet, it’s a good idea to pound it out a little. Add a crisp salad and garlic bread and enjoy!

Chicken Parmigiana

1/4 C. olive oil, plus 3 Tbsp.
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
2 bay leaves
1/2 bunch fresh basil leaves
2 (28-oz.) cans crushed tomatoes
Pinch of sugar
Pinch red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 skinless, boneless, chicken breasts (about 1-1/2 lbs)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp. water
1 C. dried plain bread crumbs
1 C. freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for sprinkling
1/2 C. chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 (8-oz.) ball fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
1 pound spaghetti pasta, cooked

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a saute pan with olive oil and place over medium heat. When the oil gets hazy, add the onions, garlic, and bay leaves; cook and stir for 5 minutes until fragrant and soft. Add some hand-torn basil, reserving the rest for finishing the chicken. Carefully add the tomatoes, cook and stir until the liquid is cooked down and the sauce is thick, about 15 minutes; season with sugar, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Lower the heat, cover, and keep warm.

Get the ingredients together for the chicken so you have a little assembly line. Put the flour in a shallow platter and season with a fair amount of pepper; mix with a fork to distribute evenly. In a wide bowl, combine the eggs and water, beat until frothy. Put the bread crumbs on a plate, add the 1 cup Parmesan, chopped parsley, and garlic powder and pepper. Stir with a fork until thoroughly combined.

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high flame in a large oven-proof skillet. Lightly dredge both sides of the chicken in the seasoned flour, and then dip them in the egg wash to coat completely, letting the excess drip off, then dredge in the bread crumbs. When the oil is nice and hot, add the chicken and fry for 4 minutes on each side until golden and crusty, turning once.

Ladle the tomato sauce over the chicken and arrange the mozzarella on top. Sprinkle with Parmesan, and remaining basil. Bake for 15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly. Serve hot with spaghetti.

Jul 23

Smoky Potato Rounds

If you’re like me and love a loaded baked potato you are going to love these potato rounds. Once you have the potatoes baked, these appetizers come together quickly. They will go fast so make plenty! Enjoy!

Smoky Potato Rounds

2 large baking potatoes
1/3 C. barbecue sauce
1/2 C. shredded cheddar cheese
6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1/2 C. sour cream
3 green onions, thinly sliced

Scrub and pierce potatoes. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes or until almost tender. When cool enough to handle, cut each potato widthwise into 1/2-in. slices. Place on a greased baking sheet. Brush with barbecue sauce; sprinkle with cheese and bacon.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until potatoes are tender and cheese is melted. Top with sour cream and onions.

Yield: 1-1/2 dozen.

Jul 18

Blueberry Bread Pudding

This is out of this world good! I had never had bread pudding before trying this, I guess I’ve been missing out. Delicious warm or at room temperature. Make sure you invite your friends over to help you eat this one, since it is rich, and makes a lot. Enjoy!

Blueberry Bread Pudding

3 eggs
4 C. heavy whipping cream
2 C. sugar
3 tsp. vanilla extract
2 C. fresh or frozen blueberries
1 pkg. (10 to 12 oz.) white baking chips
1 loaf (1 lb.) French bread, cut into 1-in. cubes

Sauce:
1 pkg. (10 to 12 oz.) white baking chips
1 C. heavy whipping cream

In a large bow, combine the eggs, cream, sugar and vanilla. Stir in blueberries and baking chips. Stir in bread cubes; let stand for 15 minutes or until bread is softened.

Transfer to a greased 13×9 baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 50-60 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

For sauce, place baking chips in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over baking chips; whisk until smooth. Serve with bread pudding.

Jul 14

Oven Baked Fajitas

Seen this on a friends Facebook page and just had to try it. Another simple and quick way to have dinner ready in a hurry. While this is in the oven you can set up your fajita bar. If you don’t want any heat from the diced tomatoes and green chilies try using a can of plain diced tomatoes. Enjoy!

Oven Baked Fajita

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tsp. chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. seasoned salt
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies (Rotel)
1 medium onion, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into strips

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken strips in a greased 13×9 baking dish. In a small bowl combine the oil, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, dried oregano, and salt. Drizzle the spice mixture over the chicken and stir to coat. Next add the tomatoes, peppers, and onions to the dish and stir to combine. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.

Jul 10

Zesty Grilled Chicken

There is no need to buy a marinade to add great flavor to your chicken. If you do much cooking, you should have most, if not all of the ingredients for this delicious recipe already. A marinade of white vinegar, ketchup and spices add a moist and zesty flavor to your chicken you will love. Add these chicken breast to your next cookout and enjoy!

Zesty Grilled Chicken

6 Tbsp. white vinegar
3 Tbsp. canola oil
2 Tbsp. ketchup
2 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/8 tsp. hot pepper sauce
1/8 tsp. Worchestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

In a large plastic bag, combine the first 10 ingredients; add chicken. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 4-8 hours, turning occasionally.

Drain and discard marinade. Grill chicken, covered, over medium heat for 6-8 minutes on each side or until juices run clear.

Jul 07

Chive Red Potatoes

Peeling a small strip from around each potato adds an artful touch to these simply dressed red potatoes. A quick yet elegant side that can be served any night of the week. Enjoy!

Chive Red Potatoes

2-lbs. small red potatoes
1/3 C. butter, melted
2 Tbsp. minced chives
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Peel a narrow strip around the middle of each potato. Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until tender.

Combine butter, chives, salt and garlic powder in a small bowl. Drain potatoes; drizzle with butter mixture and toss gently to coat.

Jul 01

Refrigerated Dill Pickles

Pickles are another favorite of mine. This is an easy, quick recipe that doesn’t involve the whole canning process. Just over night in the refrigerator. Great for this time of year if you have a garden full of cucumbers, or like to visit your local farmers market. I borrowed this recipe from the blog One Perfect Bite. Enjoy!

Refrigerated Dill Pickles

1 1/2 C distilled white vinegar
1/4 to 1/3 C sugar
4 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. coriander seeds
3/4 tsp. dill seeds
2 C hot water
2 lbs Kirby cucumbers, sliced 1/4-inch thick
3/4 C coarsely chopped fresh dill
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

Combine first six ingredients in a heatproof bowl. Add hot water and stir until sugar dissolves and liquid is clear. Cool to room temperature.

Place cucumbers, dill and garlic in a large bowl. Toss to combine. Pour brine over all and turn to coat cucumbers. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night, stirring once or twice. Transfer to an air tight container, and store for up to two weeks.

Yields: 1 quart

Jun 27

Almond Poppy Seed Bars

Oh so yummy! These bars are so good it’s hard to just eat one. This time I replaced the milk with buttermilk and loved how moist and tender the cake turned out. Either way they are delicious. Enjoy!

Almond Poppy Seed Bars

2 1/4 C sugar
1 1/2 C milk
1 C oil
3 large eggs
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp. almond extract
3 C. all-purpose flour
4 1/2 tsp. poppy seeds
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Creamy Frosting (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 15×10 inch baking pan.

In a large bowl, beat sugar, milk, oil, eggs, vanilla, and almond extract at medium speed until smooth.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add to sugar mixture beating until combined; spoon into prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool until slightly warm. Spread Creamy Frosting over warm cake. Cut into squares to serve.
Yields: 30 bars

Creamy Frosting

3 C confectioners’ sugar
1/3 C butter, melted
3 Tbsp. milk

In a medium bowl, combine sugar, butter, and milk; beat at low-speed until smooth.

Jun 21

Baked Mushroom Chicken

Baked mushroom chicken is a great dish for a weeknight dinner, but elegant enough for dinner guest. Flattening the chicken makes it tender, and shortens the cooking time. Enjoy!

Baked Mushroom Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1/4 C. all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp. butter, divided
1 C. sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 C. chicken broth
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/3 C. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 C. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 C. sliced green onions

Flatten each chicken breast half to 1/4 inch thickness. Place flour in a resealable plastic bag; add chicken, a few pieces at a time. Seal and shake to coat.

In a large skillet, brown chicken in 2 tablespoons butter on both sides. Transfer to a greased 11×7 baking dish. In the same skillet, saute mushrooms in the remaining butter until tender. Add the broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; cook for 5 minutes or until liquid is reduced to 1/2 cup. Spoon over chicken.

Bake, uncovered, at 375 for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the cheeses and green onions. Bake 5 minutes longer or until the chicken juices run clear.

Jun 17

Green Beans with a Twist

This is a great way to jazz-up your green beans.

Green Beans with a Twist

1 pkg. (16-oz) frozen French-style green beans
1 C. sliced fresh mushrooms
2 Tbsp. butter
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

In a skillet, saute the beans and mushrooms in butter. Sprinkle with dressing mix, toss to coat. Just before serving, sprinkle with bacon.

Yields: 4-6 servings