So this one is very much a hybrid recipe. I've taken techniques and ingredients from several recipes and make this one my own. The from scratch sauce is awesome, but in a hurry a good old bottle of Ragu (or your favorite store-bought sauce) will do just fine. I like to add a little more garlic, oregano, and some sugar to the bottled stuff. The breadcrumb mixture is what really makes this dish, I think. The panko crumbs give it a crunch without being extra breaded and heavily fried. They do make Italian seasoned panko but it's hard to find. If you can't find it, just add some oregano, basil, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to plain panko. You can usually find it on the baking/bread crumb aisle or in the Japanese aisle. If you can find the thin cut chicken breasts, they make things so much easier. I hate touching raw chicken so not having to cut or pound it down is awesome. If not, just place the regular breasts between two pieces of wax paper or plastic wrap and pound to 1/2 in thickness with a meat mallet or heavy pan. Fair Warning: Your house will smell like fried chicken for at least three days after this, but it is oh-so-good!
Chicken Parmesan
Enough thin sliced boneless, skinless chicken breasts for 1-2 pieces per person. (at least 2-3lbs)
3/4 c flour
3 eggs
1 box of Panko Japanese Bread Crumbs, Italian Seasoned or season you own as mentioned above to taste.
1/2 regular bread crumbs like the kind by Progresso.
1/4 grated Parmesan cheese, fresh or the kind in the green bottle
16 oz. block of mozzarella cheese, sliced into 1/2 in. thick slices.
Olive oil for frying the chicken
The Side of Pasta
16 oz. box of your favorite short cut pasta. I like farfalle or mini penne.
1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce or this home made version below:
2 large cans of Cento Whole San Marzano Tomatoes
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 small onion diced
2 cloves of fresh garlic, finely chopped or grated with a microplane
1/2 teaspoon dried Basil, Oregano, and Salt and Pepper. Add more to taste.
1 tablespoon of sugar
Preheat broiler to high.
Saute onion in olive oil in a medium sauce pan until tender. Add garlic and cook 1 minute on medium/low heat. Do not let it brown, burnt garlic is gross!
Empty the tomatoes and their juice into the pan and squish with your fingers or a wooden spoon into small pieces. Add the basil, oregano, salt, pepper, and sugar. Stir and bring to a simmer. If the sauce is too thick, add water, a 1/4 cup at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency. Reduce heat to low and stir occasionally while chicken cooks.
Mix the bread crumbs, panko, and Parmesan cheese together in a shallow bowl/pan. Wisk the eggs together in a separate pan and place the flour in a third pan. Dredge the chicken in the flour, eggs, and then the bread crumb mixture and place on a plate to rest for at least 5 minutes. Heat the olive oil, at least 1/2 inch deep, on medium high in a large frying pan. When it just begins to smoke add the coated chicken. Don't crowd the pan and work in batches if you need to. Cook chicken until golden brown on each side, about 5-7 minutes per side, depending on thickness of chicken.Transfer cooked chicken to a baking sheet topped with a wire cooling rack.
Place two pieces of the sliced mozzarella on each piece of chicken. Broil until cheese is melted and brown on the edges, about 5 minutes. But check often if you're not familiar with how fast your oven broils.
Boil pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside. You may want to time this so that the pasta is done just before the chicken comes out the oven. Pasta usually takes 7-9 minutes to cook and the chicken will probably broil that long, if not a little less, depending on your oven.
Serve chicken with a little sauce on top and a side of pasta and sauce. I like to make a little garlic toast to go along and a salad. Enjoy!
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Bread
This is one of my favorite hybrid recipes, the best of the past and the present. It's based on a recipe from my Grandma Smith but with a few additions from me. I increased the salt to 1 teaspoon to balance out the sweet of the bananas and chocolate chips. The brown sugar on top makes a nice crunch and is a different kind of sweet than the chocolate. The chocolate chips were at Paul's insistence, and I must say, I like them. Sparingly. Too many and it overpowers the banana flavor-- which is the whole purpose of this bread, right? I like to use pecans rather than the traditional walnuts. Mainly because I hate walnuts. But you can use whatever you'd like.
Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Bread
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, divided
2 eggs
3-4 ripe bananas, depending on size
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup pecans, chopped
1/2-3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Peel and smash the bananas in a large mixing bowl. Melt the butter and add it to the bananas. Add the white sugar, 1/4 cup of the brown sugar, eggs, baking soda, salt, and vanilla and mix. Add flour and stir until mostly combined. Add pecans and chocolate chips, stir until thoroughly combined. Spray two loaf pans with cooking spray. Divide batter between the pans and top each with a half of the remaining brown sugar.
Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean and the top is golden brown.
Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Bread
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, divided
2 eggs
3-4 ripe bananas, depending on size
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup pecans, chopped
1/2-3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Peel and smash the bananas in a large mixing bowl. Melt the butter and add it to the bananas. Add the white sugar, 1/4 cup of the brown sugar, eggs, baking soda, salt, and vanilla and mix. Add flour and stir until mostly combined. Add pecans and chocolate chips, stir until thoroughly combined. Spray two loaf pans with cooking spray. Divide batter between the pans and top each with a half of the remaining brown sugar.
Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean and the top is golden brown.
Monday, January 2, 2012
A Word About "To Taste"
I am no professional chef, although I dream about being one. I'm a lawyer. And as such, this is my legal disclaimer about "to taste" appearing in my recipes:
I learned to cook sitting on my grandma's kitchen counter with my feet in the sink starting at around age 5. Grandma was the best cook I've never known. If you asked for a recipe she would most likely give you the "abridged" version. Partly to protect her sovereignty over the dish and partly because she didn't have one written down to give you. Most of what she cooked was passed down from friends and family and modified to suit her tastes. When I got old enough to write she would let me take notes while she cooked. A lot of those early recipes have the words "to taste" written in them and that is how I have learned to cook over the years.
To me, "to taste" means to add just shy of what you think it needs and then taste it. Add some more, and taste again. If you cook enough you know what you like and what you don't. Unfortunately, if you're not a regular cook or you're a Type A personality, my recipes might frustrate you. In which case, start with a teaspoon, or a half teaspoon if you're really a novice, and work up from there. Take your own notes and perfect your version of the dish for next time. The stronger the flavor a spice lends, the smaller increments you should take.
The only caveat I would have for that method is with salt. I'm not a salt fan and a little goes a long way in my book. Dear Hubby, on the other hand, can never have enough. If I ask him if something needs anything, he always says salt. Salt is one thing you can't take back or cover up with another spice without altering the dish or completely ruining it. If your salt proclivities match mine, add the salt last and work in shakes and dashes rather than actual teaspoon measurements. Be sure to stir well and taste in between.
Another suggestion, make sure the shaker lids on your spices are on tight. I've had many an "Oh Sh!t" moment because I forgot to snap/screw the lid back on something and a shake became a dump.
Since we are on the subject of disclaimers, here's another one. Not all of these recipes are originally mine. I, like my Grandma, have taken dishes from other places and modified them for my likes. Some are from other published sources like Foodnetwork.com and others are from my family. But I figure that by the time I've worked on a dish enough to post it here, I've made it my own and no reference to their original source is required. But that's just my culinary position, not necessarily a legal one.
I learned to cook sitting on my grandma's kitchen counter with my feet in the sink starting at around age 5. Grandma was the best cook I've never known. If you asked for a recipe she would most likely give you the "abridged" version. Partly to protect her sovereignty over the dish and partly because she didn't have one written down to give you. Most of what she cooked was passed down from friends and family and modified to suit her tastes. When I got old enough to write she would let me take notes while she cooked. A lot of those early recipes have the words "to taste" written in them and that is how I have learned to cook over the years.
To me, "to taste" means to add just shy of what you think it needs and then taste it. Add some more, and taste again. If you cook enough you know what you like and what you don't. Unfortunately, if you're not a regular cook or you're a Type A personality, my recipes might frustrate you. In which case, start with a teaspoon, or a half teaspoon if you're really a novice, and work up from there. Take your own notes and perfect your version of the dish for next time. The stronger the flavor a spice lends, the smaller increments you should take.
The only caveat I would have for that method is with salt. I'm not a salt fan and a little goes a long way in my book. Dear Hubby, on the other hand, can never have enough. If I ask him if something needs anything, he always says salt. Salt is one thing you can't take back or cover up with another spice without altering the dish or completely ruining it. If your salt proclivities match mine, add the salt last and work in shakes and dashes rather than actual teaspoon measurements. Be sure to stir well and taste in between.
Another suggestion, make sure the shaker lids on your spices are on tight. I've had many an "Oh Sh!t" moment because I forgot to snap/screw the lid back on something and a shake became a dump.
Since we are on the subject of disclaimers, here's another one. Not all of these recipes are originally mine. I, like my Grandma, have taken dishes from other places and modified them for my likes. Some are from other published sources like Foodnetwork.com and others are from my family. But I figure that by the time I've worked on a dish enough to post it here, I've made it my own and no reference to their original source is required. But that's just my culinary position, not necessarily a legal one.
Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas, otherwise known as The Enchiladers
Mexican food is probably my second favorite genre to cook from, the first being Southern. I'm making these tonight so I thought I'd post it here as well.
These enchiladas have passed the "Mexican Approved" test of both my Hispanic co-workers and Paul's. The amount of cheese in them in probably illegal in most counties north of San Antonio, but I don't care. You can use cheddar if you want, but I think Monterrey Jack and/or Chihuahua lend a better flavor against the bite of the green chili sauce. The sauce is another one of my "if you knew what was in it, you might not like it" concoctions. It started with a mental check down of "what's green and goes in Mexican food?" as for the tomatillos in a can, they are an awesome time saver. I csn only find them at Tom Thumb in thr Mexican aisle, next to the green chilies and enchilada sauces. Salsa verde in a can would work well in a pinch or if you can't find fresh tomatillos to boil.
This dish can get hot, depending on the chilies you end up with. If you're not into that, I would use less jalapenos and make sure you get the seeds and the ribs out of the poblanos and jalapenos. You might want to omit the green chilies as well. I don't find them spicy, but then again, I like spicy.
It's a little time consuming so I would make this a weekend meal the first time you attempt it. Over the years I've manged to wrangle it down to an hour and a half prep/baking time, which in my world is still acceptable for a weeknight. These Enchiladas are not rolled, but instead assembled in a layered casserole format. It reheats beautifully and only gets better as it ages!
I always serve this dish with Spanish Rice which I learned to make from a white chick from Kentucky, my step-mom Marcie. I will post that recipe later. And maybe even my White Girl Proof Tamales which should never be attempted alone-- tamales are a group activity. I learned this the hard way.
Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas
1-1.5 lbs. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (more if you really want alot of chicken)
3 large poblano peppers
1-2 jalapenos, depending on how hot you like it. Seeds removed if you don't like heat.
1 large bunch of cilantro
1 sm. can of diced green chilies.
1 medium onion
4 garlic cloves peeled.
2 cans of canned tomatillos or about 10 small fresh ones boiled.
Cumin to taste
Garlic powder to taste
Salt and Pepper to taste.
1 box of low sodium, fat free chicken broth
At least 4 cups of shredded cheese. I probably use closer to 7-8 cups when we are not watching what we eat. Monterrey Jack is preferred. Chihuahua is expensive, I like to use about a cup for the top and use another kind of cheese for the inside.
12-15 white corn tortillas, cut into quarters.
Optional: Sour cream. **This helps kill the heat if it ends up spicier than you'd like**
Turn your broiler on high and broil the poblanos and japalenos while you prep the other sauce ingredients. Keep an eye on them and turn several times so they blacken evenly.
Chop the onion into quarters and cut the cilantro off at just above the plastic tie keeping the bunch together. You just want to use the leafy parts, throw away the stems (and the tie). Peel the garlic cloves and cut them in half. Place all these into a food processor with the regular chopping blade attached. You can use a blender, but you'll probably need to work in smaller batches to avoid a jam. Add the green chilies and tomatillos, drained.
Once the poblanos and jalapenos are brownish on about 75% or more of their skins, remove from the oven and placed in a ziplock bag to steam the skins off. Turn your oven to Bake at 350 degrees.
Wait about 10 minutes and then I tackle skin removal. They are still hot as hell, but using a spoon to scrape off the skin helps. Remove the seeds as well and the stems. Place the flesh of the chilies into the food processor.
Add about a cup of chicken broth and pulse until things get going. Process on high until the sauce is a uniform consistency and there are no giant cilantro stems/chunks of garlic. Add more broth if things get thick.
Transfer the sauce to a medium pot, add enough additional broth to make a loose sauce. Almost like a runny salsa. It needs to be thick enough to keep the tastes together, but you want enough sauce to go around. I use about half of the box of broth. Add 1/2 teaspoon of cumin, or more if you like the flavor; salt and pepper to taste.
Simmer on low while you prep and cook the chicken. Make sure to stir often as it has a tendency to burn on the bottom. Not fatal, but a real B*tch to clean up.
Season the chicken on both sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cumin to taste. Your method of cooking the chicken can vary based on availability and time. I use my stove-top grill pan. A frying pan on the stove or the George Forman works too. Cook the chicken until done. Chop into bite sized pieces when cool enough to touch.
In a 9x13 casserole (or whatever you typically use for large casseroles), ladle 1 cup of the sauce and spread it out.
Top with enough tortilla quarters to cover the bottom in a single layer. Next, top with a handful of cheese (about 1 cup), 1/3 of your chicken, and another cup of sauce. Repeat these layers until you're out of sauce, tortillas, and chicken. I usually get about 3 layers in my Fiestaware casserole dish. If you need a few more tortillas, use them. Top with the remaining cheese. I like a good inch of cheese on the top,--see above comment about illegal cheese-- but feel free to use less.
Bake in the oven for 30-45 minutes until the cheese is melty and a little brown on the edges. It will be a little runny when you first take it out, so let it cool for 10 minutes, if you can. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and the Spanish Rice.
These enchiladas have passed the "Mexican Approved" test of both my Hispanic co-workers and Paul's. The amount of cheese in them in probably illegal in most counties north of San Antonio, but I don't care. You can use cheddar if you want, but I think Monterrey Jack and/or Chihuahua lend a better flavor against the bite of the green chili sauce. The sauce is another one of my "if you knew what was in it, you might not like it" concoctions. It started with a mental check down of "what's green and goes in Mexican food?" as for the tomatillos in a can, they are an awesome time saver. I csn only find them at Tom Thumb in thr Mexican aisle, next to the green chilies and enchilada sauces. Salsa verde in a can would work well in a pinch or if you can't find fresh tomatillos to boil.
This dish can get hot, depending on the chilies you end up with. If you're not into that, I would use less jalapenos and make sure you get the seeds and the ribs out of the poblanos and jalapenos. You might want to omit the green chilies as well. I don't find them spicy, but then again, I like spicy.
It's a little time consuming so I would make this a weekend meal the first time you attempt it. Over the years I've manged to wrangle it down to an hour and a half prep/baking time, which in my world is still acceptable for a weeknight. These Enchiladas are not rolled, but instead assembled in a layered casserole format. It reheats beautifully and only gets better as it ages!
I always serve this dish with Spanish Rice which I learned to make from a white chick from Kentucky, my step-mom Marcie. I will post that recipe later. And maybe even my White Girl Proof Tamales which should never be attempted alone-- tamales are a group activity. I learned this the hard way.
Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas
1-1.5 lbs. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (more if you really want alot of chicken)
3 large poblano peppers
1-2 jalapenos, depending on how hot you like it. Seeds removed if you don't like heat.
1 large bunch of cilantro
1 sm. can of diced green chilies.
1 medium onion
4 garlic cloves peeled.
2 cans of canned tomatillos or about 10 small fresh ones boiled.
Cumin to taste
Garlic powder to taste
Salt and Pepper to taste.
1 box of low sodium, fat free chicken broth
At least 4 cups of shredded cheese. I probably use closer to 7-8 cups when we are not watching what we eat. Monterrey Jack is preferred. Chihuahua is expensive, I like to use about a cup for the top and use another kind of cheese for the inside.
12-15 white corn tortillas, cut into quarters.
Optional: Sour cream. **This helps kill the heat if it ends up spicier than you'd like**
Turn your broiler on high and broil the poblanos and japalenos while you prep the other sauce ingredients. Keep an eye on them and turn several times so they blacken evenly.
Chop the onion into quarters and cut the cilantro off at just above the plastic tie keeping the bunch together. You just want to use the leafy parts, throw away the stems (and the tie). Peel the garlic cloves and cut them in half. Place all these into a food processor with the regular chopping blade attached. You can use a blender, but you'll probably need to work in smaller batches to avoid a jam. Add the green chilies and tomatillos, drained.
Once the poblanos and jalapenos are brownish on about 75% or more of their skins, remove from the oven and placed in a ziplock bag to steam the skins off. Turn your oven to Bake at 350 degrees.
Wait about 10 minutes and then I tackle skin removal. They are still hot as hell, but using a spoon to scrape off the skin helps. Remove the seeds as well and the stems. Place the flesh of the chilies into the food processor.
Add about a cup of chicken broth and pulse until things get going. Process on high until the sauce is a uniform consistency and there are no giant cilantro stems/chunks of garlic. Add more broth if things get thick.
Transfer the sauce to a medium pot, add enough additional broth to make a loose sauce. Almost like a runny salsa. It needs to be thick enough to keep the tastes together, but you want enough sauce to go around. I use about half of the box of broth. Add 1/2 teaspoon of cumin, or more if you like the flavor; salt and pepper to taste.
Simmer on low while you prep and cook the chicken. Make sure to stir often as it has a tendency to burn on the bottom. Not fatal, but a real B*tch to clean up.
Season the chicken on both sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cumin to taste. Your method of cooking the chicken can vary based on availability and time. I use my stove-top grill pan. A frying pan on the stove or the George Forman works too. Cook the chicken until done. Chop into bite sized pieces when cool enough to touch.
In a 9x13 casserole (or whatever you typically use for large casseroles), ladle 1 cup of the sauce and spread it out.
Top with enough tortilla quarters to cover the bottom in a single layer. Next, top with a handful of cheese (about 1 cup), 1/3 of your chicken, and another cup of sauce. Repeat these layers until you're out of sauce, tortillas, and chicken. I usually get about 3 layers in my Fiestaware casserole dish. If you need a few more tortillas, use them. Top with the remaining cheese. I like a good inch of cheese on the top,--see above comment about illegal cheese-- but feel free to use less.
Bake in the oven for 30-45 minutes until the cheese is melty and a little brown on the edges. It will be a little runny when you first take it out, so let it cool for 10 minutes, if you can. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and the Spanish Rice.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad
"You know what sounds good?"
This is how many of my food conversations start with my husband. One of us, usually him, gets a hankerin' for something and I set about trying to find a way to make it, and make it better. Last week it was chicken salad. We've been trying to eat healthier so I wanted to make a creamy salad that wasn't mayonnaise based. Greek yogurt is tangy like mayo but without all the fat. It also will keep its composure over time and not turn watery., thus not leading to a wasted tub of disgusting goo. Then I debated canned chicken over fresh. Fresh won out, canned has an after taste I don't enjoy. Roasting and deboning an entire chicken was a lot of work. A grocery store rotisserie bird could be substituted without issue, they just happened to be out the day I went to the store. The rest of the ingredients, as with most of my creations, just came to me as I was putting it together. At first I wanted celery, but hubby vetoed that. Water Chestnuts gave the same crunch, but without the harsh taste of celery. I got my way with a little celery salt. The black olives were a nod to a particularly good chicken salad I had after a late night law school party. The finished product is great either cold or room temp, as a sandwich or atop a spring mix salad with tomato and avocado slices. No extra dressing required.
1 4-5lb. whole chicken, either fresh or rotisserie; deboned and diced into bite-sized pieces.
1/2 c. plain Greek style yogurt. (I used fat free.)
1/4 c or less mayo. I know I said no mayo, but I just had to have a little. Add to taste preference.
1 can small black olives, rough chopped so you have some whole and some pieces
1/4 c white onion, diced small
1 can of sliced water chestnuts, diced small
1/2 tsp of celery salt. This is the key to the whole thing, I think.Add more if you like the flavor a little stronger.
Salt and pepper to taste. Taste it first. The celery salt added enough salt for me, hubby needed more.
Dash of garlic powder.
If you like spicy stuff, a little sriracha chili sauce would be good here as well.
If using a fresh chicken, I recommend following the roasting instructions HERE.. Debone and chop the chicken, as well as the veggies. Mix all the ingredients together. While it can be eaten right away, an overnight chill in the fridge really allows the flavors to combine. The first batch lasted about a week and held up fairly well, just needed a little stir before serving. Enjoy!
This is how many of my food conversations start with my husband. One of us, usually him, gets a hankerin' for something and I set about trying to find a way to make it, and make it better. Last week it was chicken salad. We've been trying to eat healthier so I wanted to make a creamy salad that wasn't mayonnaise based. Greek yogurt is tangy like mayo but without all the fat. It also will keep its composure over time and not turn watery., thus not leading to a wasted tub of disgusting goo. Then I debated canned chicken over fresh. Fresh won out, canned has an after taste I don't enjoy. Roasting and deboning an entire chicken was a lot of work. A grocery store rotisserie bird could be substituted without issue, they just happened to be out the day I went to the store. The rest of the ingredients, as with most of my creations, just came to me as I was putting it together. At first I wanted celery, but hubby vetoed that. Water Chestnuts gave the same crunch, but without the harsh taste of celery. I got my way with a little celery salt. The black olives were a nod to a particularly good chicken salad I had after a late night law school party. The finished product is great either cold or room temp, as a sandwich or atop a spring mix salad with tomato and avocado slices. No extra dressing required.
1 4-5lb. whole chicken, either fresh or rotisserie; deboned and diced into bite-sized pieces.
1/2 c. plain Greek style yogurt. (I used fat free.)
1/4 c or less mayo. I know I said no mayo, but I just had to have a little. Add to taste preference.
1 can small black olives, rough chopped so you have some whole and some pieces
1/4 c white onion, diced small
1 can of sliced water chestnuts, diced small
1/2 tsp of celery salt. This is the key to the whole thing, I think.Add more if you like the flavor a little stronger.
Salt and pepper to taste. Taste it first. The celery salt added enough salt for me, hubby needed more.
Dash of garlic powder.
If you like spicy stuff, a little sriracha chili sauce would be good here as well.
If using a fresh chicken, I recommend following the roasting instructions HERE.. Debone and chop the chicken, as well as the veggies. Mix all the ingredients together. While it can be eaten right away, an overnight chill in the fridge really allows the flavors to combine. The first batch lasted about a week and held up fairly well, just needed a little stir before serving. Enjoy!
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