Chicken Parmesan

This is a go-to dinner for us. It is very easy and comes together rather quickly.

Chicken Parmesan

Chicken:

4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

1 ½ C. Italian Bread Crumbs

¼ C. Grated Parmesan

1 Tbsp. Oregano

1 Tbsp. Basil

1 Tbsp. Garlic Powder

1 C. Flour

2 Eggs

Marinara:

2 (15 oz) Cans Hunts Tomato Sauce

1 tsp. Sugar

1 tsp. Oregano

1 tsp. Garlic Powder

¼ C. Grated Parmesan

Finishing:

1 ½ C. Shredded Mozzarella

1 lb. Pasta

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Put the chicken breasts side by side on a cutting board and lay a piece of plastic wrap over them. Pound the chicken breasts with a flat meat mallet (or the bottom of a heavy saucepan), until they are about 1/2-inch thick.

Put the flour in a shallow bowl and season with a fair amount of salt and pepper; mix with a fork to distribute evenly. In a wide bowl, beat the eggs until frothy. Mix the bread crumbs, parmesan, oregano, basil, and garlic powder in a third bowl.

Lightly dredge both sides of the chicken cutlets 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.


Heat olive oil over medium-high flame in a large oven-proof skillet. When the oil is hot, add the cutlets and fry for 4 minutes on each side until golden and crusty, turning once.

Meanwhile, combine the marinara ingredients.

Fill the bottom of a baking dish with one half of the tomato sauce. Place the cutlets on top of the sauce. Ladle the remaining tomato sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with mozzarella.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F for 15 seconds.

Serve over pasta.

Chicken & Rice Casserole

I actually saw this recipe in a Campbell’s soup ad. The picture looked really good, so I used their recipe as the basis for mine. It is a super quick and easy dinner that has plenty of leftovers for Tim’s lunch the next day.

Campbell’s Chicken & Rice Casserole

2 (10 3/4 ounce) Cans Campbell's Cream of Potato Soup

2 2/3 C. Water

2 C. Uncooked Long-Grain White Rice

3-4 C. frozen mixed vegetables

1 tsp Thyme

4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Halves

1/2 C. Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Stir the soup, water, rice, and vegetables in a 9" x 15" shallow baking dish.

 Top with chicken. Sprinkle the chicken with the thyme. Season with salt and pepper as desired. Cover.

 Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minute or until done. Top with cheese.



 

Adapted from Campbell's Kitchen

Homemade Pizza

Tim and I both love pizza. It is our go-to easy dinner idea. Whether it is hand tossed, thin crust, or a calzone, we love it.

I had looked for a long time and had tried several other recipes (with varying degrees of failure), before finding this one. It has a nice flavor and rises nicely. The amount of flour can vary significantly with each batch. Each time that I have made it, I have used a different amount of flour; from 2 to 2 ½ cups.

Basic Pizza Dough

3/4 C. Warm Water or Flat Beer (105-115°F)

4 tsp. Sugar

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Active Dry Yeast

2 to 2 1/4 C. Bread Flour

Heat water in microwave until temperature reaches 105-115°F. (If the water is too hot, it will kill the yeast). Sprinkle the yeast onto the surface of the water and stir in until dissolved. Add sugar and stir in a teaspoon of flour; set aside for 5 minutes. The mixture should begin to bubble. If the mixture doesn't bubble, either the yeast is too old or the temperature of the water was too hot and you should start over again with fresh yeast or cooler water.

After the yeast begins to bubble, add it to the remaining ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer (or other large bowl). Knead on low speed for 15 minutes or turn out onto a clean work surface which has been dusted lightly with flour and knead for the same amount of time.

The dough should feel slightly sticky when you are done kneading, but it shouldn't cling to your hands. If it does, knead in a few dustings of flour. If the dough doesn't feel slightly sticky, there's not enough moisture; knead in a few drops of water.

Tip: To hydrate the dough just a little, soak a paper towel with water and wrap it lightly over the dough ball and leave it to rest for 5 minutes, then knead the extra moisture into the dough.

Exact measurements for the quantities of flour and water are never accurate since one batch of flour will absorb more or less water than another based upon storage and harvesting methods, age of flour and the type of wheat, the way in which the flour is milled, the weather, and a number of other conditions. Each time the dough is prepared is unique, but experience will teach you the proper consistency.

When the dough is smooth and elastic it is ready to begin the rising phase.

Place a few drops of olive oil at the bottom of a large heavy bowl. Place the rounded dough ball in the bowl and turn to coat the mass lightly with oil; this prevents the dough from forming a crust which would keep it from rising fully. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean, damp cotton towel and place in a warm place, free from draft. (Inside an oven, on top of a refrigerator or hot water heater are good spots if they are draft-free).

Allow the dough to rise, undisturbed until it has nearly doubled in bulk. This can take 60-90 minutes, depending on the yeast and room temperature.

At this point, the dough may be punched down (deflated - the air bubbles pressed out) and stretched to form a pizza crust and used immediately (or it may be sealed tightly in freezer bags and frozen for later use; defrost in microwave for 5-7 minutes or allow to sit at room temperature for 1-2 hours before using).

When ready to bake, set the baking rack in the oven to the lower or lower-middle rack and set the oven temperature to 475°F. Allow oven to preheat for at least 20 minutes. If available, a pizza stone may be set in the oven for a crisper crust.

While the oven preheats, stretch (don't roll) the dough out to a 14 inch diameter circle (or much wider if you prefer even thinner pizza crusts). The dough may be pressed out on a work surface and transferred to an ungreased pan (sprinkle a little cornmeal or semolina flour into the pan to prevent sticking, or spray lightly with olive oil spray). Another method is to press the dough directly into the pan. Or if you're feeling adventurous, stretch the dough out by holding it over the backs of two upheld hands, turning and allowing the dough's weight and gravity to stretch it out (they use a variation of this method in pizza shops to make the famous "hand stretched" dough).

Top with preferred toppings, such as sliced fresh peppers, mushrooms, onions, pepperoni, anchovies, cooked Italian sausage, etc. Sprinkle with a few hot red pepper flakes (according to taste) and salt and pepper. Feel free to experiment with toppings of your choice, varying the quantity and type of sauce or cheese. You may also brush the crust with garlic butter to add some additional flavor.

Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown.



Source: Cooks.com

Shepherd's Pie

My parents stayed with us on their way to Dallas. Since we would not be seeing my dad on his birthday, we decided to celebrate it that night. I decided to make one of the few Irish foods that I will actually eat.

This recipe is an amalgamation of several that I have found in various cookbooks and websites. The biggest changes that I have made are to use beef instead of lamb and to include Guinness.

Shepherd’s Pie

Filling:

3 Tbsp. Canola Oil

2 lbs. Ground Beef

Salt and Pepper

1 Medium Onion, Chopped

4 Carrots, Peeled and Diced
2 Tbsp. Parsley
1 tsp. Thyme

1 C. Guinness (or other Stout)

2 C. Chicken or Beef Stock

3 Tbsp. Flour

Topping:

2 lbs. Potatoes, Peeled and Cut into 1-inch pieces

½ C. Milk

2 Tbsp. Butter

½ C. Cheddar Cheese, Grated

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the beef and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until browned (does not have to be fully cooked at this point). Drain the meat and season with salt and pepper.

I used baby carrots for this dish. Just make sure that there is approximately the same amount of carrots and onions.

2. Stir in the onion, carrots, parsley, and thyme, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 8 minutes, or until vegetables are soft. Add the broth and stout. Bring to a boil, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the flour, reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the sauce is thickened. Season again with salt and pepper.

3. Preheat oven to 425°F.

4. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan over medium heat, cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 12 to 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain and mash. Add the milk and butter and stir until smooth.

5. Transfer the stew to a large casserole dish or 4 individual ovenproof casserole dishes. Spread the mashed potatoes over the meat mixture and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the mixture is hot. Preheat the broiler for just a few minutes and sprinkle the potatoes with the grated cheese, if using. Place the pie under the preheated broiler, 4 inches from the heat source, and broil for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the potatoes are lightly browned and the cheese is bubbling.