Chicken Parmesan

Recipes courtesy  of 

Tyler Florence 

and

Giada de Laurentiis

(photos from Jack's kitchen)

Simple Tomato Sauce:

recipe courtesy of Giada de Laurentiis

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 small onion, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

• 1 stalk celery, chopped

• 1 carrot, chopped

• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes

• 4 to 6 basil leaves

• 2 dried bay leaves

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional

In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, and bay leaves and simmer covered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.

Add half the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.

If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to 2 cup portions into freezer plastic bags. This will freeze up to 6 months.

Chicken Parmesan with Marinara Sauce

Recipe courtesy  of Tyler Florence

(photos from Jack's kitchen)

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 bay leaves

• 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted

• 1/2 bunch fresh basil leaves

• 2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, drained and hand-crushed

• Pinch sugar

• Pinch red pepper flakes

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 4 skinless, boneless, chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

• 1 tablespoon water

• 1 cup dried plain bread crumbs

• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for sprinkling

• 1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves

• 2 teaspoons garlic powder

• 1 (8-ounce) ball fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

• 1 pound spaghetti pasta, cooked al dente

   

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

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 the olives and some hand-torn basil, reserve the rest of the basil for finishing the chicken. Carefully add the tomatoes (nothing splashes like 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 salt and 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 Season with salt and pepper and 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 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. When the oil is nice and hot, add the cutlets and fry for 4 minutes on each side until golden and crusty, turning once.

Ladle the tomato-olive 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.

Corn Zucchini and Poblano Lasagna

We enjoyed this side dish immensely. 

Perhaps add a little meat if your family is not vegetarian, or serve as a side dish. 

The corn sauce is amazing! Photos are from our kitchen but...

Recipe courtesy of Marcela Valladolid of the Food Network.

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 3 cloves garlic, minced, divided
• 2 cups fresh corn kernels (from about 2 ears), or frozen and thawed

• 2 cups heavy cream

• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced white onion
• 1 large zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise
• 4 poblano chiles, charred, peeled, stemmed, seeded and cut into 1-inch strips
• 12 (7 by 3-inch) no-boil lasagna sheets
• 2 cups shredded Oaxaca cheese, or mozzarella

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare roasted peppers on grill or in oven as shown here.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add 2/3 of the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Mix in the corn and saute for 5 minutes. 

Stir in the cream and thyme. Cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes for the flavors to incorporate. Turn off the heat and let cool slightly. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining garlic and cook for 1 minute. Mix in the zucchini and poblano strips and cook for 5 minutes for the flavors to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat.

Spread about 1/4 of the corn mixture over the bottom of an 11 by 8-inch baking dish. 

Cover with a layer of 3 lasagna sheets. 

Spread 1/4 of the poblano mixture and 1/4 of the cheese over the pasta. 

Repeat the layering 3 more times. 

Cover with foil.

Bake until the pasta is cooked and tender, about 50 minutes. Remove the foil and turn up the oven temperature to broil. 

Broil until golden brown and bubbly, 8 to 10 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Burrito Lasagna

Thanks very much to a customer who submitted this Mexican style lasagna recipe in September 2011. We also tried substituting a bed of romaine lettuce, feta cheese, and plenty of roasted peppers to provide a smoky, naturally flavorful, hot dish.

Ingredients

  2 pounds ground beef

  1 onion, chopped

  2 teaspoons minced garlic

  1 (2 ounce) can black olives, sliced

  1 (4 ounce) can diced green chili peppers

  1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers

 1 (16 ounce) jar taco sauce

 2 (16 ounce) cans refried beans

 12 (8 inch) flour tortillas

 9 ounces shredded Colby cheese

Method:

   1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

   2. In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the ground beef for 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic, and saute for 5 more minutes. Drain any excess fat, if desired. Mix in the olives, green chile peppers, tomatoes with green chile peppers, taco sauce and refried beans. Stir mixture thoroughly, reduce heat to low, and let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

   3. Spread a thin layer of the meat mixture in the bottom of a 4 quart casserole dish. Cover with a layer of tortillas followed by more meat mixture, then a layer of cheese. Repeat tortilla, meat, cheese pattern until all the tortillas are used, topping off with a layer of meat mixture and cheese.

   4. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheese is slightly brown and bubbly.

Zucchini Casserole with Ground Beef

Slice vegetables (the 8-ball zucchini is excellent for this recipe, but regular zucchini “coins” or lengthwise cuts are also good!)

Slice Veggies

Season and brown ground beef as desired.

Drain beef and set aside.

Layer the vegetables as you would lasagna...

... with layers of beef and ricotta cheese.

Layer more vegetables.

Continue layering for a deep dish.

Top with Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 350 for approximately 50 minutes until vegetables are cooked to your satisfaction.

In place of beef, tofu, rice or potatoes may be substituted.

In place of zucchini, yellow squash may be used.

For a delicious vegetable side dish, eliminate the ground beef, but layer as shown.

Chicken Pot Pie - Family Style

adapted from Ina Garten (Food Network)

This recipe is great because much of the prep can be done days in advance. Use a variety of vegetables, herbs, seasonings, and meat cuts.

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken, boiled (or cooked in crock pot)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 5 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 2 tsp “Chicken Base Better than Bouillon”
• 1 1/2 sticks butter
• 2 cups yellow onions, chopped (2 onions)
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups medium-diced carrots, blanched for 2 minutes
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas (2 cups)
• 1 1/2 cups frozen small whole onions
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

For the pastry:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 1/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
• 1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
• Flaked sea salt and cracked black pepper

NOTE: We cheated by using a store bought pie crust.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350F.

NOTE: Items used in cooking the whole chicken we not listed above.

Place chicken in pot with water (or in crock pot) with a whole rough chopped onion, 3-4 cloves of garlic, tbsp black pepper corns, 3 stalks rough chopped celery, 3 bay leaves, fresh parsley, fresh thyme, fresh oregano. When chicken is finished cooking, it will be tender, nearly falling off bone. Remove bones, skin, excess fat and unwanted pieces. Shred or rough chop chicken meat.  You will have 6-8 cups of chicken, making for a very inexpensive and meaty meal.

Strain stock and place in covered bowl overnight. Fats will solidify on top overnight, and may be easily removed the next day. The balance of the liquid is wonderfully flavorful, homemade chicken stock.

In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the Chicken Base Better Than Bouillon in the stock. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the onions over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and heavy cream. 

Add the chicken, carrots, peas, onions and parsley. Mix well.

For the pastry: Either cheat we like we did, or make homemade: mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the shortening and butter and mix quickly with your fingers until each piece is coated with flour. Pulse 10 times, or until the fat is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough out onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Note: It will fit nicely in a 4-quart pyrex-type bowl to serve 12, spooned out family style. Place crust on top, and crimp edges of crust, putting 3 vent holes in the middle. Place on baking sheet to avoid any messy accidents. Bake at 375 until crust is golden brown and middle is bubbly, about 45-60 minutes. There were lots of left overs. 

Ina suggests individual serving and baking dishes. Divide the filling equally among 4 ovenproof bowls. Divide the dough into quarters and roll each piece into an 8-inch circle. Brush the outside edges of each bowl with the egg wash, then place the dough on top. Trim the circle to 1/2-inch larger than the top of the bowl. Crimp the dough to fold over the side, pressing it to make it stick. Brush the dough with egg wash and make 3 slits in the top. Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.

NOTE: Ina’s original recipe calls for boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

Corn Casserole - Very Sweet

Sure to please the pickiest eaters, this corn casserole has never been anything less than a big hit! Then again, how can a recipe by Paula Deen be anything BUT a big success! It is soooo sweet, that it's dessert served with supper, in my humble opinion. (Recipe courtesy Paula Deen, Photos from Jack's kitchen).

Ingredients

• 1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
• 1 (8-ounce) package corn muffin mix (recommended: Jiffy)

• 1 cup sour cream

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, stir together the 2 cans of corn, corn muffin mix, sour cream, and melted butter. 

Pour into a greased 9 by 13-inch casserole dish. 

Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown. 

Remove from oven and top with Cheddar. 

Return to oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. 

Let stand for at least 5 minutes and then serve warm.

Note: we add chopped scallions and green peppers when company is sharing. When it's just for us, we chop in jalapenos.

Mac N Greens - Great Side Dish

Note: be sure to use your family's favorite cheese(s), and squeeze lots of vegetables into this great side dish. Since this is Thanksgiving week, consider serving it as a side with your feast. It's a delicious "left over" which can easily be served with turkey left overs as well. Here it is shown with Tilapia.

Ingredients:

3 tbsp vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tbsp salt

1 box ziti (pasta)

4 cups milk

1 stick butter

1/2 cup all purpose flour

2 cups grated fontaine cheese

4 cups grated extra sharp cheddar

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 strips of bacon, fried and crumbled (optional)

2 roma tomatoes, sliced (or however many needed to cover top of casserole)

1/2 tsp nutmeg

Method:

1. Chop and Prepare the Collards, cooking until tender as shown here. Saute onion in vegetable oil.

2. Prepare pasta according to box directions. Fry 2 strips of bacon on low heat until desired doneness.

3. Grate Cheese. Heat milk in small sauce pan. Do not boil.

4. Melt butter in 4 quart pot.

5. Add flour to butter, making a rue, stirring with whisk.

6. While whisking, add hot milk and cook for 2 more minutes until thick and smooth.

7. Remove from heat. Add Cheeses, bacon, salt, pepper, onion and nutmeg.

8. Add cooked pasta and stir well. Add collards.

9. Pour into 3 quart baking dish. 

10. Slice tomatoes and arrange on top.

11. Bake at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes until cheese is bubbly and browned.

Shown with Tilapia