Pizza Dough

Source: The New Best Recipe

I love me some pizza, so why have I never attempted pizza dough? You got me. I turned to my trusty New Best Recipe and I wasn't disappointed! This recipe is supposed to make 3 pizza doughs, but I think I didn't let it rise long enough. I'll definitely make this again!

If only making one pizza, make the full recipe and divide into three once the dough is done rising. Place the extra dough in separate airtight containers and freeze them for up to several weeks. Defrost and stretch the dough when desired.

I used to be intimidated by yeast recipes before I bought a candy thermometer. Now, for a recipe like this, I'll keep filling up a measuring cup and checking the temperature of the water until it's at 110 degrees. It takes all the guesswork out of it!

The best way to cook the dough once you add all your toppings is on a pre-heated pizza stone. Heat the oven to 500 degrees and place the stone into the oven for at least 30 minutes. Bake in the oven for 8 - 12 minutes, until the crust edge browns and the cheese is golden brown in spots.

Pizza Dough

If you want to make the pizza dough in the morning and let rise on the counter all day, decrease the yeast to 1/2 teaspoon and let the covered dough rise at room temperature (about 68 degrees) until doubled in size, about 8 hours. You can prolong the rising time even further by refrigerating the covered dough for up to 16 hours, and then letting it rise on the counter until doubled in size, about 6 to 8 hours.

1/2 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)

1 envelope (about 2 1/4 teaspoons) instant yeast

1 1/4 cups water, at room temperature

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 cups (22 ounces) bread flour, plus more for dusting (all-purpose flour can be used, but it won't be as crisp)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Olive oil or nonstick cooking spray for oiling the bowl

1. Measure the warm water into a 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Sprinkle in the yeast and let stand until the yeast dissolves and swells, about 5 minutes. Add the room-temperature water and oil and stir to combine.

2. Process the flour and salt in a standing mixer (or 11 cup food processor) to combine. Continue to mix ingredients while pouring the liquid ingredients (holding back a couple of tablespoons) in with the dry ingredients. If the dough does not readily form a ball, add the remaining liquid and continue to pulse or mix until a ball forms. Process until the dough is smooth and elastic.

3. Turn out the flour and knead by hand to form a smooth round ball - or replace your paddle with a dough hook and knead the dough for about 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Form the dough into a ball, put it in a deep oiled bough, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Press the dough to deflate - it is now ready to use!

Italian Wedding Soup

Source: Giada de Laurentis

Oh, Giada. You never let me down! I picked this recipe because I'd been purchasing Healthy Choice microwaveable bowls, and while convenient, they are pretty flavorless. I love the little meatballs, though, so I wondered if I could make a better version myself.

Well, it turns out I can (copy Giada). I was a little concerned the broth would be somewhat flavorless since it's just chicken broth, some endive, and the egg/Parmesan mixture. But I thought it was VERY flavorful! I typically use ground turkey for any recipe that calls for ground meat, but I made these as stated in the recipe, and they were SO good! Make sure you use fresh parsley! I've been taking it to work for lunch all week, and I daresay it gets better as the week goes on! I may make another batch this week!

Italian Wedding Soup

Ingredients

Meatballs:

1 small onion, grated
1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 large egg
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 slice fresh white bread, crust trimmed, bread torn into small pieces
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
8 ounces ground beef
8 ounces ground pork
Freshly ground black pepper

Soup:

12 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 pound curly endive, coarsely chopped (1 pound of escarole would be a good substitution)
2 large eggs
2 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. To make the meatballs: Stir the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the cheese, beef and pork. Using 1 1/2 teaspoons for each, shape the meat mixture into 1-inch-diameter meatballs. Place on a baking sheet.

2. To make the soup: Bring the broth to a boil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and curly endive and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through and the curly endive is tender, about 8 minutes. Whisk the eggs and cheese in a medium bowl to blend. Stir the soup in a circular motion. Gradually drizzle the egg mixture into the moving broth, stirring gently with a fork to form thin stands of egg, about 1 minute. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve. Finish soup with parmesan cheese if desired.

Pastor Ryan's Bolognese Sauce

Source: The Pioneer Woman

Compared to other bolognese sauces I've made, this one was ridiculously easy and good. I liked the simple ingredients and how easy it was to put together. Typically I see "salt and pepper" in a recipe and you're supposed to add it "to taste," but I rarely do. This time I actually tasted the sauce after it had been simmering for an hour and it seemed a little...blah. 1 tablespoon of kosher salt and about a teaspoon of ground black pepper made it perfect. This is now my go-to bolognese recipe!

Pastor Ryan's Bolognese

1 1/2 cups grated carrots

1 large red onion, diced

1/2 cup olive oil

2 pounds ground beef (I used turkey)

2 tablespoons dried oregano

2 tablespoons dried basil

1 6-ounce can tomato paste

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups red wine

2 tablespoons Worcestershire

Salt

Pepper

2 28-ounce cans whole tomatoes

1 cup milk

Fresh grated Parmesan cheese

1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add grated carrots and onion and cook for a few minutes.

2. Make a well in the center of the mixture, and add in ground beef. Cook until brown, gradually stirring in carrot mixture.

3. Add in oregano and basil. Use fresh if you have; if you don't, it's fine.

4. When the meat is browned and combined with other ingredients, make another well. Add tomato paste and let it heat.

5. Add garlic and stir to combine.

6. Make a well in the center of the mixture and add red wine. Stir together.

7. Add Worcestershire and stir.

8. Add canned tomatoes.

9. Finally, add in milk, stir, and let simmer for 30 minutes to 2 hours. Serve with pasta and a generous sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Roman-style Chicken

Source: Food Network

Sometimes I get a little bored of chicken, so I went to the Food Network in search of a new recipe. I like this one by Giada - proscuttio, peppers, and capers were not a combination I've had before! I thought this was incredibly tasty, but next time I will make it entirely with boneless, skinless chicken thighs, which I think will taste better and cut down on the cooking time. I liked the thighs much better than the breasts - mine may have been overdone, but did not seem to soak up the flavor like the thighs did!

Ingredients

• 4 skinless chicken breast halves, with ribs
• 2 skinless chicken thighs, with bones
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus 1 teaspoon
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1 teaspoon
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
• 3 ounces prosciutto, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Directions

1. Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. In a heavy, large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, cook the chicken until browned on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.

2. Keeping the same pan over medium heat, add the peppers and prosciutto and cook until the peppers have browned and the prosciutto is crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, wine, and herbs. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pan, add the stock, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 30 minutes.

3. If serving immediately, add the capers and the parsley. Stir to combine and serve. If making ahead of time, transfer the chicken and sauce to a storage container, cool, and refrigerate. The next day, reheat the chicken to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in the capers and the parsley and serve.

Parmesan Chicken

Source: The New Best Recipe

A couple of lessons to be learned from this one. FIRST, if you are brining, note how many chicken pieces you are using. Being that I cook for two, I used 2 chicken breasts, and I thought the recommended brine made the breasts a little too salty.

Second, I thought this was delicious, but my goodness was it a long recipe. Between the brining, drying, coating, setting the breaded cutlets out to dry, it seemed like it took a long time and a lot of effort to make these! Not to discourage anyone, but know what you're getting into :) It's not a weeknight dinner. But if you want to spend a little extra time making chicken Parmesan, it's worth it.

I also noticed as I was typing out the recipe it said to use a nonstick pan, which I did not. There aren't many recipes that call for a nonstick pan in The New Best Recipe. I couldn't find the reason WHY to use a nonstick, but I guess I will try that in the future.

Chicken Parmesan

Smooth Tomato Sauce

2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon sugar

Salt and ground black pepper

Chicken and Pasta

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/4 cup table salt

Ground black pepper

3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

2 eggs

1 tablespoon plus 3/4 cup olive oil

2 teaspoons salt

8 ounces spaghetti or linguine

2 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (3/4 cup)

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. For the sauce: Heat the garlic and oil together in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat until the garlic starts to sizzle. Stir in the tomatoes, basil, oregano, sugar, a pinch of salt, and 2 grinds of pepper, and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer until the sauce thickens and the flavors meld, 10 to 12 minutes. Taste the sauce, adjusting the salt if necessary. Cover and keep warm.

2. Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Adjust an oven rack to the top position and heat broiler.

3. Meahwhile, if not already, pound the chicken cutlets until 1/2 inch thick. Dissolve the salt 1 quart water in a gallon-size zipper-lock plastic bag. Add cutlets and seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Refrigerate until the cutlets are fully seasoned, about 30 minutes. Line a baking sheet with a triple layer of paper towels.

4. Remove the cutlets and lay them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Cover with another triple layer of paper towels and press firmly to absorb the moisture. Allow to dry for 10 minutes. Carefully peel off the paper towels. Sprinkle with pepper to taste and set aside.

5. Place the bread crumbs in a pie plate. Spread the flour in a second shallow dish. Beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon olive oil in a third shallow dish. Place a wire rack over a baking sheet.

6. Working with one at a time, dredge the cutlets thoroughly in the flour, shaking off the excess. Using tongs, dip both sides in the egg mixture, taking care to coat thoroughly and allowing the excess to drip back into the dish to ensure a very thin coating. Dip both sides of the cutlets in bread crumbs, pressing the crumbs with your fingers to ensure an even, cohensive coat. Place the breaded cutlets in a single layer on the wire rack and allowing the coating to dry for about 5 minutes.

7. Add the salt and noodles to the boiling water and stir to separate. Heat 6 tablespoons of olive oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, but not smoking, about 2 minutes. Lay 2 cutlets gently in the skillet and cook until deep golden brown and crisp on the first side, about 2 /12 minutes. Using tongs, turn the cutlets, reduce heat to medium, and continue to cook until meat feels firm when pressed gently and the second side is deep golden brown and crisp, about 2 1/2 to 3 minutes.  Repeat until all cutlets are cooked.

8. Preheat your oven broiler. Transfer cutlets to clean wire rack over a baking sheet. Top each with 3 tablepoons of mozzarella and 1 tablespoon Parmesan. Place the baking sheet under the broiler and broil until the cheeses melt and are spotty brown, about 3 minutes.

9. Drain the spaghetti. Transfer cutlet to a plate and with a portion of spaghetti. Top cutlet and spaghetti with marinara. Top with additional Parmesan if desired. Serve and enjoy!

Simple Italian-Style Meat Sauce

Source: Cooks Illustrated

Okay, first thing's first. If you love cooking, you MUST get a subscription to Cook's Illustrated online! I received one for Christmas this year, and I LOVE it! It's $34.95 per year and well worth it. ALL of their recipes, techniques, equipment ratings, etc, from 16 years are on the site. It's a great value. Seriously, you will find yourself just browsing the site and before you know it, an hour will have passed! And dinner is burning! Whoops.


Okay, to the meat sauce. The recipe title perfectly conveys how the sauce tastes: a very simple, classic meat sauce. The actual preparation, however, was not simple. It took a long time to do the prep work, and you have to get out your food processor.


But it was very satisfying! There was just about 2 servings left over after we ate dinner; if you're making this with the intention of freezing some, double it. It can be refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for one month. I also included my favorite noodles to cook with here:


I love these noodles. They don't taste any different than the wheat noodles I typically buy, but they have protein, fiber, and Omega-3 fatty acids. They're good stuff. You know. If you're in the market for noodles.

No spaghetti is complete without some Roasted Garlic Bread! I roasted the garlic and prepared the rest of the ingredients for the bread while the sauce simmered.

Simple Italian-Style Meat Sauce

Ingredients:
4 ounces white mushrooms
1 large slice high-quality white sandwich bread , torn into quarters
2 tablespoons whole milk
Table salt and ground black pepper
1 pound 85 percent lean ground beef
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion , chopped fine (about 1 1/2 cups)
6 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained, 1/4 cup liquid reserved
1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano leaves or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomoatoes
1/2 ounce grated Parmesan cheese (about 1/4 cup)

Instructions:
1. Process mushrooms in food processor until finely chopped, about eight 1-second pulses, scraping down side of bowl as needed; transfer to medium bowl. Add bread, milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to now-empty food processor and process until paste forms, about eight 1-second pulses. Add beef and pulse until mixture is well combined, about six 1-second pulses.

2. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add onion and mushrooms; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are browned and dark bits form on pan bottom, 6 to 12 minutes. Stir in garlic, pepper flakes, and tomato paste; cook until fragrant and tomato paste starts to brown, about 1 minute. Add 1/4 cup reserved tomato liquid and 2 teaspoons fresh oregano (if using dried, add full amount), scraping bottom of pan with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Add meat mixture and cook, breaking meat into small pieces with wooden spoon, until beef loses its raw color, 2 to 4 minutes, making sure that meat does not brown.

3. Stir in crushed and drained diced tomatoes and bring to simmer; reduce heat to low and gently simmer until sauce has thickened and flavors have blended, about 30 minutes. Stir in cheese and remaining teaspoon fresh oregano; season with salt and pepper to taste.

Roasted Garlic Bread

Source: All Recipes

There are few things I love to eat more than garlic bread. Or really, bread in general. When we go out to eat, I have to be very careful to not eat all the bread at Italian restaurants so I can save room for the main course.



I love this version of garlic bread. It crisps up nicely under the broiler, and all that cheese/garlic/butter spread just soaks right in.




You do have to roast the garlic first in this recipe, which is time consuming, but well worth it! If you're using larger cloves, you should add on another 15 minutes or so, until they're fully softened.

This went nicely with the spaghetti sauce I made--while the sauce was simmering, I roasted the garlic, mixed the rest of the ingredients, and then popped it in the oven while the noodles were finishing up!

Roasted Garlic Bread

PREP TIME 15 Min
COOK TIME 5 Min
READY IN 20 Min

INGREDIENTS
3 bulbs garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 (1 pound) loaf Italian bread
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (optional)
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (optional) (surely a joke by the original poster--is cheese ever OPTIONAL?)


DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Slice the tops off of the garlic bulbs so that the tip of each clove is exposed. Place the bulbs on a baking sheet, and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 30 minutes, or until garlic is soft.

2. Set the oven to broil. Slice the loaf of bread in half horizontally, and place cut side up on a baking sheet.

3. Squeeze the cloves of garlic from their skins into a medium bowl. Stir in the butter, parsley, and Parmesan cheese until well blended. Spread onto the cut sides of the bread.
Broil for about 3-5 minutes, watching carefully, until toasted.

Garlic and Chicken Stuffed Shells

Source: Allrecipes?

I saw this on Love Deliciousness as well as Annie's Eats and had to try it. We love Italian food more than anything and this looked like a good twist on basic pasta! Annie's Eats notes the recipe is originally from All Recipes, but when I searched the site, I couldn't find one exactly like it. No matter--the version posted here is great! Like the other blogs, I also halved this recipe. I cooked 12 shells for the two of us, and after stuffing the rest, froze those without adding pasta sauce. I'll just have to thaw the rest overnight to make them again! Very tasty and a departure from my typical Italian dishes!


Making these also reminded me I really need to use my oven more! I make so many dishes in a skillet that I forget how nice it is to clean up while everything's baking!

Garlic and Chicken Stuffed Shells

1 box (or more) uncooked jumbo pasta shells (about 50-55)
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 chicken breasts, cooked and coarsely shredded
30 oz. part skim ricotta cheese
1/3 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1 ½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper
1 ½ tsp. dried parsley (1 tbsp. fresh, chopped)
6 large basil leaves, torn (I used 1 tsp, dried)
1/3 cup half and half
approx. 28 oz. pasta sauce
¼ cup Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Cook pasta shells according to package directions and drain. Separate onto a cutting board or cookie sheet to prevent from sticking together. Add ingredients garlic through half and half to a food processor and process until just combined. (I left the chicken out of the food processor, and then poured the mix over it and stirred, so as not to further chop up the chicken.) Add more salt and pepper if necessary, to taste.

2. Spoon enough sauce into baking dish(es) to cover the bottom. Fill the cooked shells with the ricotta mixture and place open side up in a prepared baking dish. Spoon as much of the remaining sauce over shells as desired. Bake covered with foil for 15-20 minutes, remove foil and continue baking for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Pasta Pomodoro

Source:All Recipes

It's Christmas Eve! I have a fairly complex spread planned for tomorrow, so I really didn't want to cook anything too complicated tonight. I had all these ingredients on hand, so this pomodoro fit the bill!

Very simple. I added in the chicken WITH the chicken and onions, but in retrospect, I should have added the chicken in the beginning, browned it, and then removed it to cook the onions and garlic.


I made quite a few changes from the original recipe based on the reviews, but I loved the end result! The pasta is a little "wet"; if you'd like a more creamy sauce, you might substitute the diced tomatoes for crushed and add in some Italian seasoning.

PREP TIME 15 Min
COOK TIME 15 Min
READY IN 30 Min

3 chicken breasts, sliced
2 (8 ounce) packages angel hair pasta (I used linguine)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can of diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 can chicken broth
1/2 cup of white wine
Crushed red pepper to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (or 1 tsp dried)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese


DIRECTIONS
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 minutes or until al dente; drain.

2. Pour olive oil in a large deep skillet over high-heat. Brown chicken slices and remove from pan. Saute onions and garlic until lightly browned. Reduce heat to medium-high and add in the cooked chicken, diced tomatoes, vinegar, chicken broth, and wine; simmer for about 8 minutes.

3. Stir in red pepper, black pepper, basil and cooked pasta, tossing thoroughly with sauce. Simmer for about 5 more minutes and serve topped with grated cheese.

Chicken Marsala, or, This Sauce is the Sh!t

Source: The New Best Recipe

Oh, MY. It has been YEARS since I've attempted a chicken marsala, mainly because the chicken is always decent, pretty good, but nothing mind-blowing. Usually you coat the chicken, cook it for a bit, then add in the marsala and mushrooms, which causes the coating the fall off.



However, my beef with chicken marsala is over. While I was busy trying to take a pretty pretty picture of the meal, my husband was eating, saying, "This is really good. No, this is REALLY good."



I am converted. I was slightly doubtful when I wasn't a huge fan of the sauce with my spaghetti and meatballs dinner version from TNBR, but this dish is pure heaven. The method of sauteing the chicken before putting in a warm oven while you make the sauce produced a delicious chicken that wasn't overbaked, and then topping with the sauce was just that much more amazing. Yum. This definitely goes on the MUST MAKE AGAIN list!




Chicken Marsala

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup of unbleached flour
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
2 1/2 ounces pancetta, cut into 1 by 1/8 inch pieces (found in your "fancy" cheese and meat deli section)
8 ounces white mushrooms, sliced (2 cups)
1 medium clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1 1/2 cups of Marsala
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves (which I just noticed, I completely forgot)

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position, place a large heatproof dinner plate on the rack, and heat the oven to 200 degrees.

2. Pat the chicken breasts dry. Place the flour in a shallow baking dish or pie plate. Season both sides of the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper to taste. Working with one cutlet at a time, coat both sides of the chicken with flour. Lift the breast from the tapered end and shake to remove excess flour; set aside.

3. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Place the cutlets in a single layer in the skillet and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using tongs, turn cutlets and cook on the second side until golden brown and meat feels firm when pressed with a finger, about 3 more minutes. Transfer the chicken to the heated plate and return the plate to oven. (I just used a casserole dish.)

4. Set the skillet to low heat and add the pancetta. Saute, stirring occasionally and scraping the pan bottom with a wooden spoon to loosen browned bits, until pancetta is browned and crisp, about 4 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to paper towels to drain.

5. Add the mushrooms to the pan and increase the heat to medium-high. Saute, stirring occasionally and scraping the pan bottom, until the liquid released by the mushrooms evaporates and the mushrooms begin to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste, and cooked pancetta and cook, stirring constantly, until the tomato paste begins to brown, about 1 minute. Off heat, add the marsala. Return the pan to high heat and simmer vigorously, scraping the browned bits from the pan bottom, until the sauce is slightly syrupy and reduced to 1 1/4 cups, about 5 minutes. Off heat, add the lemon juice and any accumulated juices from the chicken. Whisk in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until incorporated. Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve immediately.

It's very important to use UNSALTED butter in this recipe. The pancetta is pretty salty, and you'll also be seasoning the chicken with salt and pepper. I didn't add any additional seasonings once the sauce was done--I thought it was perfect on its own!

Zesty Chicken Cutlets Parmigiana

Source: 30 Minute Meals

I have to be honest. I haven't tried a lot of Rachael Ray recipes, as I often hear her name and "the devil" in the same sentence. However, I got her original 30 Minute Meals as a wedding gift and thought, what the heck.



I find most of her meals, however, are NOT "30 minute meals." I've caught her program a couple of times, and sure, it's easy to throw something together when most of your ingredients are premeasured and right there in front of you. Or maybe I'm just slow.



My lack of prep skills aside, this is a solid chicken parm. I don't think I've made chicken parm before with crushed red pepper, and it really adds a nice element to the dish. I also typically dip the chicken breasts in an egg, but I think the lemon juice also adds good flavor.

One note: holy marinara sauce! I LOVE this marinara, but being that I made 4 chicken cutlets,
it was way, WAY too much. Cut it in half if you're making a similar amount.




In any case, I cannot deliver my final verdict on Rachael Ray just yet, but I can recommend this tasty recipe!

Zesty Chicken Cutlets Parmigiana

1 pound of spaghetti

3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste (or from a jar. Whatevs.)
A pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
A handful of freshly flat-leaf parsley (I was out, so I used 1 tablespoon dried)
2 cloves of garlic, popped from skin and left whole
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound of chicken breast cutlets
Fresh mozzarella (enough to lay a slice over each cutlet)

Quick Marinara Sauce

3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 pinches of crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespooons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cans (28 ounces each) crushed tomatoes
15 to 20 basil leaves, chopped
2 sprigs fresh oregano, leaves stripped from stem and chopped
A handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped (or 1 Tbsp dried)

1. Bring a big pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta until al dente.

2. Make the marinara by heating the crushed red pepper, garlic, and olive oil over medium heat until the garlic sizzles. Add in crushed tomatoes and herbs. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and let sit while you prepare cutlets.

3. Pour lemon juice into a shallow dish. In a plate or pie pan, mix Parmesan, bread crumbs, pepper, red pepper flakes, and parsley. Dip the chicken cutlets in lemon juice, then in the bread crumbs, pressing to coat in breading.

4. Set oven to broil. Heat 2 whole garlic cloves in saucepan over medium heat. When garlic sizzles, remove cloves and saute chicken cutlets for 4 minutes on each side. When cutlets are done, arrange in an ovenproof serving dish and cover with a layer of marinara. Top with a slice of fresh mozzarella. Place platter under broiler to just melt cheese.

5. Take platter right to the table. Toss drained spaghetti with sauce and serve as a side dish. Enjoy!

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Source: The New Best Recipe

This was my first dish from the cookbook and it HALFWAY did not disappoint. The meatballs were the bomb--very light and tasty. It was the sauce that confused me. For my tastes, meatballs should be accompanied by a sweet sauce to balance the meaty flavor, and my sauce had an almost tomato paste flavor to it. Hmmm. I am wondering if I had a bad batch of crushed tomatoes, or if I should have added some sugar to cut down on the acidic taste. The recipe says to dump out the vegetable oil after frying the meatballs, and then add in the olive oil to the same pan to make the sauce. If you also like a sweeter sauce, my suggestion would be to make the tomato sauce in a separate pan from the meatballs.

Anyway!

Meatballs

2 slices of white bread, crusts removed and torn into pieces
1/2 cup of buttermilk or 6 tablespoons plain yogurt thinned with 2 tablespoons of whole milk
1 pound of ground meat, preferrably 3/4 pound of ground chuck and 1/4 pound ground pork
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablspoons minced fresh parsley leaves
1 large egg YOLK (no whites)
1 small garlic clove, minced fine or pressed through a garlic press
3/4 teaspoon of salt
Ground black pepper
1 to 1 and 1/2 cups vegetable oil for frying


Tomato Sauce

2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
1 small garlic clove, minced fine
1 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil leaves
Salt and ground black pepper
1 pound of spaghetti
Parmesan cheese for serving

1. For the meatballs: Combine the bread and buttermilk into a small bowl. Mix and let sit for 10 minutes, mashing occasionally with a fork, until a smooth paste is formed.

2. Place the ground meat, cheese, parsley, egg yolk, garlic, salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Add the bread-buttermilk mixture and combine until evenly mixed. Shape 3 tablespoons of the mixture into 1 1/2 inch round meatball. (Use a light touch--if you compact the meatballs too much, they become dense and hard. And, as I found, if you are TOO light-handed, they will be hard to turn over in one piece. Balance, people, balance.) You should have about 14 meatballs when done.

3. Pour the vegetable oil into a 10 or 11 inch saute pan to a depth of 1/4 inch. Turn the heat to medium high. After several minutes, test the oil with the edge of a meatball. While the oil sizzles, add the meatballs in a single layer. Fry, turning with tongs several times, until nicely browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Regulate the heat as needed to keep the oil sizzling but not smoking. Transfer the browned meatballs to a plate lined with paper towels and set aside.

4. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil in a large pot.

5. For the sauce: Discard the oil in the pan, but leave behind any browned bits. Add the olive oil and garlic and saute, scraping up the browned bits, just until the garlic is just golden, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, bring to a simmer, and cook until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Stir in the basil and salt and pepper to taste. Add the meatballs and simmer, turning them occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Keep warm over low heat.

6. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and the pasta to the boiling water and stir to separate the noodles. Cook until al dente, drain, and return to the pot. Ladle several large spoonfuls of sauce (without the meatballs) over the spaghetti and toss until well coated. Divide the pasta among individual bowls and top each with a little more tomato sauce and 2 or 3 meatballs. Serve immediately, topping with Parmesan if preferred. Enjoy!

Baked Pasta

My lovely cousin Christine, who was a lovely bridesmaid in my wedding (far left):



started her own cooking blog, Steen's Cuisine, and the timing could not be better. I asked the hubs what he wanted to eat this weekend, and he said something mostacholi-like. The Baked Pasta from BHG listed on her blog sounded delicious, and it was, as well as very simple! As we were eating, Kevin said, "You can make this again." LOL...he has also demanded credit for picking the pasta sauce, Ragu Roasted Garlic. That is his highly recommended sauce for this dish :)

I used grated Parmesan cheese, which meant that there was a lot more Parmesan than mozzarella in the dish. I thought it tasted GREAT, but when putting the final layer of cheese on the dish, I added more mozzarella.

On another note...being the cooking neophyte that I am, I am always excited to share a new tip, no matter how simple. I have a garlic chopper, and I used to just put the garlic in the chopper, papery shells on, and then pick them out. THEN I was reading a Rachel Ray cookbook and one of her tips was to lay the garlic buds on a cutting board, put the flat part of a large knife over them, and then hit them with the flat of your hand to "pop" the shells off, like so:



So it may be one of those things like "tongs" that everyone else already knew about, but I like to pretend I am spreading knowledge :)

Baked Pasta

8 ounces of dried pasta (I used mini penne, but just about anything would work)
16 ounces of Italian sausage or ground beef (I used 4 Jennie-O sweet Italian sausage links, squeezed out of their skin)
3/4 cup of chopped onion (1 medium onion)
2 cloves of minced garlic
1 26 ounce jar of your favorite pasta sauce
1 and 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese (combine the cheeses)
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper (I used 1/2 because I LOOOOOVE pepper)
Fresh chopped parsley to taste


1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Boil water and prepare pasta. While the pasta is cooking, cook sausage, onions, and garlic in a skillet until meat is done and onions are tender. Drain the meat and pasta.

2. In a 3 quart casserole dish, combine the pasta, meat, 1 cup of the cheese mixture, and black pepper. Stir gently to combine.

3. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of cheese and parsley. Bake another 5-7 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve and enjoy!

Healthy Chicken Pomodoro

A couple of years ago, I bought a book called Body for Life by Bill Phillips. If you are looking for a guide to help change your eating habits, this is a great book! It stresses healthy eating, not dieting. My husband pretty much follows this book's principles and has 6 days of healthy eating and one "cheat" day. I have not been quite as disciplined, but this is a great book, and best of all, has a ton of healthy recipes! Just looking through the recipes has shown me how using different ingredients or cooking things slightly differently can make all the difference in a healthy meal. I'm going to try to cook from this book more.

Also note, I was taking that photo as my camera was dying--it probably doesn't look very good, but trust me, this dish is yummy!


Chicken Pomodoro

Prep time: 30 minutes
4 servings

Ingredients:

4 portions of spaghetti (about 8 oz uncooked)
2 egg whites
4 tsp Mrs. Dash Tomato Basil Garlic seasoning
1/4 cup reduced fat Parmesan cheese, grated
4 portions of chicken breast (about 1 lb)
2 tbsp of olive oil
3 tomatoes, diced, or 1 can of diced tomatoes
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
4 tbsp of red wine (or chicken broth)

1. Prepare spaghetti according to package directions

2. In a small bowl, beat the egg whites. In a pie plate, combine the Mrs. Dash seasoning and Parmesan cheese.

3. Dip chicken breasts in egg white then into the seasoned Parmesan, coating both sides.

4. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium low heat. (The Parmesan can burn quickly, so don't overdo it.) Place chicken breasts in skillet; cover and cook for approximately 6 minutes; turn and cook for 6 more minutes. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

5. Add tomatoes and bell peppers to skillet and saute over medium heat until pepper begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in Italian seasoning and red wine; continue to cook for 2 more minutes.

6. Add pasta to the skillet with sauteed peppers and tomoatoes; mix gently.

7. Slice cook chicken. Divide pasta mixture onto plates and top with sliced chicken. Enjoy!

Pioneer Woman's Linguine with Chicken Thighs

Source: The Pioneer Woman

This was the first Pioneer Woman recipe I made, and I think one of the few on her site that does not have a healthy dose of butter and cream :) I only had one can of crushed tomatoes, so I used that and about half the basil and parsley.

I bought a new pan this weekend. I have a wonderful 12" All Clad fry pan, but it's just not deep enough for sauces or dishes with a lot of veggies. You know you have reached a new level of domesticity when you are willing to spend $200 on a single freaking pan. It's worth it, though, I love my All Clad pans!


Hello, my pretty!

Ingredients:

Olive oil
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 to 1 medium onion, chopped (I used half)
2 to 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 cup of white wine
2 28-ounce cans of crushed tomatoes
Pinch of sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley
8 fresh basil leaves, chiffonaded
1 package of linguine noodles
Parmesan cheese

1. Boil a pot of water for the linguine. I put the noodles in when you add the chicken back into the sauce, so everything's done at the same time.

2. Heat olive oil in a hot skillet, and add diced chicken in a single layer. Don't move the chicken--allow to sit for a few minutes until they get browned, and then turn them over and do the same thing on the other side. Don't worry about them being completely done--they'll finish cooking later in the sauce. Remove chicken and set aside.

3. Add onions and garlic and stir to combine. Add white wine, and with a spatula, scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen brown bits. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, and sugar. Allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Add the cooked chicken back into the sauce, and simmer for another 15 minutes. I always throw some frozen garlic bread in the oven the last 5 minutes to serve with the dish. Add in the chopped fresh herbs right before you serve the dish.

4. Drain noodles and serve. Enjoy!

Chicken Vino Bianco

Source: http://www.recipezaar.com/

We are suckers for anything that includes garlic, chicken, tomatoes, and pasta, so this recipe seemed like a win-win. After seeing it on http://simplebutdelicious.blogspot.com/, I made it with some of her changes. We both really enjoyed it! Very flavorful and the chicken was so tender!

Chicken Vino Bianco

4 tablespoons of olive oil
4 thin-cut chicken breasts (or pounded thin)
2 tablespoons of chopped green tomatoes
1/2 cup of diced tomatoes
1/2 cup of red onion, sliced
1 cup of sliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh garlic
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
1/2 teaspoon of salt
5 tablespoons of butter
1/4 cup of lemon juice
1/2 cup of white wine

1/2 pound of pasta ( I used linguine)

For the seasoned flour:
1/2 cup of flour
1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning

I actually made this recipe off of http://lacucinadilauren.blogspot.com/, and I noticed she added about half of a large can of crushed tomatoes. I did, too. The recipe was yummy with it, but probably also good without!

1. Set large pot of water on the stove to boil.

2. Set a large skillet on the stove and heat the olive oil. Dredge the chicken in the flour. Place in the pan and cook until browned and internal temperature is 165. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

3. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in the skillet. Add green onion, diced tomato, onions, parsley, garlic, mushrooms, crushed red pepper, and salt and pepper to pan. Saute for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

4. Add chicken back to pan. Add white wine, lemon juice, and the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter (and crushed tomatoes if you will). Bring to a boil and let simmer while the pasta finishes cooking. Drain pasta and toss with the chicken and sauce. Enjoy!

Penne and Italian Sausage with Spicy Vodka Tomato Cream Sauce

Adapted from: http://www.allrecipes.com/

This is one of our all-time favorite dishes. It's also simple to make, which I love. As much as my middle-child self loves to attempt complex recipes, it's nice to have an easy one. And did I mention it's DELICIOUS??

Another note is that I always try to use turkey instead of ground beef, or in this case, Italian sausage links. I can never taste the difference and it's a bit healthier.

1 pound uncooked penne pasta (I never use a full pound, it's just too much pasta)
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons of vodka
1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
4 links of spicy Italian sausage links--if you can't find spicy, buy sweet, and add a pinch of crushed red pepper

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Drain.

2. While the pasta is cooking, heat olive oil over in a skillet over medium heat. Remove casing from sausage and add to skillet. Cook, breaking up meat, until browned. Add garlic and cook, stirring until garlic is golden brown.

3. Add tomatoes and salt to skillet; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. (Another reason I love this recipe is you can actually start cleaning up before it's done. Really, there's nothing to do during those 15 minutes.)

4. Add vodka and cream and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and add pasta, toss for 1 minute. Stir in fresh parsley and serve!

If you're trying to reduce the fat content, you could easily omit the heavy cream. Obviously it gives it a richer flavor, but it would be just as tasty without!