Skillet Chicken Parmesan

This recipe was recently posted on Mels Kitchen Cafe (her recipes NEVER disappoint) and looked like a great toned down (aka quick-er) option for Chicken Parmesan. And it was. It's also a great pantry meal, chances are any well-stocked pantry will most likely have all the ingredients on hand. The sauce offers the best of red sauce yumminess. It's a little bit tangy, a little bit sweet, and with only a handful of ingredients doesn't take all day. The chicken is terrific. I love breaded chicken cutlet's but sometimes dislike the extra steps it takes to get them there. So with just a light, quick dredging in flour even I can't complain. Add to it all the fact that the chicken eventually finishes cooking IN the tomato sauce and you have a recipe for success. The flavors all meld together with melted cheesy goodness. It only took me about 30 minutes to make too. This will be a regular with us for sure!

Skillet Chicken Parmesan

{Recipe Source: Mels Kitchen Cafe}

2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced

28 oz can crushed tomatoes

14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes, drained

1/2 t dried oregano

1/2 t dried basil

1 t sugar

1/2 t salt

1/2 t black pepper

3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, divided

3 chicken breasts cut in half lengthwise to make 6 thinner cutlets (next time I think I'll be pounding out the chicken then cutting each in half, I wanted more tender chicken and think this would help)

Garlic salt

1/2 cup flour

2 T oil (vegetable, canola or olive)

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella (I had leftover fresh mozzarella that I sliced and it was so good!)

3-4 slices provolone, cut in half

Hot spaghetti noodles for serving

In medium bowl, combine garlic, crushed and diced tomatoes, oregano, basil, sugar, salt, pepper and 1/4 cup parmesan. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat 2 T oil until over medium heat until rippling and hot. Thoroughly dry chicken cutlets and season with garlic salt. Place flour in a shallow dish and dredge seasoned cutlets, coating both sides. Place 3-4 cutlets in hot pan and let cook only 3 minutes per side until there's a nice golden crust. Remove to plate (they'll finish cooking at a later point). Repeat with remaining cutlets.

Wipe skillet of excess oil and pour pre-mixed sauce contents into the pan, taking care of splatters. Turn heat to medium and gently nestle all 6 browned chicken cutlets into the sauce. The chicken should be mostly covered with sauce. Cover the skillet and simmer on medium low for about 15 minutes.

Uncover and place mozzarella, provolone, and grated parmesan over each chicken piece. Cover and cook 5 minutes more until cheese to melt-y. Serve over hot spaghetti noodles.

Serves 6

Jazzed Up Garlic Artichoke Dip

This dip is such creamy, tangy, garlick-y goodness. Most restaurants these days have some sort of cream cheese based dip on the appetizer menu and I really think this blows them all out of the water! The original recipe comes from Our Best Bites and since I can't leave well-enough alone I added a few extra things and cut down the artichokes to make up for it. I've made this recipe the original way and my way and both are fabulous. (but truth be told I prefer my way!) It simply never disappoints.

Jazzed Up Garlic Artichoke Dip

{Adapted slightly from Our Best Bites}

2 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened (1/3 less is perfect)

1 cup mayo (no miracle whip or non-fat)

1 6 oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

6 cloves garlic, pressed

1 cup spinach leaves, chopped

2 medium tomatoes chopped (grape is fine, about a cup'll do ya)

Black pepper, a few good cranks

1 cup grated parmesan cheese (grate it fresh, pre-grated doesn't work well here)

1 loaf of sourdough bread, sliced for dipping (or tortilla chips or homemade pita-yum!)

Preheat oven to 350. Place softened cream cheese and mayo in mixing bowl and stir to combine. (I use my kitchen-aid) Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Spoon dip into a medium sized baking dish. 9-inch pie plate, 8x8 or 9x9 square pyrex dishes are all good options. Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly golden and melted. Serve with thin slices of sourdough bread for dipping.

Spring Greens with Avocado, Mandarin Oranges, and Candied Almonds {my go-to dinner salad}

So say you're having people over for dinner and you just can't bear the thought of adding a fancy, involved, homemade salad to your to-do list but you still want something beyond the typical pre-mixed salad with ranch...I find myself feeling that way often and when I do this salad is what I throw together. It uses a store-bought dressing but the other ingredients, in particular the candied almonds, give it that little something extra. It's fresh, it's light, and it goes with a whole slew of menus whether it be grilled meat, lighter pasta dishes, or your typical sunday dinner fare.

Spring Greens with Avocado, Mandarin Oranges, and Candied Almonds

1 carton (bag) Mixed Baby Greens

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

1 can mandarin oranges, drained

1 good size avocado, chunked

1/2 cup (little bag) sliced or slivered almonds

2 T+ sugar

Brianna's Blush Wine Vinaigrette

For Candied Almonds:

Heat small non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add almonds and sprinkle with 2 T sugar. Periodically stir. When sugar begins to melt, stir continually and be careful not to burn. (I don't recommend leaving this on it's own, as it can go from fine to burnt in the blink of an eye!) Remove coated and browned almonds onto a plate. Spread them out and let them cool. ( feel free to speed this step by putting almonds in the fridge or freezer) Once cooled break any large chunks apart.

For salad:

In large bowl add mixed greens, sliced red onions, drained mandarin oranges, avocado chunks, and cooled candied almonds. Just before serving, drizzle a small amount of dressing over all and toss, taste as you go adding small amounts of dressing if needed. Don't overdress, a little goes a long way. I find I have to restrain myself and stop even when I think it's not enough--chances are it will be perfect. Soggy lettuce is gross! Serve immediately.

Note: Dressed salads don't keep. If you think you may not eat it all and want to save some for later, serve dressing on the side.

Fetticine with Chicken, Bacon, and Tomatoes

We are big time pasta eaters in our house. This recipe is a favorite and what's nice about it is that it's a bit "lighter" than your typical pasta dish, since it's cooked with broth rather than a typical red or white sauce. Of course the bacon isn't exactly light, but who cares? It's so good with it! Actually you could easily leave it out or leave the chicken out, maybe add some mushrooms (what a great idea, I'm so using those next time!) and/or onions and use it as a meatless main dish or a nice side dish to something else. The original recipe calls for turkey tenders which would be yummy, but those are not something I regularly have on hand so I opt for chicken. And if prosciutto's your thing, use that instead of bacon. Just thinking about this dish makes my mouth water and wish we had more left-overs. So good!

Fetticine with Chicken, Bacon, and Tomatoes

{Adapted from my friend Carolee}

1 pound fetticine

2 T olive oil

1 1b chicken breast (or turkey) chopped into bite-size pieces

6 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 cups chicken stock

2 cloves garlic, minced

2-3 T fresh basil or 1/2 tsp dried

3 tomatoes diced, grape is good

1/2 cup give or take fresh parmsan, grated

Garlic powder/salt (or Kosher salt) and black pepper to taste

Get pasta going in a large pot. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in large skillet. Add chicken, seasoned however you like (garlic salt is my choice), and cook until browned and cooked through. Add chicken stock, garlic, and basil. Let simmer for a minute. Add cooked and drained noodles, chopped tomatoes, and grated parmesan. Season, taste, adjust as needed. I usually add more basil and parmesan once I've tasted it. Right before serving sprinkle on cooked crumbled bacon. Enjoy!

Easily serves 4 as a main dish.

Shaved Asparagus Pizza

Uh, yum! This was delightfully delicious. It was my first time trying it and I will definitely be making it again. Shaved asparagus seems a bit trendy at the moment and for good reason. I love asparagus all ways and shaving it just helps to take some of the heft out of it and makes it the perfect light topping for pizza. And never fear all the flavor is still there. I added some fresh garlic, a light spread of butter, some tomatoes, and somehow managed to stop short of adding some sort of meat product (the black forest ham deli meat was in my sights, thin strips of that would be pretty good I think) to the original recipe and thought it was plenty filling. The pizza crust makes sure of that. The garlic herb cheese the original recipe calls for and the squeeze of fresh lemon juice post-bake time I called for were the ultimate finishing touches.

Shaved Asparagus Pizza

{Adapted from Annie's Eats}

Ingredients:
Pizza Dough (your own or try this one from Annie's Eats)
Olive oil, for brushing
8 oz. asparagus spears
4 oz. fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
3 oz. spreadable garlic herb cheese, such as Boursin
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes (i opted for grape)

2 T butter

1 clove garlic, pressed

Lemon, cut and ready to squeeze over cooked pizza

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:
Preheat the oven and a pizza stone at 450˚ F for at least 30 minutes. Roll out the pizza dough into a 12-14 inch round. Lightly brush the surface of the dough with olive oil. Spread 2 T butter mixed with 1 clove pressed garlic over that(

I just put mine on a round pizza pan I sprayed with cooking spray and sprinkled with corn meal that I didn't even preheat-but perhaps I should have?!)

Cut the tough woody stems off the ends of the asparagus spears. Use a vegetable peeler to shave the spears into ribbons. You likely will not need all of the asparagus, but use more ribbons than you think you need because it will cook down in the oven.

Place the sliced mozzarella over the pizza dough in an even layer. Pile the asparagus shavings and chopped tomatoes over the top of the mozzarella. Dot the surface of the pizza with the garlic herb cheese. Season with a little kosher salt and pepper.

Transfer the pizza to the preheated pizza stone and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the crust is lightly browned, about 12-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly, if desired squeeze fresh lemon juice over all. Slice and serve.

Orange Peel Chicken

This recipe is righy up my alley. It's saucy, chicken-y, slightly sweet, slightly spicy AND reminiscent of my favorite dish at the wonderous asian bistro restaurant that is PF Chang's. (Sadly, I have to get on an airplane ride if I want to eat there, so this is a good at-home alternative) To top it all off, it's not full of fussy ingredients. I imagine most everyone will have almost every ingredient in their pantry already. The chili garlic sauce is the only out of the ordinary item and it is absolutely necessary. I found mine in the specialty asian section of my grocery store. Now if I could just master dan-dan noodles I'd be a happy gal!

Orange Peel Chicken

{Slightly adapted recipe from my friend Christie. If you like things fairly saucy, I'd 1 1/2 this recipe if not double it}

Sauce:

1 T vegetable oil

2 T minced garlic

4 green onions, sliced

1 cup tomato sauce

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 T chili garlic sauce

1 T soy sauce

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2-3 large chicken breasts (I used 2 and wanted there to be a little more sauce)

Garlic salt

1 egg, beaten

1 cup milk

1+ cup flour

peel from 1/4 navel orange, julienned with all white part removed (into 1/8-inch thick strips)

Prepare sauce by heating 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sliced green onions. Add tomato sauce and chicken broth quickly before the garlic burns. Add sugar, chili garlic sauce and soy sauce and bring to a boil. Simmer 5 minutes or until sauce thickens, then turn off the heat.

Prepare the chicken by heating 1/2 cup oil in a wok over medium heat. Slice chicken breasts into bite-size pieces and sprinkle with garlic salt. Combine beaten egg with milk in a medium bowl. Pour the flour into another medium bowl.

Coat chicken pieces by dropping them into the egg/milk mixture and into the flour mixture. (FYI: I actually coated them in flour first, then egg/milk, then back into flour) Arrange coated chicken on a plate until all chicken is coated.

When oil in the large skillet or wok is hot, add about half of the chicken to the oil and cook for a couple of minutes or until brown on one side, then flip chicken over. When chicken is golden brown, remove the pieces to a rack or paper towels to drain. Repeat with the remaining chicken. (I put mine in a glass baking dish and into the oven at 400 for few minutes longer just be sure they were done.) When all of the chicken is cooked wipe the remaining oil out of the pan with paper towels and place it back on the stove to heat up again.

When pan is hot again add julienned orange peel and cooked chicken. Heat for 20 to 30 seconds or so. Add sauce to the pan and cook, stirring gently, until the chicken is well coated and sauce is thick. Serve over white or brown rice.

The Basic "Actually Cooked" Omelet

I've only recently made omelets a part of my life. Sure I've had them before, but I have a thing with eggs. If there is even the remotest possibility that they might be even slightly undercooked my gag reflex kicks into high gear. I can't eat runny yolk fried eggs (I usually nix the yolk altogether and just fry the whites) and don't even get me started on sunny-side-up- runny-white-part things...so gross! Anyhow back to omelets, since the traditional method involves adding the toppings to a still fairly runny top and then folding it in half and hoping it keeps cooking (ya right) or serving it immediately, there is always (you guessed it) a runny uncooked egg thing going on. But thanks to my husband who was apparently craving an omelet enough to look up how-to video's on youtube, we have found a cooking method that satisfies his craving and squelches my gag reflex. Since this revelation we've had omelets quite regularly and often for dinner. They're a crowd pleaser too. Now go forth and make "actually cooked" omelets, unless you like the runny egg thing ;0)...

The Basic "Actually Cooked" Omelet

{Again as with most of my recipes, there's room to personalize. Whatever veggie, cheese, breakfast meat (or not) combo you want is yours to try. Also this recipe is instruction heavy, but really isn't that involved once you've got the method down. I spend all of about 10 minutes, including prep, making these.}

3 large eggs

2 T milk

salt and pepper to taste

2 T butter

1 T olive oil

Cooking spray or veggie oil

Toppings of choice, we like:

Generous handful of spinach, rough chopped

3-4 slices cooked crumbled bacon (or chopped ham or browned kielbasa)

Generous handful of sliced mushrooms

1/3 onion, finely chopped

1 medium tomato, chopped (or grape tomatoes sliced in half)

Sliced or grated swiss cheese (colby, monterey jack, cheddar, mozzarella are all good options)

Salsa, optional

Turn oven onto high broil. Start by preparing toppings, i.e. cook & crumble bacon, grate cheese and chop other things up-you want all your prep done before the eggs start. In a small non-stick pan over med-high heat, melt 1 T butter and 1 T olive oil. Add onions and mushrooms. Cook till mostly soft. Add spinach and remove from heat. It will wilt on it's own.

On medium-high begin heating a medium size stainless steel or other pan that can go straight from stove to oven. Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl crack 3 large eggs, add 2 T milk and a sprinkle of salt and fresh-ground pepper. Mix well with fork. Spray the heating pan with cooking spray or use paper towel to swirl around a little bit of veggie oil. Add 1 T butter. You want to be fairly thorough in your oil/butter application in order to prevent pesky sticking later on. When butter is melted (but before it browns), pour egg mixture into hot pan. This next part is key: with a heat-friendly plastic spatula begin pulling cooking egg mixture from outside of pan towards center allowing still raw egg to run underneath and start cooking. Go all around the pan gently pulling cooking egg towards center and more runny egg to fill it's place. The process looks a little like this:

When there's still some, but not a ton, of the runny egg mixture and you've been around the whole pan at least once it's time to pop it under the broiler. It should be in there for a minute or so. You're just trying to get the top of the omelet mostly set. Remove from broiler and sprinkle on toppings: cooked bacon, mushroom/onion/spinach mixture, chopped tomatoes, and cheese of choice. Put back under broiler for another minute or less, until cheese is melted and any remaining runny egg is fully set. Once done remove from oven and gently use spatula to fold one half of the omelet over on itself. At this point, you can top with extra cheese and broil for just a few seconds more to help it melt. Tip pan a bit and with the help of your trusty spatula again, the omelet should slide right out onto a plate. We like to eat ours with some salsa on top. Enjoy!