Chicken Parmigiana

We (I) like to make a big deal out of Sunday dinners at our home. The table is set with special dishes and glassware, along with cloth napkins. I know some of you are saying CLOTH NAPKINS? Here is the usual conversation half way through dinner:

"Jacob, why are you wiping your mouth on your sleeve?"
"Because."
"Why don't you use your CLOTH NAPKIN??"
Heavy sigh, now a roll of the eyes, along with a quick swipe of the napkin.

Sunday is a special day, sure it is. Do you ever feel worn out from the "day of rest"? I know it's not suppose to be like that...lately I've tried to simplify our Sunday meal, and tried to get more cooking/prep done on Saturday. Chicken Parmigiana is a great do-ahead meal. Pounding (tenderizing) meat is not one of my favorite activities. So, I take the shortcut route (see tips below). This is yummy served with a Caesar salad, thin green beans, and crusty bread. My friend Kimi's sis in law told me about this great secret a while back: Ask the people in the Costco Bakery to sell you the crusty bread -frozen, then take it home and put it in your freezer until you are ready to use it. Bake it (right out of the freezer) for about 15-20 minutes at 450-500 degrees. I set it right on the baking rack in the oven. Thanks Becky.
With all of the time you'll save, you can wash those cloth napkins. Oh- If you have boys- just put them back in the drawer after the meal, you know they'll still be clean.

Chicken Parmesan
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2 to 2 1/2 lbs chicken breasts, boneless, skinless*, about 4 large chicken breast halves
2 cups Panko bread crumbs, or regular bread crumbs, or a mixture of Italian and Panko (my fav)
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
2-3 eggs
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb sliced mozzarella cheese
Cooked Pasta - Spaghetti, Angel Hair, Penne
Marinara Sauce bottled or (no contest better) home made

Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of waxed paper. Flatten to 1/8 inch thick with mallet or rolling pin. Or skip this step and use *Costco frozen skinless boneless chicken breasts (see tips below). Combine Panko crumbs with grated Parmesan cheese in a bowl or shallow dish. Beat eggs in separate a shallow dish. Dip each piece of chicken into eggs, then crumbs. Heat olive oil in large non stick skillet, and cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. With tongs, remove chicken to large greased baking dish. Place chicken in dish, top each piece with about 1/4 cup sauce and a slice of fresh mozzarella cheese. If serving chicken later in the day, or the next day, cover with foil and refrigerate at this point. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve with pasta and remaining sauce.

Marinara Sauce:

1 onion chopped
olive oil
1 28 oz can chopped tomatoes
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1 6 oz can tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tablespoons oregano, dried
2 Tablespoons basil, dried
2 Tablespoons parsley, dried
2 teaspoons thyme
1 teaspoon sage
salt, pepper, Tabasco, sugar to taste. (I use about 5-10 drops of hot sauce, and about 1/4 cup of sugar)

Saute onion in olive oil until soft. Add the undrained tomatoes, sauce and paste. Add the remaining ingredients. Season to taste. Simmer for 2-4 hours for best flavor. If you prefer smooth sauce, pour into a blender, and whirl just until smooth.

Tips:
-I like to use frozen *Costco Chicken breasts, to cut down on some of the preparation. Let the chicken thaw for a while in your refrig, then just slice in half so you end up with two long flat pieces of chicken. Costco's chicken is well trimmed, so there is hardly any waste. Make sure you don't let these thaw too much, they are easier to slice when still slightly frozen.
-If baking after refrigeration, add about 10 minutes to cooking time. Cover dish with foil and remove last 10 minutes of baking.

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Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

When my kids were little, and their favorite holiday was Halloween, I thought- if I make something the kids really like, they will actually eat dinner before they go out and fill up on sugar. They all loved home made chicken noodle soup and scones. So began the tradition. I don't use a recipe- just mix together water- to make chicken stock, throw in some chunky carrots, celery, onion, seasoning and chicken. Simmer for a long time, strain off the fat, add some noodles...that was it. I found a recipe for Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup, and thought it sounded good. I think good chicken noodle soup needs tarragon, and lots of chicken flavor, so I modified a bit. Try it- I think you'll love it too.

Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
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2-3 lbs of chicken pieces, any type
4 cups water
4 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper, at least a teaspoon of each
1 tablespoon tarragon
1 bay leaf
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
8-10 oz noodles

chicken flavoring, to taste

Place all ingredients except noodles in crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for about 3 hours. Remove chicken and bay leaf. Take meat from bones, shred or dice, and return to broth. Add the noodles. Cook for another 30 minutes to an hour, or until noodles are done. Or, cook the noodles separately and add just before serving. Add chicken flavoring to taste.

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Marinated Pasta Salad

Way back, when I had less cookbooks and more sense, I used one cookbook over and over. It was "A Pinch of Salt Lake". It was my close friend when we moved from Salt Lake to Portland, Oregon (mid 80's). Grant was in law school. Corrine ( two years old) and I spent a lot of time in our little apartment. I tried most of the recipes out in that book, and loved or at least liked the majority. Some of my fav's were: Layered Seafood Spread, Crustless Crab Quiche, Mexican Breakfast, Orange Glazed Crescent Rolls, Spinach Herb Twists, Asian Noodles and Slaw, Crepes with Crab and Spinach, Cold Lemon Chicken. The list goes on and on. Even after collecting cookbooks for over 25 years, POSL is still one of my favorites for consistently great recipes. This is a delish salad, easy, fresh. Sprinkling the dry Good Season's Italian over the veggies and pasta really make the flavor stick to all of the ingredients. You can change the vegetable to suit your taste. I like the olives, not only bc I'm an olive lover, but also for the color. Oh- one last thing - I think it's out of print now, but can always be found on ebay or Amazon.

Marinated Pasta Salad

Pinch of Salt Lake

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1 lb pasta, any shape

1/4 of a Bermuda onion, chopped

1 yellow pepper, sliced

2 carrots, thinly sliced

2 small zucchini, thinly sliced

2-3 cups broccoli flowerlettes

1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced

1 large can pitted olives, whole

1 - .07 oz. package dry Good Seasons Italian dressing mix

1-16 oz. Bernstein's Cheese and Garlic Italian dressing

Cook pasta according to package directions. Immerse in cold water, drain and set aside.

Wash and cut vegetables, place in a large bowl. Add cooked pasta and sprinkle with dry dressing mix. Add a generous amount of fresh ground pepper. Pour bottled dressing over all, toss and refrigerate. Just before serving, grate fresh Parmesan or Romano cheese over all of the salad.

Tips:

-If you are waiting more than 3 hours to serve, add the mushrooms and grated cheese just before serving.

-If you like the broccoli tender, and bright green, blanch before adding to salad.

What is blanching? Blanching is a cooking term that describes a process of food preparation wherein the food substance, usually a vegetable or fruit, is plunged into boiling water, removed after a brief, timed interval and finally plunged into iced water or placed under cold running water (shocked) to halt the cooking process.

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Foster Fam Favorite Mac and Cheese

I love comfort foods. My sister in law Sheri married Scott, a true Southerner. When they lived in Alabama we made a few trips to "The South". Sheri and I love to eat. She knew where all of the best cafes and food spots were, and when I would show up,we would eat our way through the town/state for a few days. My favorite places were the barbecue restaurants, or the "meat-and-three" places. These are restaurants where you stand in a line, and go through ordering cafeteria style. Mashed potatoes, green beans, fried okra, black eyed peas, macaroni and cheese,candied yams, corn, collard greens, and skillet apples were some of the standard items offered. Meals usually include a home baked bread like cornbread or biscuits. I still remember eating at a cafe where we ordered chicken, baked beans, collard greens, mac and cheese and cornbread. I am not a huge black eyed pea fan, but I still remember those peas. They were so buttery, with chunks of bacon and onions. I'm sure that bacon grease was probably a key ingredient too. Goodness. Enough about the black eyed peas. I also loved the home made mac cheese. SO, so good. So easy, so good.

Foster Fam Favorite Mac and Cheese

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2 cups Macaroni or other pasta

1/4 cup chopped onion

4 tablespoons Butter

4 tablespoons Flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

2 1/2 cups milk (2% or whole)

4-5 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

Cook macaroni in boiling water. Drain well. In sauce pan, cook onion in butter until soft, not brown. Add flour and seasonings. Add milk all at once. Whisk until smooth. Cook on medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Add shredded cheese, stir until melted. Add the macaroni to cheese sauce, pour into casserole dish or 9 x 13 pan that has been greased. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

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Spaghetti Margherita

I am in LOVE with this dish. It takes about 15 minutes to make- start to finish.
Get some crusty bread, make a green salad...could life get better than this?

Spaghetti Margherita

1 lb. spaghetti, cooked "al dente", drained
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter (optional)
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs. Roma tomatoes (about 10-12) coarsely chopped or grape tomatoes
1 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 lb. fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
½ cup grated Romano or parmesan cheese

Cook pasta; set aside.
In large skillet, heat oil and butter over low heat. Saute the garlic until fragrant over low heat, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, sugar, salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add basil, and pasta to pan with tomatoes. Cook for 2-3 minutes, just until all pasta is heated through. Just before ready to serve, pour into serving bowl, toss with fresh mozzarella and grated cheese. Serve at once with additional grated cheese, if desired. Serves 4-6.

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Teriyaki Pasta Salad

This recipe was given to me years ago from a good friend Eden Bennett. Eden makes wonderful salads, is a talented decorator and great mom. I modified the recipe a bit- I always use tomatoes, carrots and cucumber for vegetables, but substitute other fresh veggies as they are available in the summer. I used to marinate the chicken in the teriyaki sauce, but found I like it better when marinated in plain Soy Sauce and sugar. I think it's because it gives the chicken a really dark coating, and when you cut into the chicken (slice against the grain) it reveals a pretty outer dark color, and a white inside. Weird, I know. The teriyaki sauce is now available at Costco! Most teriyaki is ok to use without diluting, but this brand is extra concentrated. I have used other brands when in a pinch. If you have to substitute when making the dressing- just add less oil and leave the water out. Lots of toasted sesame seeds give the salad a beautiful look and taste. I have found toasted sesame seeds in Asian Markets for a lot less dinero than regular grocery stores. Aren't you amazed at my bilingual abilities?

Teriyaki Pasta Salad

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2 to 4 chicken breast halves, boneless & skinless
1 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar, optional
1 – 1 lb box of pasta – any shape: Gemelli, Rotelle, Bowtie
1 large head red or green leaf lettuce ( I like red)
4 medium sized carrots, matchstick pieces, or 1 bag pre-cut matchstick carrots
3-4 cups tomatoes, chopped or grape tomatoes
1 cucumber or zucchini seeded and chopped
1/2 bunch green onion chopped (optional)
1/2 lb snow peas, cut into thin slices (optional)
Toasted sesame seeds
1/3 cup *Very Very Teriyaki Sauce (made by “Soy Vay”)
¼-1/2 cup canola, vegetable or olive oil ( I like canola best)
1-2 Tablespoons water

Chicken and marinade: Marinate the chicken for at least ½ hour in soy sauce and sugar. I like to use a gallon size Ziplock bag. Discard sauce after marinating. After marinating, cook under broiler for about 8-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken breast. When cooled, slice chicken into thin strips.

Pasta: Cook Pasta, drain. Place Pasta in bowl. Pour about 1/4 cup of the sauce directly on to the pasta. Toss.

Veggies: Tear the lettuce into bite sized pieces. Place in large bowl. Add remaining vegetables. Shake a lot of fresh ground pepper, (not the wimpy kind) all over the veggies .

Dressing: Shake the Very Very Teriyaki really well. Mix about 1/3 cup of sauce with the oil. Whisk together, taste once the oil, water and teriyaki sauce are mixed together.

Assembly: Toss all of the Pasta, vegetables, and chicken together in a large bowl. Mix the dressing a little at a time into the salad, generously sprinkle with sesame seeds and more pepper.

Tip:

-This is a great salad for luncheons. It can be made with or without the chicken, if you are on a budget. If you are making the salad and it will not be eaten right away, I suggest using Romaine lettuce instead of leaf.

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