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Sometimes my recipes come from being creative with the limited food in my fridge and pantry. Sometimes I see a recipe and think, "I can do better than that!". Sometimes I take a good recipe and challenge myself to make it better. This chicken recipe is in that third category! The original looked really good, and I intended to make it as-is, but naturally, I put my own twist on it.
I bought boneless skinless chicken breasts on sale for $1.77 per pound at Kroger on Friday. Since they were pretty big, I decided to cut them in half, making two cutlets out of each breast. I placed 4 cutlets in each quart-sized freezer bag, then poured the marinade over them. One bag went in the fridge for dinner and one bag went into the freezer for another night. When I mixed the bread crumbs and Parmesan, I used half for dinner and put the other half in a freezer bag, in the freezer to use with the other chicken. Two meals, one prep time! This recipe is for the full amount of chicken, and you can divide it like I did if you don't need 8 pieces of chicken.
Parmesan Chicken
4 large chicken breasts
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, or 2 teaspoons dried herbs (I used parsley, oregano and rosemary)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2/3 cup olive oil
2/3 cup fresh bread crumbs (I used whole wheat bread in the food processor)
2/3 cup grated Parmesan
In a small sauce pan, combine the herbs, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Heat gently on low for 3-4 minutes. You just want to get the flavors infused into the oil, you're not cooking it really. Remove from heat. Using a sharp knife, cut the chicken breasts cross-wise into cutlets. (This works best if the chicken is partially frozen.) Place the chicken in a resealable bag and pour the marinade over it. Allow the chicken to marinate in the fridge for 6-8 hours, or overnight.
Remove the chicken from the fridge, and preheat the oven to 375°. In a shallow dish, combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan. Press both sides of each cutlet into the crumb mixture and place in a baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes, flip them over, and bake for 10 more minutes until the juices run clear. Don't overbake it!
27 Eylül 2012 Perşembe
Breakfast Burritos
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I love breakfast food! I like it best brought to me on a tray while I sip coffee in bed, but since that's never happened ... I'll take what I can get. These breakfast burritos are really wonderful. You can eat them right away, or freeze them for future use. They can be microwaved straight from the freezer! One minute and your breakfast is served. This recipe is more on the lines of assembly instructions, since you can use whatever your family likes to stuff them.
Breakfast Burritos
First, scramble some eggs! I use this basic recipe, but you make them how you like 'em:
You'll need cheese, of course!
From this point, you can use sauteed peppers or onions; cooked bacon, sausage or ham; diced green onions; fresh herbs; anything you like in a burrito!
I used some sausage I got from my granny - It's SO good! I didn't have very much left, sadly, so I limited myself to 3 pieces per burrito.
Starting with the cheese, then eggs, layer your ingredients in the middle of the tortilla (I cup it in my hand to keep them contained), then fold them up!
Now they're ready to eat! Or, to prepare them for the freezer, wrap them in wax paper, then in aluminum foil.
If you feel sure your family will eat them fairly quickly (within a month), skip the aluminum foil and put them in freezer bags.
To heat them, remove the foil but leave on the wax paper. Place on a plate in the microwave, and heat for 30 seconds. Flip it over, and heat for 30 more seconds. Depending on your appliance, it will probably be done at this point. If the wattage is lower (850 or less) it will need another 30-60 seconds.
Breakfast Burritos
First, scramble some eggs! I use this basic recipe, but you make them how you like 'em:
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| I use about 1 egg per burrito. Five in this case. A dollop of sour cream, a splash of milk, salt and pepper. |
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| Whisk it together really well! Then cook 'em. |
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| This is a mixture of gouda and sharp cheddar. I didn't use all of this - I was shredding for our dinner, too. |
I used some sausage I got from my granny - It's SO good! I didn't have very much left, sadly, so I limited myself to 3 pieces per burrito.
Starting with the cheese, then eggs, layer your ingredients in the middle of the tortilla (I cup it in my hand to keep them contained), then fold them up!
Now they're ready to eat! Or, to prepare them for the freezer, wrap them in wax paper, then in aluminum foil.
If you feel sure your family will eat them fairly quickly (within a month), skip the aluminum foil and put them in freezer bags.
To heat them, remove the foil but leave on the wax paper. Place on a plate in the microwave, and heat for 30 seconds. Flip it over, and heat for 30 more seconds. Depending on your appliance, it will probably be done at this point. If the wattage is lower (850 or less) it will need another 30-60 seconds.
Sunday Night Review 8/5/2012
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Last night, for our Sunday night crowd, I made a big batch of beef burritos. I ended up with 20 and every one of them got eaten! There was actually one lone burrito left in the pan when one of our college guys came from UGA Redcoat Band practice - late and hungry! He gladly cleaned the pan out for me. I served them with sour cream, lettuce, diced tomatoes, and salsa, plus tortilla chips. For the salsa, I used jarred, medium heat and blended in a bit of lime juice and cilantro. For dessert, I made Nutella Doughnuts. They were okay, but really need to be made and eaten on the same day. (I baked them Saturday night and filled them Sunday afternoon.)
Though when I make Burrito Casserole for the family I use this basic recipe, I have to stretch it for the crowd on Sundays. This time I used 2 pounds of (lean) beef, onion, garlic, chili peppers (from a friend's garden), chili powder, cumin, pepper, salt, cilantro, vegetarian refried beans, and a can of diced tomatoes with green chilies (Ro-Tel). Served over rice with the above-mentioned toppings, they made a pretty hearty meal!
Though when I make Burrito Casserole for the family I use this basic recipe, I have to stretch it for the crowd on Sundays. This time I used 2 pounds of (lean) beef, onion, garlic, chili peppers (from a friend's garden), chili powder, cumin, pepper, salt, cilantro, vegetarian refried beans, and a can of diced tomatoes with green chilies (Ro-Tel). Served over rice with the above-mentioned toppings, they made a pretty hearty meal!
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| Rice in the pans, cilantro, enchilada sauce, beef feeling, cheddar and pepper-jack cheese, and flour tortillas. |
Ham and Cheese Cups
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I've seen recipes similar to this one over the years and they've intrigued me. Mostly, though, they involve simply cracking an egg into a muffin cup lined with ham or bacon and sometimes topping it with cheese. I am NOT a fan of the whole "runny yolk" deal, though, and I don't like eating the white and yolk separately like that unless it's a hard-boiled egg. Even then I have to have a taste of each with every bite! I'm weird like that. (But when it comes to candy bars like Kit-Kat, Reese's Cups, or Twix I eat each layer separately. Pretty sure I read an article addressing that in Psychiatry Monthly.) At any rate, the Ham and Cheese Cups I made today were fabulous! I made only 6 since I was doing them for my own lunch - plus, I happened to have 6 slices of ham leftover from Sunday night's deli sandwiches. I had a filling lunch and I'll have a nice breakfast in the morning, too!
Ham and Cheese Cups
12 slices deli ham
8 eggs
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt or sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 small potatoes, washed and peeled
1 tablespoon butter
salt and pepper
Spray 12 muffin cups with non-stick cooking spray. Line with one slice of ham. In a large measuring cup or a bowl with a spout for easy pouring, crack the eggs and whisk them together with the yogurt and salt and pepper to taste.
On a paper towel, shred the potatoes. Use the paper towel to wring out some of the moisture in the potatoes. Place shredded potato in a small microwaveable bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the butter; microwave for about 1 minute, stirring halfway through. Divide the potato between the muffin cups and top with cheese. Pour the egg mixture evenly over each cup.
Bake at 350° for 16-20 minutes, until tops are nicely rounded and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
If I'd had spinach or broccoli or zucchini, I would have used that instead of, or in addition to, the potato. Either way these were delicious and I'll be making them again for sure!
Ham and Cheese Cups
12 slices deli ham
8 eggs
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt or sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 small potatoes, washed and peeled
1 tablespoon butter
salt and pepper
Spray 12 muffin cups with non-stick cooking spray. Line with one slice of ham. In a large measuring cup or a bowl with a spout for easy pouring, crack the eggs and whisk them together with the yogurt and salt and pepper to taste.
On a paper towel, shred the potatoes. Use the paper towel to wring out some of the moisture in the potatoes. Place shredded potato in a small microwaveable bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the butter; microwave for about 1 minute, stirring halfway through. Divide the potato between the muffin cups and top with cheese. Pour the egg mixture evenly over each cup.
Bake at 350° for 16-20 minutes, until tops are nicely rounded and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
If I'd had spinach or broccoli or zucchini, I would have used that instead of, or in addition to, the potato. Either way these were delicious and I'll be making them again for sure!
Yogurt Parfaits
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Sometimes, well, a lot of the times, the extra effort is definitely worth it.
(Rambling Side Note: It makes me giggle when someone misspells 'definitely' to look like 'defiantly'. I imagine they have really strong feelings about the subject and would fight you for it. "I defiantly think Star Trek is better than Star Wars." or "David Tennant is defiantly a better Doctor than Christopher Eccleston." Anyhoo ...)
When it comes to homemade, I've told you before how I feel. It's amazing how easy some things are to do, and how much cheaper they are to make from scratch.
Homemade yogurt is a good example. For the cost of a gallon of milk ($3 for me) and some cheesecloth, you can make it at home and know exactly what's in it! You can sweeten/flavor the whole batch when it's done, or do it by the serving. I like to keep it plain and flavor it by the serving so I can use the plain in place of sour cream or mayonnaise in recipes. Out of that gallon of milk, I got 3 pint jars of Greek yogurt, plus a bit more. I also got 2 quart jars (plus some) of whey. Whey is great to use in smoothies, and in place of liquid called for in yeast breads. You can also check this link for lots more uses. For the name brand of Greek yogurt (tastes better than store brand) it usually costs between $3 and $5, depending on sales and brand, for the 16 ounce container. Cheaper and better for you - I can get behind that!
This morning I made Honey-Vanilla Granola, from my friend Leah's recipe. It is so easy and delicious. It's a big batch, but it's pretty tasty so I'm not sure it's going to last long! Start to finish for me? 25 minutes. (15 of that, hands-off.)
I also threw together a strawberry sauce. I've been taking advantage of the strawberry sales this summer and buying them up. I wash, trim, and freeze them so I can use them throughout the year. The sauce was simply strawberries, a touch of sugar, and almond extract simmered together. I cooled the mixture and popped it in the blender to get it smooth.
Later, I'll layer the yogurt, granola and strawberry sauce to make parfaits for the kiddos. Purchased at the store, the parfaits are easily $1.50 apiece, and full of unpronounceable ingredients.
(Rambling Side Note: It makes me giggle when someone misspells 'definitely' to look like 'defiantly'. I imagine they have really strong feelings about the subject and would fight you for it. "I defiantly think Star Trek is better than Star Wars." or "David Tennant is defiantly a better Doctor than Christopher Eccleston." Anyhoo ...)
When it comes to homemade, I've told you before how I feel. It's amazing how easy some things are to do, and how much cheaper they are to make from scratch.
Homemade yogurt is a good example. For the cost of a gallon of milk ($3 for me) and some cheesecloth, you can make it at home and know exactly what's in it! You can sweeten/flavor the whole batch when it's done, or do it by the serving. I like to keep it plain and flavor it by the serving so I can use the plain in place of sour cream or mayonnaise in recipes. Out of that gallon of milk, I got 3 pint jars of Greek yogurt, plus a bit more. I also got 2 quart jars (plus some) of whey. Whey is great to use in smoothies, and in place of liquid called for in yeast breads. You can also check this link for lots more uses. For the name brand of Greek yogurt (tastes better than store brand) it usually costs between $3 and $5, depending on sales and brand, for the 16 ounce container. Cheaper and better for you - I can get behind that!
This morning I made Honey-Vanilla Granola, from my friend Leah's recipe. It is so easy and delicious. It's a big batch, but it's pretty tasty so I'm not sure it's going to last long! Start to finish for me? 25 minutes. (15 of that, hands-off.)
I also threw together a strawberry sauce. I've been taking advantage of the strawberry sales this summer and buying them up. I wash, trim, and freeze them so I can use them throughout the year. The sauce was simply strawberries, a touch of sugar, and almond extract simmered together. I cooled the mixture and popped it in the blender to get it smooth.
Later, I'll layer the yogurt, granola and strawberry sauce to make parfaits for the kiddos. Purchased at the store, the parfaits are easily $1.50 apiece, and full of unpronounceable ingredients.
26 Eylül 2012 Çarşamba
Birthday Cake
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Well today is my birthday. When I was young I remember it being a fun day. My brother's birthday was the 13th and mine the 14th of September. We always celebrated on the 13th and for that one day every year we were the same age. As the years march on you start to dread birthdays. Once you pass the 50 mark you can't help thinking that time is marching too quickly...and I am well past 50!
But I am happy and healthy, have great friends and family and am a very fortunate person. I have a job I love where I can help people. Thanks very much to the random lady I helped in the hospital lobby who asked if she could hug me. If 10 minutes of my time could help someone so much I really am lucky. Thanks to the folks in my diabetes class who sang happy birthday to me! Thanks to my co-workers who are always fun, and since 4 of us have a birthday we are meeting for dinner tonight.
I am very blessed to have 2 wonderful daughters and son-in-laws that always act happy to be around me! Last but not least, my husband Mike who is the reason I am writing this post. When I came home from work today he had baked me this gluten-free heart shaped cake. Now I am sure that there are many men out there that love to cook and bake. But in 40 years together he has never done anything like this. His favorite movie is Napoleon Dynamite....if you've never watched it you really need to. In the movie Pedro "builds" a girl a cake. So with the help of gluten-free Betty Crocker cake mix he decided he could "build" one. He had some trouble with the directions, having to "measure" many pans to find an 8 x 8. Unfortunately he had stumbled onto my "specialty pan cupboard" and had to do some geometry in order to decide if a heart shaped pan was 8 x 8! I already tasted it and it was delicious!
The heart shaped cake was very appropriate because to celebrate my birthday I donated to the American heart Association and am going to walk in Bloomington on the 22nd...wearing my Striiv of course!
Thanks to all my loyal viewers! I hope we can share many more birthdays.
Well today is my birthday. When I was young I remember it being a fun day. My brother's birthday was the 13th and mine the 14th of September. We always celebrated on the 13th and for that one day every year we were the same age. As the years march on you start to dread birthdays. Once you pass the 50 mark you can't help thinking that time is marching too quickly...and I am well past 50!But I am happy and healthy, have great friends and family and am a very fortunate person. I have a job I love where I can help people. Thanks very much to the random lady I helped in the hospital lobby who asked if she could hug me. If 10 minutes of my time could help someone so much I really am lucky. Thanks to the folks in my diabetes class who sang happy birthday to me! Thanks to my co-workers who are always fun, and since 4 of us have a birthday we are meeting for dinner tonight.
I am very blessed to have 2 wonderful daughters and son-in-laws that always act happy to be around me! Last but not least, my husband Mike who is the reason I am writing this post. When I came home from work today he had baked me this gluten-free heart shaped cake. Now I am sure that there are many men out there that love to cook and bake. But in 40 years together he has never done anything like this. His favorite movie is Napoleon Dynamite....if you've never watched it you really need to. In the movie Pedro "builds" a girl a cake. So with the help of gluten-free Betty Crocker cake mix he decided he could "build" one. He had some trouble with the directions, having to "measure" many pans to find an 8 x 8. Unfortunately he had stumbled onto my "specialty pan cupboard" and had to do some geometry in order to decide if a heart shaped pan was 8 x 8! I already tasted it and it was delicious!
The heart shaped cake was very appropriate because to celebrate my birthday I donated to the American heart Association and am going to walk in Bloomington on the 22nd...wearing my Striiv of course!
Thanks to all my loyal viewers! I hope we can share many more birthdays.
Gluten-Free Chicken Spinach Mozzarella Bratwurst
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I purchased these "Butcher Block" brand sausages at County Market in Pontiac. I was intrigued by the combination, they said Gluten-Free right on the front and they only had 5 grams of fat. Sold! They are very good, but I have to say I cooked them in a pan (and didn't read the directions first) and they were better last time when we cooked them on the grill.
My fast way to make sauerkraut is to drain and lightly rinse the kraut in a strainer. You want to take some of the salt and vinegary taste off---but not all of it. Saute two strips of bacon, cut up in a pan. Remove bacon when brown and add 1/2 an onion diced. Cook a couple of minutes and put the sauerkraut back in the pan. Add a little water, the bacon, a pinch of celery salt, celery seed, pepper and sugar. Simmer about 20 minutes until the water is gone and the onions are soft.
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| Gluten-Free Chicken Spinach Mozzarella Bratwurst |
I purchased these "Butcher Block" brand sausages at County Market in Pontiac. I was intrigued by the combination, they said Gluten-Free right on the front and they only had 5 grams of fat. Sold! They are very good, but I have to say I cooked them in a pan (and didn't read the directions first) and they were better last time when we cooked them on the grill.My fast way to make sauerkraut is to drain and lightly rinse the kraut in a strainer. You want to take some of the salt and vinegary taste off---but not all of it. Saute two strips of bacon, cut up in a pan. Remove bacon when brown and add 1/2 an onion diced. Cook a couple of minutes and put the sauerkraut back in the pan. Add a little water, the bacon, a pinch of celery salt, celery seed, pepper and sugar. Simmer about 20 minutes until the water is gone and the onions are soft.
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