Chicken Paremesan

1/2 c flour
8 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, pounded uniformly
1/2 c olive oil
2 T butter
4 cloves garlic
1 med onion, chopped
3/4 c red or white wine (white is better)
3 cans crushed tomatoes
2 T sugar
1/4 c chopped parsley, divided
1 1/2 c grated parmesan
1 lb thin linguine or other, cooked

combine flour with s and p to taste on a large plate. sprinkle breasts on both sides with s and p, dredge in flour. heat oil and butter on med high. fry chicken until golden, 3 min per side. remove and keep warm, add garlic and onion, cook 2 min. pour in wine, cook 3 min till reduced by hal. sti in tomatoes, sugar, s and p. reduce heat, cook 30 min. add 1/8 c parsley and 1/2 c parmesan. arange chicken on top, sprinkle remaining cheese on top, cover and heat till cheese melts. sprinkle remaining parsley, serve over pasta.

lissa's toast cups

1 lb sliced bread
2 T butter
2 or 3" biscuit cutter

Grease mini muffin tin and press bread into each place. bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. can store up to 3 weeks in airtight container.

Filling:

4 T butter
3 shallots, minced
1/2 lb finely chopped mushrooms
2 T flour
1/2 c heavy cream
3 T chives
2 T chopped parsley
1/2 t salt
1/2 t lemon juice
1/8 t cayenne
2 T parmesan cheese

Melt butter, add shallots, cook 2 min. Add mushrooms and cook 10=15 min. Sprinkle flour over mixture, cook 2 mint. turn heat to high and add cream, cook and boil 3 min., stirring. remove from heat, add rest x cheese, fill cups, sprinkle cheese on top. bake 350 10 min.

eggplant parmesan

I had most of these ingredients and adapted the recipe liberally, which cut the prep time and was remarkably good. I used one good sized eggplant but after draining for about 15 minutes, i dusted each with flour, salt and pepper and sauteed them in olive oil. i used a prepared italian red sauce, dried basil and didn't have a lot of monzarella so i augmented it with ricotta.


1/2 lb medium eggplants (about 3), cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick rounds
3 1/4 teaspoons salt
5 lb plum tomatoes
1 1/2 cups plus 3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
20 fresh basil leaves, torn in half
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
1 cup all-purpose flour
5 large eggs
3 1/2 cups panko * (Japanese bread crumbs)
2 ozfinely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (2/3 cup)
1 lb chilled fresh mozzarella (not unsalted), thinly sliced

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Preparation

Toss eggplant with 2 teaspoons salt in a colander set over a bowl, then let drain 30 minutes.

While eggplant drains, cut an X in bottom of each tomato with a sharp paring knife and blanch tomatoes together in a 5-quart pot of boiling water 1 minute. Transfer tomatoes with a slotted spoon to a cutting board and, when cool enough to handle, peel off skin, beginning from scored end, with paring knife.

Coarsely chop tomatoes, then coarsely purée in batches in a blender. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a 5-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then add garlic and sauté, stirring, until golden, about 30 seconds. Add tomato purée, basil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and red pepper flakes and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 25 to 30 minutes.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.

Stir together flour, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a shallow bowl. Lightly beat eggs in a second shallow bowl, then stir together panko and 1/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano in a third shallow bowl.

Working with 1 slice at a time, dredge eggplant in flour, shaking off excess, then dip in egg, letting excess drip off, and dredge in panko until evenly coated. Transfer eggplant to sheets of wax paper, arranging slices in 1 layer.

Heat remaining 1 1/2 cups oil in a deep 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then fry eggplant 4 slices at a time, turning over once, until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes per batch. Transfer with tongs to paper towels to drain.

Spread 1 cup tomato sauce in bottom of a rectangular 3 1/2-quart (13- by 11- by 2-inch) baking dish. Arrange about one third of eggplant slices in 1 layer over sauce, overlapping slightly if necessary. Cover eggplant with about one third of remaining sauce (about 11/4 cups) and one third of mozzarella. Continue layering with remaining eggplant, sauce, and mozzarella. Sprinkle top with remaining 1/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Bake, uncovered, until cheese is melted and golden and sauce is bubbling, 35 to 40 minutes.

Cooks' note: Tomato sauce can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. *Available at Asian markets and some supermarkets, and Uwajimaya (800-889-1928).

Read More http://www.epicurious.com:80/recipes/food/views/Eggplant-Parmesan-109739#ixzz1oYHVcXlL

Beet Carpaccio

The Minimalist: Vegetables for Thanksgiving, Served Natural and Raw (November 17, 2010)

2 pounds beets (about 4 large)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 cups arugula, watercress, mâche or other flavorful greens

2 tablespoons olive oil, or more if you like

1/2 cup shaved Parmesan cheese

1 lemon, cut into wedges.

Peel the beets and slice them as thinly as possible with a mandoline or the slicing blade of a food processor. Spread the beet slices in a thin layer on a serving platter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then top with the greens. Sprinkle with more salt and pepper and drizzle with the oil. Scatter the shaved Parmesan on top and serve with the lemon wedges.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.
A version of this recipe appeared in print on November 17, 2010, on page D2 of the New York edition.

seared lemon chicken with potato and artichoke

this is adapted from cook's illustrated and a magazine article about healthy dishes.

cook's says to have a perfect seared chicken, bake chicken breasts in a tightly covered dishe for 30 to 45 minutes at 275.

so i did.

then you whisk together (for 2 breasts):

1 T melted butter
1/2 T flour
1/2 t cornstarch
ground pepper
and i added some italian seasoning

after the chicken is cooked, blot it and brush it with the mixture. Heat 1 T olive oit to smoking and sear, 3 min per side, in a pan you've already (here's the other recipe) browned 1 small chopped onion in 1 T olive oil, that has been set aside.

so when the chicken is cooked on one side, add 1 small red potato that has been cut in slices. turn the chicken over, and add 1 can of quartered artichokes, the cooked onion, and one lemon sliced thinly. cover. cook ten minutes. add grated parmesan to the chicken.

the lemon flavor is fab.

Pasta with Butternut Parmesan Sauce

Simply Recipes Food and Cooking Blog



Posted by Elise on Nov 13, 2009

Filed under Pasta, Vegetarian


One of the best things about fall is the abundance of pumpkins and hardy winter squash. Ever wonder why winter squash is called "winter" squash when it first makes its appearance in the fall? Perhaps because if stored in a cool place, they'll last several months, well into winter. Anyway, butternut squash is the queen of winter squashes. The taste is so good, and so consistent, that from what I understand, most "canned pumpkin" that we use to make pumpkin pie is actually made with butternut squash and not pumpkin at all.

The ever fabulous Garrett came over recently with a pint of roasted butternut squash purée and a mission to create a pasta sauce with it. We often find butternut squash inside of ravioli, why not on the outside? It just needed to be thinned a bit with cream, made savory with Parmesan, and brightened with some acid (from lemon juice) and parsley. The result was absolutely delicious; I ate the leftover sauce with a spoon straight out the fridge for days. The way we made it was chunky, with a little crunch from the shallots, but if you wanted it smooth, you could easily purée it some more or pass it through a food mill.

The sauce has the consistency of chunky tomato sauce. If you would like your sauce to be smooth, you can run it through a food mill.
Ingredients

* 1 butternut squash weighing about 2 1/2 pounds
* 4 ounces of bow-tie pasta
* 1 tablespoon of olive oil
* 1/3 cup of chopped shallots
* 1/2 cup of packed, freshly grated Parmesan cheese
* 1/2 cup of heavy cream
* 1/8 teaspoon of grated nutmeg
* 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley
* 2 teaspoons of lemon juice
* Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 350F. Cut the butternut squash lengthwise in half* and scoop out the guts and seeds and discard them (or save the seeds and toast them). Pour 1/4 cup of water into a pyrex or ceramic baking dish and place the butternut squash halves cut side down. Bake for 40 minutes or until a fork easily pierces the squash. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Scoop out the squash flesh from the skins and purée with a blender (work in batches or place in a bowl and use a hand blender). Discard the skins.

2 Fill a pot with water and salt (1 tablespoon of salt for every 2 quarts of water). Set over high heat to bring to a hard boil. Add the pasta and cook at a hard boil, uncovered until al dente.

3 While the pasta is cooking, pour the olive oil into a wide skillet on medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the butternut squash purée and cook for about a minute, mixing it in with the shallots. Add the cream, a tablespoon at a time, slowly stirring it in to incorporate and to avoid lumps. Stir in the Parmesan. Add the parsley, lemon, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Take off heat and cover the pan to keep warm.

4 Check pasta. When ready (al dente) drain and plate. Pour the sauce over the pasta. Garnish with a little extra parsley and Parmesan. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

*Be careful when you cut the squash, winter squash are hard! The best way to do it safely is to slice a bit off of both ends so that you can stand the squash upright without it rolling. Then cut down the middle. See how to cut and peel a butternut squash for visuals.

yum yum yum: pasta with ricotta and sugar snap peas

but first, dear reader:

i am blogging in my living room, listening to the baby cardinals cheep loudly in their small nest on the front stoop, not 30 feet away from me. and the thunder for a much needed rain. and smelling this divine dinner that DAVID is making from the gourmet cookbook heather gave me for christmas: garlic lime chicken, broccoli with browned butter, capers and parsley, fresh corn on the cob. i cannot wait! it smells jam up.

Sugar snap peas are terrific raw. They are also terrific sauteed in a little butter and sprinkled with sea salt.

a recipe in Chez Panisse's Pasta & Pizza cookbook for a pasta with just the peas from the sugar snap pea pods.

cut all the pods in half on a diagonal.

Now then, I bought ziti for this so bring a big pot of water to a boil. That'll take a while, especially if it's a big pot.

Take a head of garlic, and separate out six cloves, smash them, remove the skin. Take pancetta--a big piece--and cut it into cubes. Also, you'll need some sage. And get some chicken stock heated in a pot (about 1 cup). (If you make your own, you should have some in the freezer.)

Ok, now the fun part. Heat olive oil in a dutch oven (or a skillet, if you'd prefer). Add the garlic, the pancetta, and the sage:

It's a very delicate process, but you've gotta cook this long enough for both the garlic to turn golden (without burning!) and for the pancetta to release its fat and cook through. All in all, it took about 15 minutes, but I modulated the heat constantly, wanting a sizzle but not a crackle. 15 minutes later, the apartment smelled incredible.

Here's where you spring into action: add salt to the boiling pot of water and then add the box of ziti. Stir it around.

Add the sugar snap peas to the pot with the garlic and pancetta (I had a big bunch of them, I'd say 3 cups?) and stir around. Add salt and pepper and some red chile flakes. Now add the chicken stock. It should just cover the peas. Bring to a boil and stir it all around.

Ideally, the pasta will be done just as the chicken stock's reduced and the peas are cooked through. You want the pasta to be super al dente because here you remove it with a spider and add it to the pot with the stock, the garlic, and the peas to finish cooking.

I added more salt, more pepper; then I added parmesan cheese--about 1 cup; I added more olive oil, to bring out the flavor, and finally, in a stroke, I think, perhaps, of genius--I added a big dollop of the ricotta

Ya, I know that's weird, to add whipped ricotta to a pasta but somehow it brought it all together.