Chicken Cutlet Parmigiana

Here's another Italian American favorite. It's a very easy dish to make and everyone loves it. It's also another great way to use up leftovers. If you know how to make marinara sauce and you know how to fry up some chicken cutlets you can make this dish. In fact, I've already given you the recipes to make this dish in other posts. You just have to put it together. I'll repost the recipes for Chicken Milanese (Breaded Chicken Cutlets) and Marinara sauce here for you. Serve with spaghetti and marinara sauce and a salad and you have a delicious meal.

Chicken Cutlet Parmigiana

Ingredients:

Chicken Cutlets prepared Milanese style (aka - breaded and fried, See below
Marinara sauce, prepared, See Below
shredded mozzarella
romano cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large pan or baking sheet (with high sides, like a jelly roll pan), ladle enough sauce to cover bottom of pan. Add chicken cutlets, cover with sauce, sprinkle with cheese and top with mozzarella. Bake until cheese is melted and brown.





SORRY - I FORGOT TO TAKE A PICTURE OF JUST THE CHICKEN WITH THE SAUCE BUT YOU GET THE IDEA, RIGHT?



Chicken Milanese

Ingredients:

chicken cutlets
2 eggs
splash of milk
salt and pepper
romano cheese
parsley (fresh or dried)
garlic powder
canola oil, for frying

Directions:

1. Beat eggs and mix with milk, salt, pepper and garlic powder and a few teaspoons of cheese.

2. In another dish mix breadcrumbs with garlic powder, parsley and about 1/4 cup romano cheese (maybe more).

3. Dip cutlets in egg mixture (let excess drip off) and then cover with breadcrumbs pressing down with your hands to get the breadcrumbs to adhere to chicken. Do this on both sides.

4. If you have extra egg mixture and breadcrums you can make bread patties or polpette (that's what Nanny called them). Add the breadcrumbs to the egg and mix it together with a fork. Once combined form little patties with your hands.

5. Let oil get very hot. Make sure you use enough oil to completely cover the pan and go up the sides a little bit. You don't want to keep adding cold oil to the pan because it will drop the temperature and the cutlets will absorb too much oil. Fry cutlets (and bread patties if making) until browned. Turn and cook the other side.

6. As your cutlets and patties are done add them to a paper towel lined plate and put a piece of paper towel between each layer to absorb excess oil.

Marinara Sauce

Ingredients:

1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
4 cloves minced garlic
1 medium onion, diced
3 tsp chopped fresh basil (use less if dried)
1-2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp sugar
extra virgin olive oil

*Note - When using dried herbs don't double the amount exactly if you want to double the recipe. It may overpower the sauce.

Feel free to use fresh frozen or dried herbs. Sometimes I use the Italian Seasoning but this time I didn't because I didn't want it to overpower the flavor of the kale. It's a preference, it will be good either way.

Directions:

Sweat onions in extra virgin olive oil and then add garlic in oil. Let it cook for a minute or to and then add crushed red pepper and frozen or dried herbs. Add tomatoes, salt, pepper and sugar. If using fresh herbs add now. Let it come to a boil and then lower heat. Cook on medium for 30-40 minutes. Taste it and adjust seasoning as needed.

Angela's Pasta with Kale

Last week I bought the October issue of Bon Apetit Magazine and loved the article I read about Kale. I never had Kale before and it made me really curious. I posted this on facebook and I got a reply from Angela to try her Pasta with Kale recipe. I've known Angela pretty much my entire life, you see, we used to live across the street from each other in Brooklyn and then a few blocks from each other in Staten Island. Angela and John have 4 children and their ages all coincide with the ages of my brother, sister and I. So we are all very close. My parents are very good friends with Angela and John and Marie their youngest is my best friend. I can't begin to tell you about the memories that she and I have. We grew up together and have been through it all. I think I may have mentioned that growing up I was a very picky eater. Poor Angela. All the weekends (and weeks in the summer) that I spent at her house, being a picky brat. If only I knew all the things I was missing by being afraid to try things! Looks like this dish was one of them! Too bad it took me 29 years to figure that out. Better late than never, right?

I am so excited that I tried this dish and loved it. It gave me so many ideas for future recipes. Normally when I make soup I start with chicken stock and add some tomato product (sauce, paste, fresh chopped tomatoes, etc.) to give it a little pink color and some rich tomato flavor. Angela does it a little different. She starts with a marinara sauce and then adds pasta water until it's the consistency she likes. I've used pasta water before to make sauces or as a thickner but never like this. I thought that it would taste great with an addition of canellini beans, using any green you have on hand, as the base of a minestrone, etc. Thanks Angela for teaching me something new and opening me up to endless possibilities. Isn't it great that I'm no longer a picky eater?

Next time I will use two bunches of kale because I loved the flavor, I think that's what you should do too. Angela uses broken spaghetti in this dish which is great. I love making lentils like that too. Most Italian stores now carry bags of broken spaghetti so you don't have to do it yourself. If you'd like you can use any soup pasta such and tubettini, ditalini, small shells, etc.

To remove kale from the stem Angela says, "Take kale off the stem by placing your hand at the bottom of stalk,hold firmly, and with the other hand cupped around the bottom push to the top of the stem. The kale comes off easily." She's right, it was very easy!




Angela's Pasta with Kale

Ingredients:

2 bunches kale, washed and leaves removed from the stems
1 pound broken spaghetti
Marinara Sauce, see below

Directions:

1. Prepare Marinara sauce in a large pot. Later on you're going to add the kale and pasta to this pot so make sure it's big enough.

2. In another large pot boil kale for about 15 minutes in boiling salted water. Kale is ready when you can easily pierce it with a fork. Remove kale with a slotted spoon and put on a baking sheet to cool. Once it's cool, chop cooked kale into bite sized pieces and add it to the sauce. Stir to combine.

3. In the same pot that you cooked the kale, cook broken spaghetti until al dente. Ladle pasta plus some water into the sauce until it becomes a thick soup like consistency. Once you have all the pasta water you want to use already in the pot you can drain the rest of the pasta and add it to your sauce and kalem stir to combine. (Another way you can do this is drain the pasta and reserve some of the water and add it to the sauce - but I suggest the other way until you are familiar with how much water you want. You don't want to run into not having enough starchy pasta water)

4. Sprinkle in a couple of tablespoons of your favorite cheese (I love Romano) and mix it in. Dish into bowls and pass around more cheese if you like. (I like lots of cheese in my soup)





Marinara Sauce

Ingredients:

1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
4 cloves minced garlic
1 medium onion, diced
3 tsp chopped basil
1-2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp sugar
extra virgin olive oil

Feel free to use fresh frozen or dried herbs. Sometimes I use the Italian Seasoning but this time I didn't because I didn't want it to overpower the flavor of the kale. It's a preference, it will be good either way.

Directions:


Sweat onions in extra virgin olive oil and then add garlic in oil. Let it cook for a minute or to and then add crushed red pepper and frozen or dried herbs. Add tomatoes, salt, pepper and sugar. If using fresh herbs add now. Let it come to a boil and then lower heat. Cook on medium for 30-40 minutes. Taste it and adjust seasoning as needed.

Italian Chicken and Spinach Patties and Garlic Wine Sauce

Ever wonder what to make with ground chicken besides, chili, meatballs and burgers? I do all the time and when I ask people reply "the same things you would make with ground beef." I get that but I want something different. That's how this recipe was born. As always you can change this recipe to suit your tastebuds. Other options would be a marsala sauce (with or without the mushrooms), caramelized onion topping, mix in some feta cheese and use greek seasonings, use moroccan seasonings and serve it over couscous, the possibilities are endless.


Italian Chicken Patties and Garlic Wine Sauce

Yields: 6 patties

Ingredients:

1 pound ground chicken
1 10 oz. package frozen spinach, squeezed and drained
1 egg, beaten
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
approx 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp butter
salt and pepper
Italian seasoning
garlic powder
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup of chicken stock
wondra flour
shredded mozzarella (swiss or fontina would be good too), optional.

Directions:

1. Saute onion and 3 cloves minced garlic in olive oil and set aside to cool. In a large bowl combine ground chicken, drained spinach, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, garlic powder, egg and breadcrumbs. Mix with your hands to combine all seasonings. If mixture is very wet add more breadcrumbs. It will remain sticky.

2. Preheat oven to 350. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet. Form patties and gently place in oil and let cook until browned, turn over and cook the other side. When all patties are browned place on a baking sheet and continue to cook in oven (to make sure the chicken is cooked all the way)while you make the sauce.

3. Heat 2 tbsp oil and 2 tbsp butter in pan, add 2 cloves minced garlic and cook over medium low heat, (do not burn or garlic will turn bitter). Add wine and let reduce by half, then add chicken stock. Let sauce cook down and reduce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If you want the sauce to be thicker stir in some wondra flour.

4. Return patties to pan with sauce, turning to coat both sides. If desired, top with some shredded mozzarella and put the pan under the broiler to melt.

Lidia's Chicken Francese - An Italian American Classic

I don't know if this is a popular dish in Italy but I do know that there isn't a restaurant or a pizzeria that doesn't make this dish. I rarely order it though. Not because I don't like this dish, I love it, but I don't like to order things out that I think are too easy or that I make at home. Who wants to pay for a dish you know you're capable of making for half the price? Not me!

Whenever I make francese, piccata, marsala or saltimbocca, I always use chicken cutlets (sometimes labeled scallopine) but this time I cut the chicken breasts myself. Every time I do it I realize that it's just a waste of time. I'm not sure if it saves money or not but I don't think it's worth it. More dishes to clean and bleach (I bleach everything that touches chicken) and it's not the easiest thing to do. I ended up tearing them a bit and had trouble cutting them evenly. Maybe it will be easier for you but I much rather use cutlets that are nice and thin and easy.

This recipe comes from Lidia's Italian American Kitchen by Lidia Bastianich. It's on of my favorite cookbooks because it has so many classics. If you're ever watched Lidia on tv you know how awesome she is. She is such a pleasure to watch, she's always so relaxed and her recipes are incredible. Here's one of my favorites.


Lidia's Chicken Francese

Source: Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen
by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 large eggs
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp salt, plus more for seasoning the sauce
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning the sauce
4 servings Veal, Chicken, Turkey or Pork Scaloppine (2 breasts halved and pounded or 1 package cutlets)
all-purpose flour
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup vegetable oil
6 tbsp unsalted butter
1 lemon, cut into very thin slices, pits removed
1/2 cup dry white wine
juice of 1 lemon
2 cups chicken stock
2 tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley

Directions:

1. Whisk the eggs, milk, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in a wide bowl until blended. Dredge the scallopine in flour to coat both sides lightly and tap off the excess flour. Heat the olive and vegetable oils in a large skillet over medium heat. Dip into the egg batter as many of the scallpine as will fit in the pan without touching. Let excess batter drip back into the bowl and place them into the skillet. Fry, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes. Adjust the heat as the scallopine cook so they brown slowly and evenly, with a steady bubbling. (If the heat is too high, the egg coating will scorch and the bits of batter that stick to the pan will burn, turning the sauce bitter.) Drain the scallopine on a paper-towel-lined baking sheet and repeat with the remaining scallopine and egg coating.

2. Remove the pan from the heat and pour off the oil. Carefully wipe out the pan with a wad of paper towels and add half the butter. When the butter is melted, return the pan to the heat and scatter the lemon slices over the bottom of the pan. Cook, stirring gently occasionally, until the lemon slices are golden, about 3 minutes. Scoop the lemon slices out and set them aside. Add the remaiing 3 tablespoons of butter, the wine, and the lemon juice and bring to a vigourous boil. Boil until the liquid is syrupy, 3-4 minutes. Pour in the stock, bring to a boil and cook until reduced by about half, about 5 minutes. Tuck the scallopine into the sauce and simmer until the sauce is velvety and the scallopine are heated through, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and divide the scallopine among warm serving plates. Spoon some of the sauce over each serving and decorate the tops with the reserved lemon slices.

Skillet Pasta Forno - Another use for leftovers

These days we are all trying to stretch a buck and for me that means using up leftovers. Sometimes I am appalled at the amount of food I throw away. It's wrong and I'm really trying hard not to do that anymore. I don't know about you but I always make way more sauce than I need. Most of the time I make enough to freeze but sometimes it's just not enough to take up space in my freezer. It's times like these that using up the sauce for a skillet pasta works well. I had some leftover meat sauce and some fresh mozzarella. If you had some ricotta you could through that in too and make some baked ziti, any veggies you have would also be a lovely addition but you don't have to have anything special. Sauce, pasta and some mozzarella is all you need.


There isn't a recipe, it's very easy. Heat up your sauce in an oven proof skillet. Cook your pasta to al dente, drain, toss with sauce. Add diced or shredded mozzarella (and anything else you want to through in), toss again. You'll see the mozzarella is starting to melt from the hot sauce. Sprinkle some romano cheese on top and stick it in a 375 degree oven until cheese is melted and bubbly. If you want the cheese to brown turn your broiler on for a few minutes until the desired color is achieved.


Is that easy enough? No more throwing away leftovers!

Eggs in Purgatory - Uova in Purgatorio

The summer has come to an end but there are still an abundance of tomatoes left at the farmer's markets or if you're lucky, in your own yard. If you're looking for a unique way to eat them aside from the obvious caprese salad or sauce for pasta, give this a try. Eggs in Purgatory which is a strange way of saying eggs poached in tomato sauce. It sounds weird, I won't lie, but, it is delicious. Eat this on a slice of crusty toasted bread and it is incredibly satisfying. Have a salad on the side if you like and you have a great light meal.

I made this sauce with 10 fresh plum tomatoes but you can make this with a 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes or the equivalent in diced tomatoes. You can jazz this up by adding olives to the sauce or shredding some fontina cheese on top. I just used my standard, pecorino romano.


Eggs in Purgatory

Serves 4-6 (2 eggs per person)

Ingredients:

4-6 large eggs
1 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes (diced or fresh plum can be used)
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp sugar
salt and pepper
bunch of fresh basil (or 2-3 cubes frozen Dorat)
extra virgin olive oil
1 loaf thick italian bread such as ciabatta or a round loaf
pecorino romano cheese

Directions:

1. Clean tomatoes, remove the core and make an "X" on the opposite side. Blanch tomatoes in boiling water for 3-4 minutes until the skin starts to peel away from the flesh. Drain and chill in ice water until they are cool enough to handle. Skin will easily peel away from the flesh. Use a paring knife to grab the corner of the skin (this is why you make the "X") but you may not even need to use it, just peel it with your fingers. Slice tomatoes in half and with you finger pull out the seeds. Then slice in 4 pieces. If you have a food mill you can put them through the mill to seperate the seeds from the pulp. I got rid of mine and I just use my fingers.

2. Sweat onions in extra virgin olive oil (over low heat) and once they begin to soften add garlic. If using frozen basil add now. Add tomatoes, fresh basil, salt and pepper and cover. Let cook for 10 minutes and then begin breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon or a tomatoe masher. Cover and let cook for another 20-30 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper. I like to add a teaspoon of sugar for sweetness.



3. Toast 4-6 sliced thick sliced bread. You'll need one slice of bread per egg. While slices are warm rub them with a piece of garlic.


4. Crack eggs into a small bowl (in case you break the yolk or get shells in it) and then add to the sauce, spread the eggs out so they don't touch each other. (The more eggs you make the larger the skillet you will need.) Cover and let cook until whites are set but yolks are still runny.


5. Sprinkle with romano cheese and serve on toast slices.



This is a great recipe to make on fridays during Lent! I know Nanny would have certainly approved!

Nanny with tomatoes from her garden in Brooklyn, New York.

Turn your leftovers into an Amazing Bistro Salad!

How much have you paid for a salad at a cafe or bistro? Not your boring side salad but a gourmet salad with all the best ingredients? Maybe some chicken, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, sundried tomatoes, fresh mozzarella? Maybe toasted walnuts and feta, grapes and heirloom tomatoes? You can pay anywhere between $8 and $15 for a loaded salad like that. If you make it out of your leftovers it can cost you nothing at all. Use your imagination and look through your fridge and pantry and see what you can come up with.

I had leftover chicken cutlets that I sliced, some boiled cellantani/cavatappi pasta (that didn't have any sauce on it), farmer's market tomatoes, kalamata olives, fresh mozzarella, red onion, artichoke hearts with stems (from trader joe's) and a great salad mix. This was a fabulous salad and I can think of so many ways to mix it up. Items that I already have on hand, roasted peppers, salami or ham slices, chick peas or kidney beans, cheddar cheese. I can go on and on! Your options are really endless.

Next time you think about throwing away your leftovers try to put them together in a way that will make a new and exciting salad!

I've been Nominated!

This is totally crazy but someone has nominated me for Top 10 Food Blogs of 2009 at Chef2Chef.net! I didn't even know there was such a thing. I think it's really cool and it would be fun if I could get some votes in! There are some awesome blogs up there so I don't expect to win but it's an honor to be nominated. If you'd like to vote for me (no pressure) just click on the link below and click on the chef's hat next to my blog title. Scroll over how many hats you'd like to give it and click. That's all! Thank you guys!






Click here to vote for My Italian Grandmother!

Zucchini and Potato Frittata

A frittata is a great way to use up some veggies that you have in the fridge or even use up some leftovers. It's somewhere between and omelet and a quiche and like both of those things you can fill it with whatever goodies you like. I am a fan of zucchini and potato. It seems like I always have them so I just go with it. You could definitely use artichoke hearts, broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, and basically whatever leftover sauteed veggies you have. This is great for for lunch or a light dinner along with a salad, it's an excellent appetizer and it's just as lovely as a side dish. I've even served this for brunch alongside some lovely sweet french toast.



For me the key to a good frittata is the flip. I know it can be a little scary and if you really are afraid you can finish it in the oven but for me the flip does it. I like the way both sides cook in the pan and it makes it less like a quiche. If I wanted a quiche I'd make a quiche, right? The key to flipping this over is to set yourself up and stay calm. When I'm ready to turn over my quiche I turn off the flame. I don't want to worry about my potholders catching fire and having bigger problems than breaking my frittata. I just like to take precautions. I also like to have a cutting board ready and a plate that is about the same size as your pan or larger, mine actually just fits right into it. So put your plate over the pan, put on your potholders and grab hold of the pan and the plate with both of your hands, be careful not to hit yourself with the handle and flip the pan with the plate over onto your cutting board. Whew! Now, remove the pan, admire the beautiful color on your frittata and then pick up your plate and put the pan on the cutting board. Slide the frittata back into the pan, put the pan back on the stove and turn your gas back on. It's easy and safe this way. I really hope this is clear and I'm thinking I should record myself doing this so you get the full picture. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to comment or email.



I bet you want the recipe after hearing all my blubbering, so here goes.



Zucchini and Potato Frittata

Ingredients:

6 large eggs
spash of milk, cream or water
1 small zucchini, sliced into thin halfmoons or smaller
1 yukon gold potato, sliced same as zucchini
1 small onion, sliced
fresh herbs (basil, parsley, chives - any combo)
shredded cheese (mozzarella, fontina etc.)
romano cheese
salt and pepper
grapeseed oil (or any light oil that has a high smoke point)
Directions:

1. Beat eggs with milk and romano cheese. Set aside. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Saute potato, zucchini and onions (depending on the size of your pan you may want to do this in two batches) in plenty of oil until cooked through (it doesn't need to brown). Season with salt and pepper. Drain excess oil if necessary.

3. Add egg mixture to pan. As eggs begin to cook pull cooked egg away from the side of the pan and let raw egg move into it's place, as if making scrambled eggs. Once eggs start to cook a little add herbs and then cheese.

4. Once the first side is cooked and there are no runny ends and the middle is set, flip over (see method above). Cook for a few minutes until the second side is cooked. Transfer to a plate. Cut like a pie and serve.

Chicken Saltimbocca Pasta Toss - Bakespace International Cooking Tour

When Saltimbocca was decided for the Coast to Coast Challenge I thought I'd sit it out. You see, I believe I have really perfected this dish and I didn't want to alter it. Steve loves it, our friends and family love it. I make it often and already blogged about it. Check out my post here. However, this challenge (or is it cook off?) has gone international and I didn't want to miss out on the fun. I thought that I could make this dish a one pot pasta dish and instead of serving the spinach on the side I would toss it in. So, I did it and you guessed it, it was meant to be! This dinner was fabulous, so fabulous in fact that I couldn't help laughing at how good (and easy) it was. I know, I'm a dork but I just felt SO good about it.

This is almost identical to my other recipe so I'm probably just going to do a little copy and paste but that's why it's so great, I didn't change the recipe, it's just new! Now I know I said this is a one pot dish but consider that I need lots of garlic in my spinach (yes Dad...Garlic...we're Italian...embrace it) so instead of just tossing it in at the end (which you could absolutely do) I decided to saute it separately in garlic and oil and toss it in already cooked. I think it added great flavor.

Chicken Saltimbocca Pasta Toss

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts, cut into chunks or strips
5 slices of prosciutto di Parma, sliced into strips
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 cup marsala wine
1 cup all purpose flour
wondra flour
approx. 2 cups chicken stock
salt and pepper
fresh sage
4-5 tbsp butter (can be adjusted or substiuted with oil)
extra virgin olive oil
1 pound cellantani pasta or any short tubular pasta will do
spinach, prepared (see below) or one bag of fresh spinach

Directions:

1. Season all purpose flour with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Lightly dredge chicken into flour shaking off excess. Melt 2 tbs butter and 1 tbsp oil into a large hot pan. Sauté chicken over medium high heat until nicely browned, remove from pan and set aside for later.






2. In the same pan sauté 4 cloves garlic adding more butter or oil if the pan is dry. After a minute or so add the prosciuto slices and let them crisp up. Add a few torn leaves of fresh sage. Toss garlic and prosciutto together and then add marsala wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits in the pan. Let liquid reduce to about half. Add chicken stock and cook for about 10 minutes until reduced a bit. At this point you can add some more sage to infuse the flavor into the liquid. Sprinkle in wondra flour a little at a time and stir after each addition until you get the the thickness you like. You want the sauce to coat the back of a spoon. Once desired consistency is reached add cooked chicken and any accumulated juices into the sauce.


3. Meantime cook pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. (If cooking the spinach prepare now as it only takes minutes to cook.) Drain pasta and add to the pan with the sauce and toss, add spinach and toss.







Sautéed Spinach

Ingredients:

1 bag spinach
4 cloves garlic cracked
extra virgin olive oil
salt

Directions:

Sauté garlic in oil until it begins to lighly brown, add in the spinach and toss so it gets coated with oil. Add more oil if needed, season with salt (and pepper if you like) and once wilted it's done.

There have been some exciting additions to our coast to coast challenges! For one, we have gone international and second, DD of DDpie's Slice has been kind enough to make us a bakespace map. Click on the map to go on our International Saltimbocca Cooking Tour! It's so interesting to see how creative the Bakespace members are. Each recipe is different so you'll be sure to find AT LEAST one you like! On the map, you can choose a location on the left hand pane or you can click on a marker on the map. When the pic of the dish pops up, click on it and it will take you to that person's blog. Hope you have fun on our International Tour!