Chicken Parmigiano

Chicken Parmigiano (Parmesan) is part of the wonderful category of food I like to call Italian Soul Food. The smell of garlic, tomato sauce and breaded chicken baking in the oven makes me feel happy. This simple Italian dish is delicious and truly hard to mess up. It's simple enough for weeknights and yummy enough for guests. I like to pair it with an Italian red wine like Chianti, Sangiovese or Barbera.


*These ingredients make enough for approximately 2-4 people.


INGREDIENTS, Chicken
chicken breast cutlets (2-4)
(Hint: I rarely see cutlets sold already pounded out in the store, but you can have your friendly meat counter easily pound them out for you OR you can pound them out yourself. WARNING: this is a bit tricky, it requires force without destroying the meat, practice on a small piece until you get it right.)
italian bread crumbs (approx 1/2-1 cup)
fresh or dried italian parsley (approx 4 Tbsp)
eggs (2) beaten
fresh parmigiano cheese (approx 1-1 1/2 cup) grated at home
salt
cracked black pepper


INGREDIENTS, Simple Marinara Sauce
canned tomato sauce (2)
cloves minced garlic (2)
olive oil (approx 1-1.5 Tbsp)
parsley fresh or dried
basil fresh or dried
salt
cracked black pepper


INSTRUCTIONS
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix bread crumbs, parsley, salt/pepper in mixing bowl. Coat cutlets in egg and dredge in bread crumb mixture until completely coated. Place chicken on olive oil coated baking dish, gently move chicken around to get some oil on both sides of cutlets. Bake for 20-25 minutes until just beginning to brown on edge. Remove from oven and increase heat to 400 degrees.


Meanwhile, in small/medium sauce pan saute garlic in olive oil, until you can really smell it, but before it begins to brown (garlic becomes bitter at that point), add tomato sauce, salt/pepper, parsley and basil, simmer for 20 minutes.


Sprinkle freshly grated cheese on top of chicken (as little or as much as you like), ladle sauce on top of cheese, then another thin layer of cheese, top with freshly chopped parsley, a final dash of salt and pepper and cook for approx. 5-10 minutes more, or until a little crispier on the edge. Serve immediately with a side of pasta and/or a nice salad.


(Hint: leftovers make great sandwiches!)


Bon Appetito! - Robyn

Rice Plus Anything Stew

This is a quick and easy yet good-on-the-tummy staple dish for me. When I don't want to deal, but need a solid warm meal, this is it. And I usually always have the ingredients on hand because it's a mishmash of...staples! So, in honor of Karine's request, here is the easiest rice-as-a-main-dish meal. 


INGREDIENTS
rice (1 cup) I am a ridiculous fan of Trader Joe's brown rice medley, it has incredible texture with black barley and daikon radish seeds, makes for a heartier, stewier dish
meat whatever's in your fridge; I usually use either shredded leftover chicken or chopped chicken sausage
chicken broth (2 cups) if you have any juice or bits left over from roasted chicken, throw them in
onion (1/2) diced
carrots (1-2) chopped
tomatoes (2-3 small vine tomatoes) roughly chopped
paprika
cumin
cayenne 
salt


Options
sweet potatoes (1 small) chopped
mushrooms (1/2 small carton) sliced
garlic (2 cloves) minced
raisins (1/4 cup)
cashews (1/4 cup) roast in the pan first
lemon
cilantro
parsley




DIRECTIONS

1. Throw it all into the rice cooker and hit the "on" switch. (I know, I know.  But I am telling you. The rice cooker is an awesome crockpot for rice dishes. And your meal is done in 20-30 minutes.)
2. If you don't have a rice cooker, saute the onions, carrots, and meat. Pour in the broth, bring to a boil, then add everything else.
3. You may need to add some extra broth, especially if using wild and/or brown rice.

Tip: This is great for leftover roasted chicken because the meat maintains its moisture.  Throw in the chicken parts, gelatinous juice, and veggies and you're good to go.  

Love, J

Shabbat Dinner: Veggie Soup in Beef Broth & Roast Chicken with Potatoes

Hello All, after much of Jackie's badgering, I'm finally contributing to recipe underground for the first time!


VEGGIE SOUP IN BEEF BROTH
beef shank & neck bones
spinach
broccoli
peas
carrots
corn
onion 
garlic
turmeric 
salt & pepper


Boil some water, drop in some beef shank and beef neck bones (I know - who really buys that, right? But I did and it makes the soup really tasty). Then add whichever veggies you want. I usually do some frozen spinach, broccoli, peas, carrots, corn, an onion, and some garlic. Spices are usually turmeric and salt and pepper from what I can remember. Result was a very clean tasty soup with robust flavor that was surprisingly low in fat and green and healthy.

ROAST CHICKEN WITH POTATOES & CARROTS
One of Jackie's faves, and mine too, not gonna lie.


whole chicken
salt
vinegar
brown sugar
olive oil
cracked pepper
mustard
soy sauce
duck sauce
lemon juice
thyme
rosemary
Lawry's Salt
potatoes
carrots


If you've got the time, take your beautiful whole chicken, make sure there is no junk in the middle (i.e. bag of intestines in the cavity), rinse her good, put her in a freezer ziplock with warm water, lots and lots of salt, vinegar, and brown sugar, and let her hang out in that brine for a night. If you have no time, skip that part, put her in a pyrex with some water, salt, olive oil, cracked pepper and whole peppercorns. Then I usually improv the rest based on what's in my fridge, but this is usually the concoction: mustard, soy sauce, duck sauce (Jewish style sweet asian sauce - mostly a watered down apricot marinade type of thing), vinegar, lemon juice, thyme, rosemary (don't overdo it), and whatever else tickles your fancy.  My go to seasoning is  Lawry's salt.  Fricking delicious. Then you cut up your potatoes and carrots, throw them in there, try to get them steeped in the liquid. Cover it up with aluminum and put it at 350 or so for a few hours, checking on it. Usually right before serving, I'll drain the extra liquid, leaving half an inch in there, flip the bird so both sides get a little color and put it on broil. Check back a few minutes later, take out the chicken and then try to crisp the potatoes so they are part mushy flavorful bits of heaven and part crispy cooked pieces of crack.


Let me know if you try cooking these.
x
Karine

Rustic Roasted Chicken (Ode to Irma)

I grew up with about 4 different types of entrees as a kid, and roasted chicken was always my favorite. Irma - one of the women who raised me and Jess - made it with raisins and onions, and served it with tons of jus over white rice. This was typically our fanciest meal and reserved for Friday night Shabbat dinners. When I told Justin about the significance of the roasted chicken, how it recalls Irma, Shabbat, and my ultimate childhood comfort and warmth, he found and cooked up this Jamie Oliver recipe. Not only is it the best roasted chicken we have ever made or had, but its rustic style reflects the culture of our kitchen.  


I hope it fills you with all kinds of goodness. - J & J

kosher organic chicken this guarantees a brined and well-raised bird

onions (2-4) amount depending on how much you love onion

carrots (2)

celery Stalks (2)

garlic (1 bulb)

olive Oil

sea salt & freshly ground pepper

lemon (1)

fresh thyme, rosemary, sage small bunches and whatever combination / ratio you want

*Recommended: serving with any kind of wild rice mix cooked with broth (I love the Trader Joe's Brown Rice Medley). The Rice Plus Anything Stew is also great for leftovers.

To prepare your chicken

• Take your chicken out of the fridge 30 minutes before it goes into the oven 
• Preheat your oven to 475°F
• There’s no need to peel the vegetables – just give them a wash and roughly chop them 
• Break the garlic bulb into cloves, leaving them unpeeled 
• Pile all the veg and garlic into the middle of a large roasting tray and drizzle with olive oil 
• Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper, rubbing it all over the bird 
• Carefully prick the lemon all over, using the tip of a sharp knife 
• Put the lemon inside the chicken’s cavity, with the bunch of herbs 

To cook your chicken
• Place the chicken breast down on top of the vegetables in the roasting tray and put it into the preheated oven 
• Turn the heat down immediately to 400°F and cook the chicken for 1 hour and 20 minutes 
• Baste the chicken halfway through cooking, turn the bird over breast up, and if the veg look dry, add a splash of broth or water to the tray to stop them burning 
• When cooked, take the tray out of the oven and let bird rest for 15 minutes or so 
• Cover it with a layer of tinfoil and a tea towel and put aside.

To carve your chicken
• Remove any string from the chicken and take off the wings 
• Carefully cut down between the leg and the breast 
• Cut through the joint and pull the leg off 
• Repeat on the other side, then cut each leg between the thigh and the drumstick so you end up with four portions of dark meat 
• Place these on a serving platter 
• You should now have a clear space to carve the rest of your chicken 
• Angle the knife along the breastbone and carve one side off, then the other 
• When you get down to the fussy bits, just use your fingers to pull all the meat off, and turn the chicken over to get all the tasty, juicy bits from underneath 
• You should be left with a stripped carcass, and a platter full of lovely meat that you can serve with gorgeous roast veg over rice

Chicken Soup for the Blogger's Soul

whole chicken (aprox 4lbs) 
onion (1) chopped
celery (1 1/4 cup) chopped
carrots (1 1/4 cup) chopped
water until it covers the top of the chicken
olive olive 
fresh lemon juice (1/4 T) 
bay leaves (3)
garlic cloves (4)
fresh ginger (1/2" piece) sliced
majoram (1 t)
salt (1 t)
black pepper (1 t)
honey (1 T)


Heat oil with medium heat in a large pot. Add onions, celery, and carrots and cook until they soften. Add water, bring to a boil then lower to a simmer. 


Quarter chicken, remove skin, and add to pot along with seasonings. Simmer for 60-75 minutes. 


Remove chicken and let it cool until you can easily handle it. Pull chicken from bones and return the meat to the soup. Let cook at low heat for about 15-30 minutes. Let it cool and adjust seasoning to taste.


You can also cook some pasta and/or potatoes separately and add to soup before serving.