Chicken Milanese with Corn and Tomato Salad

Last post I mentioned we picked out new carpet.  It's here!  It is so much better than what we had.  The old carpet was blue, stained, and completely worn out.  I think it was original to the townhouse.

Before:

Yucky stained carpet.

After:

No more stains!

So fresh.

It really brightens the rooms too.  We love it.  Maddux took a few sniffs and offered his approval.  One home improvement can now be checked off the list.

Now here's a summer chicken dish which is similar to this chicken dish but whatever.  Good is good.

Chicken Milanese with Corn and Tomato Salad
From Every Day with Rachael Ray

1 cup flour
3 large egges, beaten
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
1 lemon, zested and juiced
handlful fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
parmesean cheese
4 boneless chicken breasts, pounded thin
salt and pepper
extra virgin olive oil
2 ripe tomatoes, diced
2 ears of corn, kernels scraped from cob
1/2 small red onion
1/2 cup basil leaves, chopped

In 3 separate bowls, add the flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs.  Combine the lemon zest, parsley and garlic and finely chop on a cutting board.  Add this gremolata to the breadcrumbs along with the paremesean cheese and mix together.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper.  Coat in the flour, then the eggs, then the breadcrumbs.  Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and add the chicken cutlets in batches.  Cook on each side for about 3-4 minutes.

In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, corn, onion, and basil.  Season with salt and pepper.

Serve the chicken with the corn and tomato salad on top.  Drizzle with lemon juice if desired.

Staycation 2011

Last week, M and I took a much needed week off from work.  It was glorious.

We did a lot of eating out. Here is a small recap in food:

We went to Maggiano's - where we had our first date

Mozzarella Marinara Appetizer

I got: Crab and Shrimp Tropheo.  The pasta was a little overcooked.

M got: Chicken and Truffle Tortellacci.  He at it all.

 Then on another day, we went to the best place on Earth - Richardson's.

Ah, Richardson's.  How I love you.

Gorgeous Day.  I sat outside while M hit golf balls.

Superior form

Then I got ice cream.  Look at all the delicious flavors.  It was a very hard decision.

I finally chose Black Raspberry with jimmies.  A nudge to my childhood.  So very good.

M didn't want any.  Crazy boy.

And then I had a Girl's Night Out.  It was such a blast.

Beef Tenderloin with an Orange Buerre Blanc and Whipped Potatoes.  Three of us got the same dish.  It was amazing.

Another girlfriend got this dish.  It was called Duck Duck Goose (awesome, right?).  It was duck breast, duck confit, and foie gras.  She let me taste the duck breast.  D-E-Licious.  She also let me taste the foie gras because I had never had it.  Don't think I much care to have it again.

And that concludes our Staycation: A Retrospect in Pictures

Yeah, I didn't end up taking many pictures.   I was relaxing.  We also picked out new carpet.  Thrilling, isn't it?

Crispy Tilapia with Creamed Corn

I'm in a horrendous class right now.  My group handed in a draft of a business plan the other day and nowhere did it say that we had to hand in a fully completed draft (it actually didn’t even say we had to hand in a draft at all).  So we just got the feedback from the Prof. and he was all like you didn’t complete this, I am surprised at the quality of your work, blah blah.  He also said he realizes that it’s a lot of work but the other group got it done.  I felt like going, really, you’re comparing groups?  Maybe their schedules offer more flexibility.

And then he says this is supposed to be a real life business plan.  Um, those usually take months if not years to write and he expects us to write a REAL one in 8 weeks along with work, life, and other homework assignments he gives us??  To me, that's unreasonable.  Oh and did I mention, it's due for real next week?  I think I used the word 'real' too much.

Grr.

I made a good dinner this week though.  Actually, I've made a couple so far.  This was the first.  It was crispy tilapia with fresh homemade creamed corn.

I don't have any other pictures of the creamed corn because really, the look of it is really off-putting. But it was tasty.

 

Crispy Tilapia with Creamed Corn

From Every Day with Rachael Ray

 

4 tilapia fillets

salt and pepper

grainy mustard

1 cup breadcrumbs (I used panko)

corn kernels from 7-8 ears of corn

4 tbsp butter

1/2 cup heavy cream

extra virgin olive oil

flat leaf parsley, chopped

 

Season the fish with salt and pepper.  Spread however much mustard you like over one side of the fish.  Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the mustard and press them into the fish to make them stick.  Refrigerate while you start the corn.

 

Puree about 3 cups of the corn kernels in a food processor.  Pour into a medium saucepan and add the remaining whole corn kernels.  Add the butter and cook over medium heat until hot.  Stir in the heavy cream and continue to cook.  Stir occasionally until thickened.  Season with salt and pepper.  Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

 

Meanwhile, heat some olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add as many fillets of fish that can fit in the pan crumb side down.  Cook on first side for about 6 minutes, until golden brown.  Flip over and cook on the other side for another five minutes.  Repeat will remaining fish.

 

Serve the fish with the creamed corn.

Hello?

Guess I didn't make very good on my 'promise' that I would post more.  Oops.

Time just gets away so quickly, doesn't it?  In all honesty, I haven't been inspired to do much lately.  M and I have been in a total funk and way down in the dumps that there has been no energy to do anything.  It hasn't been very much fun lately.  Even Maddux has been blue.

Look at him laying in front of the stove.  Please, cook something, he says.

Job hunting sucks.  Straight up; no other way to put it.  Thank goodness neither one of us is out of a job but the searching, applying, and rejection is tough.  I have never seen someone work so hard at trying to find a new job and have nothing come out of it.  I feel so bad for M.  And for me really.  Certain life plans rely on this new job.  So come on already, Economy!  Show us some love.  Please?

This blog may be a good release for me.  Don't get me wrong, I have amazing girlfriends.  The best ever.  And they've listened to me (probably too much) and they're probably sick of hearing the same woe is me story over and over again.  But listen they do.  And they're always good to give me the boost and the laugh I need.  But sometimes it's good to write things down.  Although you may not want to hear my drivel either.  Heh.

I haven't been very inspired to cook either.  Really most things I have once enjoyed in the past didn't even bring a spark to me lately.  So depressing.  Time to pull myself up and enjoy the things I do have.  Everything else will fall into place when it's meant to.  Doesn't mean I have the patience for that because Lord knows I don't.  But I have been blessed in my life.  Time to get back to remembering the things I have and not focusing on what I don't.

Chicken Baked Ziti

Hello!  How've you been?  Me?  I've been busy.  There was a birthday.  Sadly, no photos.

Then there was a wedding.

Wedding Cake

Then there was a baby shower.

Diaper Cake

Then there was life.

I'm back.  I hope.  I do have a lot of recipes to share and hopefully I can remember how I did them.  I typically don't write down what I have done right after I have done it and I really should.  I see a picture of a dish I made and I think "What was that?"  I can never remember.  Or then I do and think "oh yeah, that was good.  How did I make that?"  That's happened a lot.  I have lots of pictures of dishes and have no idea how I made them so I can't share.  Bummer. 

This one I had to write down immediately.  M made it last night and it was so stinkin' good that I had to share it.  M and I stuffed ourselves.  It was such a warm hearty meal - much more appropriate for a winter's evening but good is good no matter what time of year.  There are so many layers of flavor with this dish with the different cheeses and who doesn't love some cheesey goodness?

Chicken Baked Ziti
A recipe by M for A Homemade Kitchen

1lb ziti, cooked to almost al dente
1 whole round of Boursin herbed cheese
2 tbsp olive oil
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 jar prepared tomato sauce, any flavor
1 14oz canned diced tomatoes
1 cup chicken stock
handful of fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 ball fresh mozzarella, sliced
4 slices of sharp provolone
grated parmesean cheese, however much you like

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Bring a pot of water to boil.  Salt the water generously and drop the pasta in. Cook until the pasta is almost al dente.  Don't over cook as it will continue to cook in the oven.  Add the boursin cheese to the hot pasta and let the cheese melt.  Stir it all together so all of the pasta is coated with the cheese.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the chicken breasts.  Cook on each side for about about 7 minutes.  Remove from skillet.  Add the garlic and onion to the skillet and cook until fragrant, about 4 minutes.  Chop the chicken into 1 inch cubes and add back to the pan.  Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and chicken stock.  Bring to a bubble and let simmer for about 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.  Stir in the parsley.

Add the pasta to the skillet with the sauce and stir to combine.  Add the pasta mixture to a casserole dish.  Top with the mozzarella, provolone, and parmesean cheese.  Bake in the oven for about ten minutes until the cheese is all brown and bubbly.  Serve immediately.

Happy Blogiversary!

My little blog is one year old (plus a day).  It was really yesterday but man, time gets away from us doesn't it?

I feel like I haven't given this humble little blog enough time and attention and she's pouting.  She needs some lovin' and I really need to set aside some time to give her.  It's only fair.  She's good to me.

So today, I have a recipe I made over the summer.  I made it for a girl's day and my girls loved them.  They asked me when they would be on the blog and yes, it has taken me this long.  Honestly, I haven't done them because the pictures aren't that great.  The one posted is the best one I have so please be kind.  These were delicious.  It was summer and I didn't want chocolate so I found this recipe of Key Lime Raspberry bars.  I actually couldn't find key limes in my little grocery store (actually M couldnt' find them; he went out to get my ingredients for me) so I used regular limes and I don't think it made any difference.  They were light, fresh, and perfect for a summer afternoon with the girls.  I actually left the remaining bars with my girlfriend and she gave specific instructions to her husband that those bars were hers.  I love my friends.  These bars take a little extra time but it was worth it.

So Happy Blogiversary little blog!  I will try and give you some more one on one time.  Life sneaks up on you but you have to make time for the ones you love.  Like girlfriends.  And Lime-Raspberry bars.

Lime-Raspberry Bars
From Culinary Concoctions by Peabody

Raspberry Puree

2 pints of raspberries
1/2 cup sugar
juice of half a lime


Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and cook over medium heat.  Stir occasionally and cook until the berries are soft and have given out their juices.   Bring the mixture to a boil and boil until thickened but still liquidy (technical term).

Press the berry mixture through a sieve over the bowl.  Press down to make sure that the berries go through but the seeds remain in the sieve.  Refrigerate while you prepare the rest of the bars.



For the crust:
1 1/2 cups ground graham crackers
3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp freshly grated lime zest
1/8 tsp salt
6 tbsp butter, melted

For the topping:
16 oz cream cheese at room temperature
2/3 cups sugar
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tbsp freshly grated lime zest
1/3 cup raspberry puree (recipe above)

Preheat the oven to 350.

Grease a 9x13 pan.

Combine the graham crackers, suger, lime zest, and salt in a bowl.  Pour the melted butter over and stir to combine and moisten the cracker crumbs.  Press the crumbs into the prepared pan.  Place in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes and remove from the oven and let cool while you prepare the filling.

Mix the cream cheese and sugar in a mixer on medium speed until creamed.  Add the egg yolks and blend well.  Scrape the bowl down and add the lime juice and zest and mix well. 

Pour the mixture into the prepared crust.  Spread evenly.  Drizzle the raspberry puree over the top in a random pattern and then use a knife to swirl the puree through the filling.  Do this as much or as little as you like.

Bake for about 30-35 minutes until the filling is set and the top starts to brown slightly.  Remove from the oven and cool on wire rack.  Once cooled, cut into bars and serve.  Refrigerate the bars for up to 3 days.

Smashed Potatoes with Lemon and Parsley

I am about ready to ditch New England for warmer climates.  This winter has just been too much.  Even today, right now, it's snowing again.  We probably got about another few inches. 

Hey winter, I'm waving my white flag.  Do you see it?  I surrender.

This weather really is a mood killer.  I have definitely not been myself lately as M can attest.  It is amazing how the weather can affect your mood.  I haven't felt like doing anything except read a book under a blanket with a hot cup of tea.  Cooking has been the same.  I am still doing it, I'm just not excited about it.  I'm cooking dinner every night because I have to.  I need to get my mojo back.

I don't even remember when I made these potatoes; it was several weeks ago.  They were so delicious.  M and I were watching an episode of Giada at Home and she made these potatoes.   M just said "I want those."  I agreed.  So we made them that night.

They were really delicious.  Super Chef Jacques Pepin first developed this technique to cook potatoes and it was genius.  You smash some boiled potatoes to flatten them with your hand just until they crack and then stick them in a hot pan and let them get all crispy. Seriously, genius. 

Giada kicked it up a little bit with a tangy, citrusy dressing where you toss them with some lemon juice and parsley and voila!  A super different, super delicious side dish.  I am definitely going to play around with the dressing ingredients.

Smashed Potatoes with Lemon and Parsley

Adapted from Giada de Laurentis

1-2 lbs baby red potatoes

salt

1/4 cup olive oil

2 garlic cloves, sliced

zest of one lemon

juice of one lemon

2 tbsp olive oil

handful of fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

salt and pepper

Wash your potatoes but leave the skins on.  In a large pot, bring the potatoes to a boil.  Cook until the potatoes are fork tender, about 20-25 minutes after they come to a boil.

Drain the potatoes and let them dry and cool for about 5 minutes.

Heat the 1/4 cup olive oil over medium heat.  Add the sliced garlic cloves to infuse the oil.  With the palm of your hand, smash the potatoes so that they flatten but still maintain their circular shape and crack at the edges.  Place the potatoes in the pan with the oil.  Cook for about 7-8 minutes until the skin turns crispy.  Flip the potatoes over and cook on the other side until crispy.

While the potatoes are cooking, whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil and parsley.

Once the potatoes are done, place in a bowl and toss with the dressing.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve immediately.

Winter of all Winters

So I know I've been MIA from this blog for almost a month.  That's not good, I realize, since I have been home and haven't gone much of anywhere.  Truth be told, I've been hibernating.

This winter in the Boston area has been brutal.  We have about 2-3 feet of snow on the ground by my house and all I've wanted to do is hunker down under a blanket and watch tv.  Ambitious, I know but who wants to go outside?  Oh yeah, those crazies who like the snow.  Seriously?  You like this?  You like freezing cold, no where to walk, ice dams flooding your house, and roof collapses?  I mean, look at this icicle on my house!

All those things have been happening.  Luckily we've escaped the roof collapses at our house but not the ice dams.  That was an awesome discovery.

Anyway, I do have some recipes to post.  I know, I know, I can hunker down with my laptop.  More to come.

Stay snuggley, my friends!

Snow Day and Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

It's a snow day!

Look at all that snow!

We are getting pummeled with snow right now.  There is at least a foot outside my house right now and it is still snowing like crazy.  It is a great day to snuggle up with a cup of coffee and a good book.  I will certainly be doing that later.  Anybody reading anything good right now?  I need some recommendations.

I actually have a list of books that I want to read and I keep it in my purse so when I hit the library, I have some idea of what to look for.  Sometimes it's nice to just go into the library and browse for a while.  I love the library.  And bookstores.  But I get in trouble at bookstores.  I want to buy everything.  I really just love books.

Anywho, it's a snow day and I want to be lazy, so there.  I should do some homework but I don't wanna.  And that's my whining for the day.

Let's get to the pumpkin muffins.  I picked up a couple of cans of pumpkin around Thanksgiving when they are on sale and in huge supply.  I opened my cabinet a couple of weeks ago and there they were reminding me that they were waiting to be used in something delicious.  I searched one of my favorite blogs and found this recipe. It was very delicious.

The muffins were moist and not too spicy.  I don't always like nutmeg and ginger but these had just the right amount. They are great with a big cup of coffee on a snow day.  I wish I had one right now.


Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
From Sugar Plum

2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 large eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 cup milk
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.  Line muffin tins with liners - about 18.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.

In another bowl, mix together the melted butter, eggs, pumpkin, milk and brown sugar until combined.  Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet until combined and then add the chocolate chips.  Whisk to combine.

Divide the batter into the muffin cups.  Bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean. 

Spinach and Feta Stuffed Chicken

Happy New Year!  I know it's a week late but the sincerity is there.  Hope everyone had a good one.

This past week, most of the blogs I read have listed out their resolutions or their goals for the upcoming year.  I have never been one to make New Year's resolutions.  My thinking is, if you aren't (or can't) do these things any other time during the year, you're probably not going to at the beginning of the year either.  If you want to do something, just do it.  I don't think we need a specific time of year to put a fire under our butts.

That being said, I do think it is good to have goals throughout the year.  We have dreams and hopes and each new year can bring new things (as could each day, week, month but I digress).  There are many things that I am hoping for this year that didn't happen last year and I will do my best to make them happen.  However, I am not going to list them out because some are private but I do think if you make your goals known to others, you have a better chance of achieving them.  Your friends and family can hold you accountable and encourage you along the way so this is a good reason to put them in writing.  You don't want to let anyone down, do you?

I hope to post more on this blog.  That is one of my goals this year but you know, I've said that before and did it happen?  No.  So, I am not going to put any pressure on myself.  I'm doing plenty of that with other things I want and need.

I've said it before; I love Rachael Ray.  I know a lot of people may not but I do.  She's fun, she's not serious, and she has some insanely good recipes.  The latest issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray was loaded with recipes that we wanted to try and last week, we had a dinner from this issue every night.  They were all delicious but this one was the most delicious.

I think I have decided that feta is my favorite cheese so whenever there's feta, I'm there.  I'm telling you, this dish was super awesome and I think the stuffing could also be used over a white fish such as haddock or used in pork or veal.  It would also be great as a dip if you added some cream and baked it in the oven.  Ok, I have to stop.  My mouth is watering.

Spinach and Feta Stuffed Chicken
Adapted from Every Day with Rachael Ray, February 2011

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
One 10oz box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
salt and pepper
3 tbsp butter
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 tsp dried oregano
4 skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Preheat oven to 425.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and 2 of the minced garlic cloves and cook until softened.  Transfer to a bowl and let cool.  Once cooled, add the spinach and season with salt and pepper.

Melt the butter in the same skillet you cooked the onions and garlic in.  Turn off the heat and add the panko breadcrumbs, oregano and the remaining garlic.  Toss to combine.

Drizzle a baking dish with the remaining tbsp olive oil.  Butterfly each chicken breast (do not cut all the way through).  Stuff the chicken with the spinach mixture and the feta cheese.  Fold over the top of the chicken.  Place the chicken in a baking dish and top with the panko bread crumbs.  Bake until the chicken is cooked through, about 25-minutes.