chicken parm!

"La scoperta di un piatto nuovo è più preziosa per il genere umano che la scoperta di una nuova stella." ~Brillat- Savarin (The discovery of a new dish is more precious to human beings than the discovery of a new star.)

chicken parm. what a dish- my stepfather, Tony is all to credit for this most incredible dish- which also just so happens to be my sweetie Jon's favorite dish I make. Thus far that is ;) I actually make this dish as a Christmas/birthday present for him most years....though last week I was inspired to get in the kitchen and rock this recipe out.

so here we go- are you ready? pump up the jams (maybe some good jazz), pour yourself a big glass of cab sav, and roll up your sleeves. Its. time. to. rock.

What will you need for this endeavor you might ask? Here is the list of ingredients:

Well, basically all that is pictured here (can you tell I went to Costco- I mean look at the bottle of sauce!). I seriously recommend for those thrifty cookers out there to invest some time in grocery shopping- going to wholesale clubs like Costco or a restaurant supply store (those in Seattle- I recommend Cash N Carry!)- you can save some big bucks by buying in bulk!

ok- that's more a story for another time....back to the chicken parm. you will need:

-Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
-fresh mozzarella or parmesean cheese (Parm has a stronger, sharper taste to it, so I often use mozzerela as it does not overpower the rest of the ingredients- i know, i know- then it isnt really chicken "parm" you say. *shrugs shoulders*)Also, buying a brick of cheese and shredding it yourself is nearly ALWAYS a better idea- its cheaper and I think enhances the cooking process
-a couple eggs, scrambled. you will need about 1 egg per breast
-a bowlful/deep plate full of flour
-italian seasoned breadcrumbs which you can dress up with more parm cheese, garlic salt, ect ect
-your trusty bottle of extra virgin olive oil
-clove of finely minced garlic (not pictured- woops!)

before we begin- set your oven to 350- look! your are on your way already! haha- ok now we have lots of prep to do. we are going to begin by setting out our flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs into a kind of assembly machine. why these ingredients? well we will need to coat the chicken in breadcrumbs which will require the egg to help it stick. but have you really tried putting egg onto raw chicken? its like sticking water to water. well, maybe not that extreme- BUT we coat the chicken first in the flour to help the egg stick even better. so lay out three bowls/deep dished plates and set each ingredient into a different bowl like this:coolies. now we need to get the chicken ready. since they are in breast form and a bit to thick to cook up quickly, we are going to use the meat tenderizer on them.
dont have one? I have used a soup can in a tiny kitchen of a dorm hall kitchen to make this work- resourcefulness is key. place the chicken into a giant zip log bag, and place on top of a kitchen towel layered by a cutting board (the towel will help absorb some of the shock of hitting the chicken and make it less violent sounding...) pound away!cool. now pound that chicken until it is about half an inch thick like this:well...the one on the right anyway.ok! now we are ready to get cooking! we can start getting the frying pan ready and warm- throw in a slash of olive oil and some garlic and get the oil warm. In the meantime, dip the chicken in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs making sure to cover all areas of the chicken. place the chicken into the frying pan and begin cooking until one side becomes golden brown. Flip the chicken and cook so the chicken is evenly brown on the outside and check the middle to make sure there is nothing pink left inside.
ok....now that you have your chicken done we have a few finishing details to go. line a 9x13 pan with a thin layer of marina/spaghetti sauce and begin placing your chicken on it. Now add a little sauce on top of each chicken and then sprinkle on some cheese.


Once you have each cutlet covered, place on another layer of cheese and stick into the oven until the cheese is melted and oh so bubbly. then you know its time for deliciousness. Place over some pasta (Jon and I prefer angel pasta) and serve with a side of sauce. Enjoy!

love and peace,
~r

tomato soup- from scratch!

"Do you have a kinder, more adaptable friend in the food world than soup? Who soothes you when you are ill? Who refuses to leave you when you are impoverished and stretches its resources to give a hearty sustenance and cheer? Who warms you in the winter and cools you in the summer? Yet who also is capable of doing honor to your richest table and impressing your most demanding guests? Soup does its loyal best, no matter what undignified conditions are imposed upon it. You don't catch steak hanging around when you're poor and sick, do you?"
~Judith Martin (Miss Manners)


Put down that condensed soup can! You will never need it again. I promise you. No more processed soup for you!!!

I saw this recipe on pinterest but adapted it a bit.....what a perfect bowl of love on a rainy seattle day! What you will need is:

-2 cans crushed tomatoes (you can go fancy and get a southwest or Italian style)
-2 cups soup stock (veggie, chicken, whatever you like- though I would steer away from bouillon cubes since it contains lots of MSG and sodium)
-clove of garlic, minced
-splash of olive oil
-splash o milk, cream, buttermilk (whatever you have on hand)

optional:
-handful of freshly choppped basil
-cheese please! I threw in some feta in mine to mellow out the flavors- but its up to you!
-any other addings you would like : frozen corn, goldfish crackers, herbal seasonings, red pepper flakes, Tabasco sauce ect

what to do:
put on some sweet tunes. seriously! we have been listening to some records of fleetwood mac and it makes all the difference in the world. well...maybe not..... but i like it ;)

heat up your olive oil in a deep skillet on low, then add garlic and saute for a minute- dont burn it though!!! add your tomatoes and simmer for a few minutes.....get that broth ready! put broth in a medium sized pot with any seasonings you would like (salt, pepper, ect) and add tomatoes from skillet. stir together, and of possible- use immersion blender to smooth out soup. add splash o milk/cream/buttermilk to smooth out flavor and add any other ingredients you would like and serve! I would say this would go perfect with a grilled cheese...but I like cheese on everything.

until next time- happy cooking and lots of love
~r


ps- special shoutout to e-liz and jesse! thanks for your blogging encouragement! ;)

the most amazing (and easy!!!) peanut sauce! lifechanging!

“I've long believed that good food, good eating, is all about risk. Whether we're talking about unpasteurized Stilton, raw oysters or working for organized crime 'associates,' food, for me, has always been an adventure” ~Anthony Bourdain

are you ready to make one of the easiest recipes for a delicious lunch/dinner that will take you less than 5 minutes to make and take less than 6 ingredients (which you probably already have in your possession?) this is one of the first things we learned to make when I moved to seattle...it has made many a dinner after a long day of work and it never fails to make my soul sing.

special thanks to the LVC cookbook for this gem, and to the folks at Holden Village for the inspiration...

strap in.
your taste buds are about to go on a life-changing and wild ride that you will never forget.
are you ready?

all systems go. (thanks rachel).

3 tablespoons peanut butter (chunky preferred)
3 tablespoons milk or water
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 to 3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon lemon juice
(optional: bay leaf that you would remove before using and 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper if you like a little heat....)

stir together the first 2 ingredients to make a paste. mix everything else and lets stand several hours to blend (or, if you are more impatient, 30 seconds). serve over hot pasta and steamed or stir-fried vegetables. choose one, or use a combination.

enjoy!
until next time ;)

beginnings

"good seasons start with good beginnings." ~sparky anderson

ok. new year. new beginnings. time to start the long-time-coming food blog! i have been meaning to just start this for the longest of times, and with a new year i finally am getting around to it (thanks to valpala house for your contributions to my title and reviewing my font selection!)....

i hope that i am able to post some recipes you might find helpful, talk about food justice, and share my life with you (and you with me?) by sitting at the same (digital)table and sharing a wonderful meal. what better way to share in each other's lives? anywho, love to all and here is to beginnings, and to some tasty food.


photo credit: the fabulous rachel doelling and her even more fabulous batch of granola she made yesterday