CHICKEN PARMESAN WITH ROASTED PEPPER TOMATO SAUCE

If you want an easy chicken parmesan recipe, just bread your chicken, fry it, and top it with jarred spaghetti sauce and Parmesan cheese. I've taken that easy road. But not this time.

First, I added Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley to seasoned breadcrumbs. Next, I dipped the chicken cutlets in a mixture of egg, white wine, salt and pepper before breading them. This treatment gives flavor to the chicken even before it's bathed in sauce.

And the sauce for this dish is what's really spectacular. Two whole roasted peppers are cut into long strips. Half of them are cooked with the sauce which is then pureed. The remainder are put on top of the sauce before the chicken is added to the pan and before it goes into the oven. There aren't many ingredients in this sauce, because the peppers are on center stage, and let me assure you they perform well. This is one of my favorite tomato sauces, and it is perfect with chicken parmesan. Take the long road next time you make chicken parmesan -- make this sauce. It won't disappoint you.

Chicken Parmesan with Roasted Pepper Tomato Sauce

Source: Chicken Breading: Judy's Kitchen

Roasted Pepper Tomato Sauce: Adapted from The Romagnolis' Table Cookbook

Rating: 10 out of 10
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INGREDIENTS:

Roasted Pepper Tomato Sauce:
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 large garlic clove, grated or minced

1 hot red pepper pod, seeded (or 1/8 tsp. ground red pepper)

28-oz. can good-quality crushed tomatoes in thick puree

1 tsp. sea salt (or more, if desired)

2 roasted red peppers, cut in long strips (jarred are ok)

1 can (14.5 oz.) low-sodium chicken broth

In large heavy pot, saute the onion and pepper pod in the oil over medium heat till transparent, about 5 minutes. Briefly add the garlic (and ground pepper if you didn't use the pepper pod) and cook for about 30 seconds. Remove the pepper pod if you used it. Pour in the tomatoes, add salt and half of the roasted peppers. Stir in as much of the broth as you need to get the sauce to desired consistency. (We like ours thin, so I added the whole can.) Cook over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes; taste to adjust seasonings, adding more salt if needed. Puree the sauce, if desired. (My husband has to have smooth sauce, so I always puree.) Reserve remaining half of roasted peppers for roasting pan.

Breading: 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1 egg

2 Tbsp. white wine, drinking quality

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1/8 tsp. black pepper

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half, pounded to even thickness (4 cutlets total)

In a disposable plate or plastic bag, combine the parsley, cheese and bread crumbs; set aside. In a flat bowl, whisk egg with wine, salt and pepper till frothy. Dip cutlets, first in egg mixture, then in breadcrumb mixture. Lay on wax paper or plastic wrap. Refrigerate.

Assembly:

1. Heat oven to 375F. Set out a 9x12 baking pan and spray it with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Start a big pot of salted water on high heat for the pasta.

3. When oven is ready, pour 2-3 Tbsp. olive oil into baking pan, and spread it evenly to coat bottom. Place chicken breasts in pan, bake for 15 minutes.

4. Turn chicken over. Bake additional 5 minutes. Place pasta in pot to cook; don't forget to stir.

5. Transfer chicken to paper towels. Wipe any excess oil from pan. Ladle hot tomato sauce into pan; top with remaining pepper strips. Place chicken on top. Spoon some sauce over chicken. Bake 10 minutes. Drain pasta; return to pot; keep warm.

6. Top chicken with cheese of choice. (I used Italian 5-cheese blend, shredded). Bake till cheese melts, about 4-5 minutes.

7. Mix some of the sauce with the pasta. Serve pasta with chicken; spoon extra sauce over top.

Yield: 4 servings

DRY-AGING OF BEEF -- EXPERIMENT #1 -- DAY 1

New Bern, NC, has been our home since fall of 1993. We do love this beautiful and historic coastal community. There are boaters and artists, but no beach bums, because you have to drive 45 minutes to get to a beach. And that's the way we like it. But, from the beginning, we missed our local butcher. He aged his beef for 3 weeks and it was to die for.
So, after 15 years of moaning about steaks with no flavor, Guy decided we would age our own beef. After all, you can find instructions for anything on the internet.

The first step was to purchase a dedicated refrigerator. Since we had decided to start with a rib of beef (because it's the easiest to age), we measured the rib at Sam's Club (where we intended to purchase a whole rib, USDA Choice, for $4.97/lb.), then hunted for a refrigerator that would accommodate it. Problem #1: We had no room anywhere for the fridge. Our garage is full to the brim and so is the rest of our small house. Solution: We put the fridge on top of our garage fridge. (What a hoot! We are two people and we have 4 fridges: 1 in the kitchen, 1 in the garage, plus the dedicated aging fridge and a wine fridge. Do you think we are food-obsessed?)
Next, Guy purchased a refrigerator thermometer and a humidity thermometer, both needed. The temperature of the fridge needs to be about 36F, right above freezing, and the humidity should be between 70 - 85F. We also purchased a package of 100% cotton cloths at Sam's Club, in which to wrap the meat. Since the cloths have to be changed once a day, we needed enough to get us through a couple of weeks. We put the cloths in the washer, with no detergent, to rinse them well, then dried them in the dryer.

Finally, the beef.

We brought the beef home and Guy rinsed it in clear, cold water, then patted it dry with clean paper towels. Then he wrapped it in one of the cotton cloths. Into the fridge it went.

I'll be reporting more on this experiment as it progresses. In the meantime, we're both dreaming about a delicious aged steak cooked on the grill medium rare.

And here's a little postscript: After our trip to Sam's Club in Greenville, NC, we had lunch at the Red Lobster, then planned to go across the street to Kohl's. But my eyes caught a glimpse of a brand-new building: The Fresh Market. So we took a little detour. And bought some of their aged beef -- a filet mignon. I guess we didn't have to age our own beef after all. If only we had known The Fresh Market was coming. It's okay -- Guy says he needs a project to keep him busy.

PUMPKIN-WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS

Thanks to all my lovely bags of frozen butternut squash, purchased at low prices when it was in abundance last fall, I am enjoying muffins, soups and veggie mashes with some of the prep work already done.

These muffins are light, tender, moist and delicious with a mild spicy background for the roasted squash, white chocolate chips and toasted walnuts. If you make this recipe as is, you'll get 6 standard-size muffins and 12 mini muffins, which will freeze beautifully and keep you in muffins for a while. Of course, they're only going to be as good as the ingredients you use. Remember to get chocolate chips with no hydrogenated anything in the list of ingredients. I used Ghiradelli, which have absolutely no cocoa butter in them, but they're not too bad and have no hydrogenated oils. Anyway, they taste pretty good in these muffins. But on my next shopping trip, I am going to look for better chips. (I'm still crying that Wal-Mart discontinued Sam's Choice white chocolate chips made with pure cocoa butter.)

Pumpkin-White Chocolate Chip Muffins

Source: Judy's Kitchen

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

INGREDIENTS: 1 cup white whole wheat flour

1/2 cup quick (not instant) oats

3/4 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1/2 cup light brown sugar (OR 1/4 cup brown sugar + 1-1/2 tsp. stevia)

2 tsp. cinnamon

1-1/2 tsp. powdered ginger

1/8 tsp. allspice or cloves

1/2 cup good-quality white chocolate chips

1/3 cup toasted walnuts, broken or chopped

1 cup pumpkin puree (canned, fresh roasted or frozen/thawed)

1 large egg + 1 large egg white

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk

2 Tbsp. vegetable or canola oil

Topping: 2 Tbsp. sugar + 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Heat oven to 400F. Spray a 6-cup standard-size muffin tin and a 12-cup mini muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.

In large bowl, combine flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, spices, chips and nuts.

In medium bowl, whisk pumpkin and eggs together till smooth. Stir in vanilla, buttermilk and oil and whisk again till smooth and well combined. Pour wet ingredients over dry and stir with a spoon till barely mixed.

Fill muffin cups to tops. In a small cup or bowl, combine topping ingredients. Sprinkle muffin tops with topping. Bake about 11 minutes for minis, about 13 minutes for standards. Serve warm, room temperature or cold.

CHICKEN AND MUSHROOMS OVER PARSLIED NOODLES

This is comfort food -- the way to a man's heart. Actually, this could be the way to a woman's heart also. If you want to use exotic mushrooms, this dish could be even better. I used cremini, which have a bit more flavor than plain white mushrooms. Guy thinks he doesn't like cremini mushrooms, but in a dish like this, he can't tell, so I just keep mum and smile while he raves about how good it is. This dish easily serves 4. Don't even think about halving it, because you'll want the leftovers for another meal. This is so so good.

Chicken & Mushrooms Over Parslied Noodles
Source: Judy's Kitchen
Rating: 9.5 out of 10

INGREDIENTS:
1 Tbsp. sea salt, divided use
1 lb. curly noodles, with or without egg
1 stick (8 Tbsp.) Smart Balance buttery spread, divided use
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper (or cayenne)
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1 cup all-purpose flour, divided use
1/4 cup cold water
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half and pounded to make 8 cutlets
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cremini mushrooms (or other mushroom of choice), sliced
1 large shallot, diced
1 large garlic clove, grated
1-1/4 cups dry white wine, drinking quality
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth + more if needed to thin gravy
1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Fill a large stock pot with water and 1-1/2 tsp. sea salt, and place over high heat. When water boils, add noodles and cook per package directions. Drain noodles and toss with 3 Tbsp. SB and 1/2 cup chopped parsley. Cover and keep warm.

While pasta water is heating,combine 1 tsp. salt, pepper, ground red pepper, paprika and 1/2 cup flour in a paper plate. In a medium bowl, add water. Wet chicken in water and then dredge in the flour mixture.

In large saute pan over medium-high heat, melt 3 Tbsp. SB and saute chicken breasts, about 4 minutes on each side; remove to a plate; keep warm. Reduce heat; add 2 Tbsp. SB, mushrooms and shallots to pan and saute about 5 minutes, till veggies are beginning to brown; add garlic, saute for an additional 30 seconds; stir in remaining 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper and mix till pasty. Add wine, raise heat, let it bubble up while you continue to stir, scraping up any browned bits. Add chicken stock and lemon juice and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes, till mixture is of desired gravy consistency (add more stock if needed). Put chicken back in pan, reduce heat, cover and simmer while pasta cooks. Taste to adjust seasonings, adding more salt and pepper if needed.

Serve chicken breasts over noodles, accompanied by a fresh green salad. Yield: 4-6 servings

DRY-RUBBED GRILLED LONDON BROIL AND MY TASTY TREASURES GIVEAWAY

Eastern North Carolina is pig country, and the pork is great. Beef, on the other hand, takes a back seat. It's not aged here, unless you're lucky enough to be near a butcher who carries Sterling Silver Beef that's been aged 21 days or more.

We don't eat as much beef as we used to. It's just not that good for you. We both really like beef and like to have it occasionally. And when we have it we want it to be good. Usually, I marinate a London Broil, but it doesn't really change the fact that the meat, without proper aging, is bland. This time, I decided to try a dry rub, without salt. Salt pulls the juices out of meat. So I concentrated on other flavors in the marinade that would keep the juices in and bring out the flavor of the beef. I was actually surprised when it worked! This was the best tasting piece of beef we've had in a long time. Granted, the beef was still not aged, but the rub covered a lot of sins, keeping the meat juicy and providing just the right flavors for a tasty meal. This is definitely one recipe to keep.

Dry-Rubbed Grilled London Broil

Source: Judy's Kitchen

Rating: 10 out of 10

INGREDIENTS: 2 tsp. grated lemon zest

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp. smoked paprika

2 tsp. California-style garlic powder

1 tsp. black pepper

1 Top Round London Broil, about 1-1/2 lbs.

Combine all ingredients except meat in small bowl. Wipe meat with damp paper towel and pat dry with a clean paper towel. Cover meat on both sides with rub; place on dish or other container and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to one day.

When ready to cook, remove meat from fridge 1/2 hour - 1 hour beforehand, to bring it to room temperature. Preheat gas grill to medium hot, about 400-425F. Grill meat (preferably covered, on a turned-off burner with the other burner(s) providing indirect heat) about 7 minutes each side, or till meat is cooked the way you like it. Try not to keep flipping the meat. Instead, try to only turn once. This means you will have to gauge the cooking time beforehand.

When meat is done, transfer to a platter and let it rest 10-15 minutes before slicing it on an angle. Leftovers make great sandwiches, sliced as thinly as possible.

Donna, of My Tasty Treasures is having a giveaway from now to Tuesday. Click on the link to get the details. And enjoy her naughty but nice blog at the same time.

CRUMB TOPPED CHOCOLATE CINNAMON SWIRL MUFFINS

Recently, Elyse, of Elyse's Confectionary Creations, posted a
delicious-looking coffee cake that she adapted from Baked. I wanted to try it, but coffee cakes are too big for a family of two where one person doesn't eat desserts. So I adapted the recipe for muffins.

My first adaptation including reducing the fat content by subbing banana for part of the fat. The muffins were good, but not great. I decided to try again. This time, I subbed applesauce for part of the fat and used fat-free yogurt for part of the sour cream, with a little cream added.

I also added "coffee essence," a flavoring I use a lot of. It's coffee brandy with instant coffee granules added. I store it in the fridge in a little jar. And, since I won a bag of Ultragrain flour recently, I decided to try it. (Ultragrain flour is 30% whole wheat and bakes up just like all-purpose flour.) These muffins were the bomb! Not only is the flavor divine, the texture of these muffins is tender and soft and the crumb topping is nicely clumped for a soft crunch. There's plenty of chocolate in these babies, too. I highly recommend these muffins. Thanks, Elyse, for a great recipe.


Crumb-Topped Chocolate Cinnamon Swirl Muffins
Adapted from Elyse's Confectionary Creations and Baked
Rating: 10 out of 10
INGREDIENTS: TOPPING:
1/4 cup Ultragrain flour (or all-purpose, if preferred)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/3 cup pecans
1/3 cup chocolate chips
3 Tbsp. butter

Combine flour, sugar, and salt in food processor and pulse till mixed. Add pecans and chocolate chips. Pulse till fully ground. Add butter and pulse until combined. Refrigerate.

CHOCOLATE-CINNAMON SWIRL: 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. Hershey's Special Dark cocoa (or natural unsweetened, if preferred)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Combine all ingredients in small bowl; set aside.

MUFFINS:
1-3/4 cup Ultragrain or all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 cup (1/2 stick)butter, melted and partially cooled
1-1/8 cups sugar
1 large egg
6 oz. fat-free vanilla yogurt + 2 oz. heavy cream OR 8 oz. fat-free vanilla yogurt
3/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. coffee essence*
1/2 cup applesauce

Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray; set aside. In medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In small bowl, whisk butter and sugar together; add egg, yogurt, cream, vanilla, coffee essence and applesauce and whisk till well combined and smooth. Pour over dry ingredients and stir with spoon or spatula till barely combined. Place a rounded Tbsp. in each muffin cup. Divide chocolate cinnamon swirl ingredients evenly among cups, using about 2 tsp. for each. Top with remaining muffin batter. Divide crumb topping among muffins, pressing in slightly. Place in oven and immediately reduce heat to 325F. Bake 18-20 minutes, or till a toothpick inserted in muffin returns with just a few crumbs. If you hit chocolate, reinsert toothpick carefully and don't go all the way down -- remember there's a pocket of melting chocolate down there. Cool muffins in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to finish cooling.

*Coffee essence: In small container, place 1/4 cup coffee brandy or creme de cocoa. Add 4 Tbsp. instant coffee. Seal; shake; refrigerate till needed.

WHITE LACE INN BONNIE'S CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI MUFFINS, ADAPTED

Recipes from B&B's are usually good, and this one from the White Lace Inn, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, makes the grade. These muffins are very moist with a tender crumb and rich flavor. There's just enough cinnamon to provide a backdrop to the main ingredients: zucchini and chocolate. As good as these are, though, they fall short of my favorite chocolate zucchini muffin recipe, from Penzey's Spices.

The original recipe called for a lot of oil, but I subbed low-fat buttermilk for most of it. The buttermilk added moistness, tenderness and flavor. I also used white whole wheat flour instead of all purpose, and stevia for the white sugar.

You can fix a chocolate craving with these delicious muffins without doing major damage to your diet, so long as you only eat one. And, remember, you'll be eating your veggies at the same time!

Bonnie's Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Adapted 1/3 Recipe

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

DRY INGREDIENTS: 1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup white sugar (I used 1-3/4 tsp. stevia)

1 cup white whole wheat flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/3 tsp. baking powder

1/3 tsp. sea salt

1/3 tsp. cinnamon

1 oz. grated Hershey Bar (I used Nestle's Chocolatier bittersweet chocolate bar, 60% cacao)

1/3 cup chocolate chips (I used Hershey milk chocolate chips)

3/4 cup finely grated zucchini, pressed dry between two paper towels

optional: 3 Tbsp. toasted broken walnuts

WET INGREDIENTS: 1 large egg

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

3 Tbsp. low-fat buttermilk

TOPPING: 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. cocoa, 1 tsp. sugar + 1/4 cup chocolate chips

Heat oven to 400F. Spray a 6-cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.

Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk wet ingredients in a small bowl, then add all at once to dry ingredients. Divide batter evenly among the 6 muffin cups. Combine topping ingredients in small bowl and sprinkle over tops of muffins, pressing chips in slightly. Bake 14-17 minutes, or till muffins test done when a toothpick is inserted in centers. (Mine took 15 minutes.) Yield: 6 standard size muffins