Chicken Parmesan (Pioneer Woman)

Recipe and Photo from Pioneer Woman's Website

Ingredients

• 4 whole (up To 6) Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Trimmed And Pounded Flat
• 1/2 cup All-purpose Flour
•  Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Chopped
• 4 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 3/4 cups Wine (white Or Red Is Fine)
• 3 cans (14.5 Oz.) Crushed Tomatoes
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• 1/4 cube Chopped Fresh Parsley
• 1 cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 pound Thin Linguine

Preparation Instructions

Mix flour, salt, and pepper together on a large plate.
Dredge flattened chicken breasts in flour mixture. Set aside.

At this time, you can start a pot of water for your pasta. Cook linguine until al dente.

Heat olive oil and butter together in a large skillet over medium heat. When butter is melted and oil/butter mixture is hot, fry chicken breasts until nice and golden brown on each side, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
Remove chicken breasts from the skillet and keep warm.

Without cleaning skillet, add onions and garlic and gently stir for 2 minutes. Pour in wine and scrape the bottom of the pan, getting all the flavorful bits off the bottom. Allow wine to cook down until reduced by half, about 2 minutes.
Pour in crushed tomatoes and stir to combine. Add sugar and more salt and pepper to taste. Allow to cook for 30 minutes. Toward the end of cooking time, add chopped parsley and give sauce a final stir.

Carefully lay chicken breasts on top of the sauce and completely cover them in grated Parmesan. Place lid on skillet and reduce heat to low. Allow to simmer until cheese is melted and chicken is thoroughly heated. Add more cheese to taste.

Place cooked noodles on a plate and cover with sauce. Place chicken breast on top and sprinkle with more parsley. Serve immediately.

BBQ Meatballs (Pioneer Woman)

Recipe and Photo from Pioneer Woman's Website

Ingredients

•  FOR MEATBALLS
• 1-1/2 pound Ground Beef
• 3/4 cups Oats
• 1 cup Milk
• 3 Tablespoons Very Finely Minced Onion
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Salt
•  Plenty Of Ground Black Pepper, to taste

•  FOR COOKING MEATBALLS
• 1 cup All-Purpose Flour (coating For Frozen Meatballs)
•  Canola Oil

•  FOR SAUCE
• 1 cup Ketchup
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• 3 Tablespoons Vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire
• 4 Tablespoons (to 6 Tablespoons) Onion
• 1 dash Tabasco

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all meatball ingredients. Roll into medium-small balls and place on a cookie sheet. Place sheet in freezer for five minutes.

After 5 minutes, remove meatballs from freezer and immediately dredge in unseasoned flour.

Brown meatballs in canola oil until just brown. Place into a baking dish.

Combine all sauce ingredients. Pour over meatballs and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve with egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or crusty French bread.

Chinese Chicken

Recipe and Photo from Rachel Ray

• 2 pounds chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
• For the marinade:
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoon sake, xiao shing wine or dry sherry
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon grated garlic
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce (or substitute more soy sauce with a little sugar)
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 1/2 cups jasmine rice
• 3 cups cold water
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• For Daddy Wus Sauce:
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon sake
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger, grated
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 3 scallions, cut on a bias

PREPARATION

In a plastic bag, add chicken and marinade ingredients. Place in the fridge and let chicken marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Remove chicken from fridge and bring to room temperature. Rinse jasmine rice under cold water until water runs clear.

Place jasmine rice in a pot with a tight-fitting lid; add in water. Bring to a boil uncovered. Once rice has started to boil, turn down to the lowest setting, cover and let simmer until cooked through, around 20 minutes. Fluff once rice is done.

While the rice is cooking, heat canola oil to 350F. While oil is heating, beat eggs in a shallow dish. Dredge chicken in the egg mixture, then in flour mixture. Deep-fry chicken in small batches until golden brown in color, around 5 minutes.

In a wok over high heat, add 2 tablespoons canola oil. Add in red onions and saut for 1 minute; add in cherry tomatoes and saute an additional minute. Add in ketchup, brown sugar, sake, sesame oil, oyster sauce, chicken broth, ginger, lemon juice and zest, and cook until thicken, around 10 minutes. Add chicken to thickened sauce and toss to coat. Garnish with scallions and serve with rice.

Goulash (the best EVER)

Ingredients
1 pound lean ground beef
1 large yellow onion, chopped (I substituted celery)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 cups water
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
3 bay leaves
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon House Seasoning, recipe follows
1 tablespoon seasoned salt
2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked (I used ziti)

Directions
In a Dutch oven, saute the ground beef over medium-high heat until no pink remains. Break up the meat while sauteing. Spoon off any grease. Add the onions and garlic to the pot and saute until they are tender, about 5 minutes. Add 3 cups water, along with the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, soy sauce, House Seasoning, and seasoned salt. Stir well. Place a lid on the pot and allow this to cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Add the elbow macaroni, stir well, return the lid to the pot, and simmer for about 30 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove the bay leaves, and allow the mixture to sit about 30 minutes more before serving.

Serve with garlic bread and a salad.

House Seasoning:
1 cup salt
1/4 cup pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder
Mix the ingredients together and store in an air-tight container for up to 6 months. Use as a seasoning on meat and when cooking vegetables.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/bobbys-goulash-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

Maid Rites

Ingredients:
1lb 93/7 lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1/2 beef bullion cube
1/2 cup water
pepper (couple shakes)
1 1/2 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 1/2 Tablespoon steak sauce (I substituted worchestershire sauce)

Directions:

1. Sauté beef and onions until cooked. Drain and return to pan.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer until liquid reduces. Enjoy!

Stromboli

Ingredients:

I pkg of Mozzarella Cheese (Per stromboli you make)

Pizza toppings (Pepperoni, red pepper, sausage, and fresh basil is what I use)

1 c pizza/spaghetti sauce for dipping if desired.  *Do not put it in the stromboli*

Herb Butter

1 stick margarine

1 t garlic powder

1 t chives (I just use italian seasoning instead of the individual herbs)

1/2/t oregano

3 T parm cheese

Pizza Dough

1 Loaf:

1 1/8 t yeast

3/4 c warm water

1 3/4 c flour (add a little more if dough is sticky)

2/3 t salt

Italian seasoning (Optional)

2 Loaves:

2 1/4 t yeast

1 1/8 c warm water

2 3/4 c flour

2 t salt

Italian Seasoning

Preheat oven to *Warm* (Turn it off after it heats up) Add yeast to 1/4 c warm water.  Let sit until starts to bubble.  Mix together dry ingredients and  once yeast mixture is ready add it and the rest of the water to the dry ingredients and mix/knead until dough forms soft round ball.  Add more flour if it is too sticky.  I just through everything into my kitchen aid and mix it until it comes together.  

Brush an oven safe bowl with oil and place dough in bowl.  Roll dough around so all sides are covered with dough.  MAKE SURE THE OVEN IS OFF once it gets warm.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in warm oven. Let sit in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until it doubles in size.  

Whiles dough is rising, Melt butter and mix in seasonings and parm cheese.  

Punch dough down and roll out into a rectangle or oval.  Down the center, spread some of the herb butter on the dough.  Place half the toppings down the center.  Cover with 1/2 bag of cheese. top with remaining pizza toppings and  then top with remaining cheese.  Cut slits in the dough up to where the toppings start and braid as shown below.

Transfer onto a jelly roll pan.  Using a pastry brush, brush the remaining herb butter on the braided dough to cover the whole top of the stromboli.  Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.  

Chicken Parmesan Casserole

Another HOME RUN brought to you by This Blog.

Ingredients

• uncooked chicken breasts (however many you want/need)
• Slightly cooked pasta of your choice, about 1 cup for 8x8, 2 cups for 9x13)
• olive oil (just one dollop)
• minced garlic (a smattering…a little more than a smattering if you really like garlic)
• red pepper flakes (leave these out if you don’t like any heat)
• marinara sauce (probably won’t need more than one jar unless you are a marinara fiend)
• Parmesan cheese
• mozzarella cheese (you will need twice as much mozzarella as Parmesan)
• croutons (we used Italian-seasoned)

The original recipe doesn't call for pasta, but I loved the addition! Boil the pasta for about half the time as directed on the package.  They should be very chewy still and they will finish cooking in the oven.  Othewise it will get mushy if you cook it all the way first.   While the pasta is cooking, drizzle oil, and sprinkle garlic and pepper flakes on bottom of the casserole dish of your choice (adjust the ingredients to the size you choose)., and cube the chicken and place uncooked into dish.  Once the pasta is cooked, add it to the chicken and cover with desired amount of marinara sauce.  I used half a jar for 8x8 and whole jar for 9x13.  Mix together 2 cups Mozzerella cheese and desired amount of parm cheese.  Using half of the cheese mixture, cover the chicken marinara.  Then top the cheese with croutons and then cover those with the remaining cheese.  Bake at 350 for 30 min. Enjoy!!

Lasagna Soup (Yum!)

Another recipe winner!  We tried this tonight because we thought it looked good, and we were right.  It looks good, and tastes even better!  I would definitely recommend you try this soon!
This recipe is from A Farm Girl's Dabbles

Ingredients 

(I used some alternative ingredients so I wouldn't have to run to the store, it was still amazing. I included my notes for your reference)

for the soup:
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1-1/2 lbs. Italian sausage
• 3 c. chopped onions 
• 4 garlic cloves, minced (I used garlic powder)
• 2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (I omitted this)
• 2 T. tomato paste (I actually used a small can of tomato sauce and cooked it down a little)
• 1 28-oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes (I used Hy-Vee's petite diced tomatoes in Garlic and olive oil)
• 2 bay leaves (I omitted this)
• 6 c. chicken stock (I used water and bouillon)
• 8 oz. mafalda or fusilli pasta (I used bow tie)
• 1/2 c. finely chopped fresh basil leaves 
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
for the cheesy yum:
• 8 oz. ricotta
• 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• pinch of freshly ground pepper
additional cheesy yum:
• 2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Preparation

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking up into bite sized pieces, and brown for about 5 minutes. Add onions and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color.

Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. Do not over cook or let soup simmer for a long period of time at this point, as the pasta will get mushy and absorb all the soup broth. You may even want to consider cooking the noodles separately, and then adding some to individual bowls before ladling the soup over them. This would be an especially smart move if you are anticipating any leftovers. Right before serving, stir in the basil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheesy yum. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.

To serve, place a dollop of the cheesy yum in each soup bowl, sprinkle some of the mozzarella on top and ladle the hot soup over the cheese.

EASY and Delicious! Crock Pot Tortellini (Or you can make on the stove)

\Adapted from Little Fellows

Ingredients:
1 (19oz) bag of frozen cheese tortellini (This is good, but rich.  I might just use bow tie pasta next time!)
1 small bag of fresh spinach (Optional)
1 (14.5 oz) can of petite diced tomatoes, drained (I used a variety with onions, you can use what you like best)
1 block (8 oz) of cream cheese or neufchatel (less fat)
1 lb. of ground sausage or chicken/turkey sausage (I omitted this too)
2 cups of chicken broth  (Or I used water and bouillon)

Brown the sausage and put all ingredients in crockpot,
chunking up the cream cheese.
Cook on low for 4-6 hrs. or mix together and cook on the stove until heated through and cream cheese has melted and mixed.  

Calzones (Cake Boss)

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 small sweet Italian sausage links (2 ounces each)
• 1 Spanish onion, thinly sliced
• 1 small green bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, sliced into 1/4-inch strips
• Cornmeal, for dusting a work surface and pizza peel
• Pizza Dough, divided and shaped into six balls
• 8 ounces smoked mozzarella, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into thin slices
• 1 cup (8 ounces) fresh ricotta
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus 2 additional tablespoons for scattering over baked calzones (additional 2 tablespoons optional)

Yields: 6 calzones

Preparation

Preheat a grill pan or sauté pan over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil and heat until shimmering, almost smoking. Cook the sausages, turning with tongs or a wooden spoon, until nicely browned on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes total cooking time. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool. When cool enough to handle, coarsely chop the sausage.

Heat a wide, heavy sauté pan over medium heat. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and hear until it’s shimmering, almost smoking. Add the onion and pepper and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside and let cool in the pan.

Position a rack in the bottom of the oven and position a pizza stone in the center of the rack. Preheat the oven to 475°F.

Dust your work surface and pizza peel with cornmeal.

Working with one ball of dough at a time, pat and stretch, or roll, the dough into an 8-inch circle on your work surface, then lift onto the peel in one swift movement. Working quickly, arrange one-sixth of the sausage, onion, pepper, fresh and smoked mozzarella, Parmesan, and ricotta in the center of the calzone. Gently fold the top of the dough over, stretching as needed to meet the edges of the other half. Pinch the edges to seal with your fingers, or with the tines of a fork. Use a sharp, thin-bladed knife to slash 2 small vents in the top.

Carefully transfer the calzone to the pizza stone. Bake until nicely golden brown cheese is bubbling through the vents, 8 to 10 minutes.

As the calzone bakes, make the next one and add it to the pizza stone. Work as quickly as you can and remove calzones as they are finished by sliding them onto the pizza peel and transferring them to individual serving dishes. Scatter more Parmesan over the top of the baked calzones, if desired, let rest for 5 minutes, then serve hot. If you work quickly and efficiently, the last calzone should be finished just a few minutes after the first one and you will be able to serve them all at once because they retain a lot of heat.

Homemade Pizza Sauce (Cake Boss)

Photo and recipe courtesy of the Rachel Ray website,
 and Buddy Valastro (Cake Boss)

Ingredients

• 1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, mostly drained, left just a little wet
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons (1/2 ounce) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Kosher salt

Preparation

Pass the tomatoes through a food mill set over a large bowl.
 Add the oil, garlic, Parmigiano-Reggiano and sugar to the bowl,
season with salt and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour to
give the flavors a chance to develop. The sauce can be refrigerated
 in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Pizza or Calzone crust (From Buddy Valastro/Cake Boss)

Courtesy of Rachel Ray's website, and Buddy Valastro (Cake Boss)

Ingredients

• 3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
• About 15 ounces unbleached all-purpose flour (about 3 1/4 cups)
• About 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons lukewarm water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

Yields: enough dough for three 8" to 10" pizzas

Preparation

Put the yeast in a small, heatproof bowl. Warm 1/4 cup water in a small
 pot over medium heat and pour it 
over the yeast. Stir with a fork and let proof for 10 minutes.

Put the flour, water, salt and 2 tablespoons olive oil in the bowl of a
 stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the yeast and paddl
e on low speed until the mixture comes together. Switch to the doug
h hook attachment and continue mixing, on medium-low speed, until the
 dough comes together in a ball, another 3-4 minutes. Check the dough:
 If it’s too dry, mix in a bit more water. If too sticky, add more flour.

Lightly flour a clean work surface. Turn the dough onto the surface and
knead until smooth and elastic, 5-7 minutes. Form the dough into a ball.
 Grease a medium mixing bowl with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil,
 set the ball of dough in the bottom of the bowl and rotate to coat with
 the oil top the bowl loosely with plastic wrap or a slightly damp kitchen
towel. Let rest in a cool, dark place until the dough increases by about
 half its size, 30-45 minutes.

Clean and re-flour your work surface and transfer the dough to the
 surface. Press down on it to deflate it. Cut the dough into thirds
 (or desired portions), and form into tight balls to press out the
excess air.

At this point, you may place the balls of dough on a 
floured baking sheet covered with oiled plastic or a damp
towel, and let rise for 1 hour if you plan to use the dough
 on the same day. Alternatively, you may place the dough
 on a lightly floured sheet, cover with a piece of plastic wrap
 moistened on the underside with oil, and refrigerate overnight.
 Allow the dough to rest at room temperature for 10 to 15 
minutes before shaping/baking.