February 23, 2011

Chicken Parmesan

I love Italian food.  Basic simple ingredients combine to create dishes that taste way more complex than you'd think.  Perhaps it is the culinary example of the sum being greater than the parts.  Olive oil and garlic are the basis for any recipe.  Throw in some tomatoes, cheese, pasta and if you are feeling adventurous a little meat, and you can create endless meals.  

One of my favorites is chicken parmesan, or chicken parmigiana as said in Italian.  I don't often cook meat, but when my meat-and-potatoes only boyfriend wanted to spend an evening in the kitchen with me, I knew the menu had to include some ingredients beyond my usual vegetarian supply.


While it is agreed that the dish is from Southern Italy and originated as breaded eggplant layered in sauce and cheese, there is controversy as to where the name comes from.  One theory is that it is a tribute to the cheese, parmigiana reggiano, which is included in the recipe.  Another states that it comes from the Sicilian word parmiciana, which refers to overlapping slats of wood, as mimicked by the layering in the dish.  The recipe has evolved over the years, and variations using breaded veal, chicken and even pork have become popular in countries around the world.  Its certainly popular in my kitchen!

 

We started with bread crumbs, extra virgin olive oil and spaghetti imported from Italy.
Thank you Trader Joe's.

I prefer to make my own sauce.  Olive oil , garlic, tomatoes and basil.  That's it, that's all.  I prefer to use fresh tomatoes, but in a pinch canned will do as well.  

I like to toss the pasta with the sauce in the pan, and let it cook for a few minutes more.  Imagine my excitement when I saw a contestant on Top Chef (one of my favorite shows ever!) get criticized for failing to do just this!  Does that mean I'm ready to pack my knives and go?!?  

First we pounded the chicken to thin it out.  What a fun way to get your frustrations out!  I sandwiched the chicken breasts in saran wrap to confine the mess and make clean up a snap.  Next, we coated it flour, then in egg, and finally in seasoned bread crumbs.

It doesn't take long to pan fry the chicken in a little olive oil. 

We layered the chicken on top of the pasta, then sprinkled with mozzarella cheese.  


The finished product!  Don't worry, I didn't go without any green on my plate...I made broccoli on the side.  

Since our first attempt was so successful, we made it again on Valentine's day.  I got a little carried away for the holiday (see my previous blog entry for evidence), and purchased some heart shaped pasta.

More pounded, seasoned, pan fried chicken.

I tossed some fresh spinach in with the pasta to give it some extra texture, color, flavor and of course nutrients.  

Buon appetito!


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February 14, 2011

Valentine's Day Explosion

It looks like Valentine's Day exploded in my apartment.  I am drowning in pink and red, hearts and lots and lots of sprinkles.


The funny thing is that I'm the girl who isn't really into all that.  I don't wear pink and I don't dot my i's with little hearts.  But something changed this year.  Would you like to hear that the romantic side of me came out and wanted to express itself through baking?  Ok.  Sort of.  (Sorry hon).  A big part of my inspiration came from my fellow food bloggers.  The internet (well, the food blog internet that my browser is always on) is full of Valentine's day desserts, chocolate in every shape and form, and enough pink to dress a bubblegum army.  What can I say? It looks like so much fun, so I jumped on board.

The first thing I wanted to try was dipping things in chocolate.  Simple and easy to do, right?  Wrong.  Who knew that getting chocolate to melt to the perfect dipping consistency would be so difficult?  Apparently, as I discovered yesterday, you can't just melt the chocolate by itself and expect to be able to work with it.  Thanks to some mid-cooking research, I learned that you need to add some oil.  After a rough start, I was back in the game, dipping everything I could get my hands on and then showering them with an array of Valentine's themed sprinkles.

 I dipped Oreo's

And pretzel rods

 And mini-pretzels

I could have kept going, but I had lots more to tackle.  Such as arranging them on pretty plates and taking lots of pictures for you all to see.  




I thought they'd look cute arranged in a vase.



I even got a teddy bear.  Someone has to guard all the chocolate until my boyfriend gets here.

Next on the list was chocolate heart cookies.  I can hear the collective "awwwww".  


If you put the sprinkles on the raw cookie dough they bake right in.

Half of them got heart cut-outs


I spread pink icing, and combined to create heart sandwiches. 

I don't think it gets much more Valentiney than this!

These cookies are a whole other story.  The short version is that I bought a cookie sheet molded with Valentine themed shapes and baked sugar cookies on it.  These are the best of the lot, and my sad attempt at decorating.  Please don't ask about the rest.

I think all together, it makes a pretty good spread!

Happy Valentine's Day! 
I heart you.  You being my family, my friends, my blog followers, and of course my wonderful, incredible boyfriend.  You are my real inspiration, maybe not for baking, but definitely for life.  
XOXOXOXO



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February 13, 2011

Brunch at Balboa

Ah, the joys and pleasures of Sunday brunch.  What is it about Sunday that just begs for a long, lazy brunch with friends?  Its the only meal that doesn't have to play by the rules.  Where the lines between breakfast and lunch are blurred.  Where eggs and burgers can co-exist on the same menu.  Balboa Cafe in San Francisco's Cow Hollow district is a popular choice.  The restaurant was established in 1913, and the decor remains relatively untouched. A classic wooden bar lines one side of the restaurant, and is the perfect spot to start with a pre-meal drink.  

Brunch = Mimosas

I'm not a fan of tomato juice, but this Bloody Mary had me reconsidering.



Remember when crayons on restaurant tables were the latest craze?  The first time I saw them was on a family trip to Washington D.C., circa 1987.  I thought they were the coolest thing. You can be out for dinner and draw on the table!  Play tic-tac-toe while you wait for your food.  I remember my parents getting into the fun too, my father drawing silly faces with bushy eyebrows, and my mother showing off her cursive writing skills. 


It was Superbowl Sunday, so this was my featured art.  Having grown up in Canada where football doesn't even stand a chance next to hockey, I have adopted my boyfriend's team. Go Packers! 

We ordered the fried calamari because we saw it delivered to the next table.  Food envy is a very powerful thing.  I have no qualms about checking out any food that travels within my sight.  In fact, I am not above walking through the restaurant to spy on other tables and see what potential gastronomic delights lie in my future.   So while we were tempted to simply help ourselves to a taste from our neighbor, we decided to order our own plate.  

This is my favorite dish at Balboa, Heuvos Rancheros.  Flour tortillas, topped with black beans, melted cheese, eggs, pico de gallo, and avocado.  

My friend's brunch choice.  Much like the Bloody Mary, this had me tempted to eat a burger (which I never do).  But I sure stole some of her fries! 

Hope your Sunday was a good one too!

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February 07, 2011

Another Meatless Monday


You'd think I was announcing the end of democracy from the reactions I got.  Seriously.  The passion, disagreement, and anger that was thrown my way was disproportionate to the news.  "Who do you think you are?  We have rights!!  How dare you!!".   I think it was a tad dramatic but you can be the judge.  Here is what caused it....

"We are now featuring vegetarian entrees and soups every Monday".  Yeah, so?

In the fallout of the Meatless Monday revolt, I met with our Director of Wellness.  We discussed strategies for health and wellness promotion and pondered why there is such resistance.  What has happened in our society that people claim their rights are being violated if we take away their hamburgers?  Why are we made out to be villains if we replace cookies with fresh fruit at meetings?  And why is having to walk an extra hundred steps from the parking lot a reason to launch a formal complaint?  Let me put it in perspective for you, and pass along an experience that this director shared with me.  At a conference she attended recently, she had the opportunity to talk to women from around the world, and they shared their goals for their respective communities.  Are you ready to hear them?  

Access to Polio vaccine. 
Literacy. 
Adequate food intake.
Fresh water. 

It was enough to make me cry.  Here we are, surrounded by abundance and yet still complaining.  Around the world they simply want fresh water and enough calories to allow their children to grow.  In contrast, we want the right to eat whatever we want, whenever we want, regardless of the consequences.  We are demanding to be given meat at every meal when some people are lucky to eat it once a month.  We have an obesity epidemic in this country, while so many more are starving. 

So do I feel bad about jumping on board with the Meatless Monday campaign?  Absolutely not.  I want to to help do our part, and if I can influence just one customer, if it causes just one person to re-consider their choices, then it was all worth it.  If you took away my chocolate, then perhaps I'd have some angry words for you.  But until then, Meatless Monday shall go on! 

Here is one of my favorite, easy to make vegetarian pasta dishes. Pasta Primavera, which means spring in Italian, is typically made with the freshly harvested, new vegetables of the season.  But I like to throw them all in there.  With a plate full of vegetables, I certainly don't miss the meat.

Broccoli, onions, mushrooms and grape tomatoes

Toss with whole wheat spaghetti 

Top with bocconcini (which is Italian for small mouthfuls.  It is an unripened mild cheese, also referred to as fresh mozzarella), parmesan cheese and freshly ground black pepper.  




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