F-Easy! Parmesan Crusted Chicken

The F-Easy (fah-ee-see) Parmesan Crusted Chicken is so easy and delicious that you will be making it over and over again and beg for leftovers! Yes, I did get this recipe from a television commercial for Hellmann's Mayo but I modified it for my kitchen. Hopefully you do as well! Enjoy!

Ingredients: 

1/3-1/2 cup mayo

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (or I used chicken tenderloins... don't be stupid and don't use these, there's an introduction to the chicken's anatomy that you receive by cleaning this part, that you don't want to receive).

4 tsp. italian seasoning bread crumbs OR

(4 saltines crushed mixed with italian seasoning, salt and pepper to taste)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Combine mayo with cheese in medium bowl. Arrange chicken on baking sheet. Create bread crumb mixture if necessary.

3. Evenly top with mayonnaise mixture, then sprinkle with bread crumbs.

4. Bake 20 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.

5. Serve with a small side salad and some ol' Uncle Ben's wild rice to really complete the dish! I suggest getting creative with the bread crumbs if you need a change up. It's F-Easy! Enjoy! :)

Balsamic Pork Chops with Lemon Chive Potatoes

On this day, I tried something very new. I have never in my entirety cooked pork chops. I always have feared the possibility of going blind like Beethoven, since I am a striving musician. But, due to requests from my significant other, I attempted the endeavor. I must admit, it did not go completely as planned, but it was absolutely outstanding when completed. Please enjoy!

Ingredients:
-3 tbsp all purpose flour
-1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
-1/2 tsp salt
-6 boneless pork chops
-2 tbsp butter or margarine
-2 tbsp olive oil
-2 garlic cloves, pressed
-1 (14 1/2 oz) can chicken broth
-1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
Garnish: fresh rosemary sprigs

1. Combine flour, rosemary, salt and pepper.

2.  Dredge pork chops in flour mixture.

 *Dredge: verb (used with object), dredged, dredg·ing. Cookery .to sprinkle or coat with some powdered substance, especially flour.

3. Melt butter with oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add garlic, and saute 1 minute.
(FYI: This one gets bubbly and ouchy, so bEware.)

4. Add pork chops, and cook 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Then remove pork chops and set aside.

5. Add broth and vinegar, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of skillet. Cook 6 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. (This honestly seems like a terrrible idea at first and while its cooking the liquid off it heats up the whole house and smokes a bit....sooo you might need to open some windows and put the kitties in the bedroom.)

6. Add pork chops, and cook 5 minutes or until done. (This is where all the breading you originally put on the pork chops will simmer off...unless you did it right...and I don't know how you do that.)

7. Serve with Lemon Chive Potatoes and garnish with a sprig of rosemary. (Notice: did not include potato recipe...in short, boil potatoes and then melt a stick of butter, add lemon juice and chives. :D)

Enjoy!

Ummmmmm AWESOME

So Abby, I figured that after you uploaded three meals back to back to back that it was about time for me to return fire with something impressive... something to show off a bit of skill... something to wow the judges who believe in technique and a degree of challenge.... Something to another degree of awesomeness which has only been obtained by those who have reached a higher level. Today's meal was not a beautiful meal displaying a delicious color palette and a symmetrical stack of various well crafted and diverse ingredients, rather a perfectly executed heaping clump of awesome in a bowl. Prepare not to feast your eyes on something that looks amazing, instead prepare your pots and pans to cook something that you will never want to stop eating. This my friends is a Meal to Memorize, a Bite to Befriend, a Risotto to Remember. Not only was the wine good, the entertainment great, and the company awesome, but the food (despite the prolonged journey to acquire the ingredients) was delectable. Don't Fear the Risotto...

Ingredients are as follows my friend:

• Some type of Risotto (Risotto is an Italian rice and G-Eagle didn't exactly have it so we got something close with a long name which I can't remember)
• One large diced onion (I swear I didn't cry... a lot)
• Mozzarella Cheese (The real stuff people, come on)
• Chicken Stock (something like 5.25 cups)
• Like 9 Tablespoons of butter (or 1 stick + 1/8 of another)
• Chicken cut into smaller pieces ( Funny joke in Parentheses)
• 1/3 cup of white wine (we used a Barefoot Pinot Grigio while drinking a Yellow Tail Reisling)
• and last but not least... are you ready for this one.... 1 teaspoon of SAFFRON... "SAFFRON? WHATS THAT???" well saffron is the most expensive spice you can buy. Seriously... like three servings of it at G-Eagle (half a teaspoon each) was 18 dollars!!!!!!! ridiculous I know! However, Alise managed to sweet talk a young lad that worked at the G-Eagle to give it to us for FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! "Thanks for shopping at the Market District. You spent $10.53 and your total savings were $18.57!" F yeah! TRUE STORY!

So now on to the HOW:

Basically, Risotto is a pretty simple meal to make, but it requires constant babysitting and stirring... No diapers though. We started by cooking the onions and the chicken in half of the butter until the chicken was cooked through. While this happened we were also heating up the chicken stock to be ready for future events.

After the chicken was all dressed and ready for the ball, we mixed it up a bit by adding the Risotto (or whatever similar looking substitute you choose to try). This needs to be stirred constantly until the Risotto begins to turn TRANSLUCENT.

Once this happens, add your 1/3 cup of wine (that's right fight the temptation to shotgun that cup of wine and instead pour it into the food :/ ). Its important to stir this until the wine reduces.

Next its time to add the little bit of Saffron by mixing it in with a little bit of chicken stock and then adding it to the Risotto. Ladle your chicken stock slowly into the Risotto one ladle full at a time, allowing the Risotto to absorb the stock before adding more... and I am not sure if you remember this but you have to STIR THE RISOTTO CONSTANTLY...

Once the stock is gone and the Risotto is nice and creamy lets make it health conscious by adding the rest of the butter and the cheeeeeeese!... oh and some salt and pepper to season.

Special Thanks to Alise Kuwahara Providing Highly Trained Hand Modelling Skills

Finally, eat the crap out of it cause its the epitome of comfort food... and you will need some comfort after you realize your arm has fallen off from all of the stirring.

I almost feel bad about dropping this bomb of awesomeness on you Abigail, but then my stomach grumbles in sincere thanks for the delicious meal that I just bestowed upon it. What up Dallas?

OMG IS THAT FROM A RESTAURANT?

Goat Cheese Barbecue Pizza

This is a conglomeration of extra foods that I had in my fridge that I needed to use before the Labor Day weekend...and it was a SUCCESS!

Ingredients:
1 Pizza Crust
2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
4-6 Basil Leaves, finely chopped
3-4 Tomatoes
1-2 slices Red Onion, quartered
1 Chicken Breast, cooked and cut into chunks
Desired Barbecue sauce
Goat cheese, 1/4" slices


1. Start my preheating the oven to 450 degrees. Take the pizza crust out of the package and place on pizza pan. Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil on the crust and spread it with the back of a spoon until it lightly coats the crust.

2. Next thinly slice the tomatoes and place on the pizza crust until fully covered. Sprinkle the finely chopped basil on the tomatoes and let sit while preparing the rest of the ingredients. After slicing the ingredients, add chicken and red onion to the pizza. Then drizzle barbecue sauce till lightly covers pizza.

3. Lastly, add sliced goat cheese onto pizza spaced evenly on the top. Place pizza in oven for 10-12 minutes.

4. Take out of the oven, let sit for a few minutes, cut, serve and enjoy!!

"I'm Pink and Black and Blue for You" : PINK and BLUE

Strawberry Balsamic Chicken with Blue Cheese Spinach Salad

Yes, I will go ahead and answer your question, it IS as good as it looks. ;)

Strawberry Chicken

Ingredients:

2 (6-8 ounce) containers strawberry yogurt
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 tablespoon white sugar
1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt...I'm pretty sure regular salt is ok ;)
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 large strawberries
1 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh mint leaves
1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (optional)

(I reduced the original recipe for two! )

1.  In a medium bowl, stir together the yogurt, 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar, sugar, pepper, cinnamon and salt. Place chicken breast halves in a shallow baking dish, and pour the sauce over them. Refrigerate for 1 hour, turning chicken over half way through.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Scrape the marinade off of the chicken breasts, and place them into the hot oil. Quickly brown the chicken on both sides, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and let rest for 3 minutes.

3. While the chicken is cooking, transfer the marinade to a saucepan. Bring to a low simmer over medium heat. Remove stems from strawberries, and slice thinly so they will fan nicely. Set aside.

4. Slice chicken breasts on the diagonal into 1/2 inch thick slices. Place on serving plates, and sprinkle with lemon juice. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the marinade over each chicken breast, and fan one sliced strawberry over the top. Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh mint and parsley. If you really love balsamic vinegar, finish the dish off with an artful drizzle.

Blue Cheese Spinach Salad

Ingredients:     (based on desired amounts)

Spinach

Pecans

Blue Cheese

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and toss till spinach leaves are covered in dressing. Taste...then enjoy!

This was my first theme dinner! Hopefully there will be more to follow! 

:)

"I'm Pink and Black and Blue for You" : BLACK

Texas Blackberry and Strawberry Empanadas

This is the dessert of the series, "I'm Pink and Black and Blue for You." My inspiration began with strawberries which soon grew into a dedication to the song "Bruises" by Chairlift, which as you may know is all about strawberries...and bruises. Anyways, I thought it was a cute idea. Enjoy! :)

Ingredients:

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup crisco (yea, even healthy Abby uses crisco)
• 1 cup chicken stock OR water (I used water)
• 1 cup blackberries
• 1 cup wild strawberries, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup goat cheese
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs,
• 2 tablespoons water
• Peanut oil, for frying OR just regular vegetable oil

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder and mix well. Add shortening and break it up by hand until it resembles cornmeal. Add chicken stock or water and knead until all is incorporated. Let it rest, covered, for at least 30 minutes in cooler.


Meanwhile, make the filling. Combine blackberries, strawberries, goat cheese and sugar and mix well.


When the dough has chilled, roll it out to 1/4-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface with a rolling pin (if you don't have a rolling pin you can also just pat it out with your hands). Cut circles out of the dough with a 4-inch round cutter. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of filling into the center of each dough circle. Beat the eggs and water together in a small bowl. Brush the egg wash all around the edges of the dough. Fold the dough over the filling to make the circles into half moons. Crimp the edges with the tines of a fork to seal the dough closed. Should make about 4-8 depending on chosen size.

Heat a pan, filled half way up (or even a quarter is fine, that's what I did) with peanut oil or vegetable oil, to 350 degrees F. Fry the empanadas until golden brown, about 6 to 8 minutes, turning them over occasionally with tongs.

I suggest serving immediately after cooking. If not the next best thing is to keep them refrigerated and microwave them a bit. Just putting it out there but they are not so good cold, but fresh made...AMAZING.

Breakfast Pork?

Well, I hate to do this to you yet again Abigail, but I just have to raise the bar a bit higher. Today's meal is a delicious maple syrup glazed pork accompanied by maple-bacon brussel sprouts. Every little kid's dream! Its a pretty easy meal and the maple syrup sauce is amazing :)

Ingredients:

Pork chops

Maple syrup

Dijon mustard

Minced garlic

Salt and Pepper

Ginger

Brussel sprouts

Bacon

Olive oil

Directions:

Pork

1. Season both sides of the pork with salt and pepper

2. In a pan, heat up olive oil at medium-high temperature

3. Cook both sides of the pork for a few minutes until lightly browned

4. In another pan begin heating the sauce (1 cup syrup, 3 cloves minced garlic, 3 tablespoons dijon mustard, 2 teaspoons ginger)

5. When pork is lightly browned and sauce is simmering, combine the sauce and pork into one pan and cook covered for 5 minutes

6. Uncover and cook until done :)

Brussel Sprouts

1. I would suggest cooking your bacon bits first and add some maple syrup to add a sweet taste to the bacon.

2. When the bacon is cooked take it out of the pan and replace with the brussel sprouts, using the bacon grease.

3. When the sprouts are almost cooked you can add the bacon back in for flavor.

The maple syrup and dijon mustard sauce is awesome so give it a try :)

This Ones Gonna Hurt Abby

So it is time yet again for another delicious Pittsburgh meal, and unfortunately for you Abigail this one is one of my best so far. So sit back, relax, and be jealous that you cant be here tasting my handy work.

Tonight's meal is a delicious red wine vinegar and garlic braised steak with smashed potatoes and garlic bread. The red wine vinegar sauce is quite possibly one of the most delicious sauces I have ever had and it can go with chicken and fish.

Red Wine Vinegar Sauce

Ingredients:

Red wine Vinegar

Minced Garlic

Olive Oil

Dijon Mustard

Parsley

Salt and Pepper

The trick about this meal is mixing the sauce first, putting it in the pan, and then heating the pan. Don't heat it first or you will have a mess :)

When the sauce starts to boil just a little add whatever meat you want.

I chose steak this time! All you have to do is season the steak with salt and place it into the boiling sauce. It should't take too long and it makes a really juicy steak! I also added mushrooms, onions, and green peppers which all absorbed the taste really well!

Garlic Bread

Ingredients

Some type of bread (i used french baguette rolls)

Butter

Minced Garlic

Salt and Pepper

Italian Herbs

To make this awesome garlic bread just mix all of the ingredients and spread them inside the roll. The trick is to close the roll and wrap it in tin foil. This means that you can cook the bread for fifteen minutes directly in the oven without a pan. After that time open them up and put them back in to cook the inside face of each one a little more and make them crispy. I would suggest adding Parmesan cheese as well!