Chicken Parmesan

Servings 4

v  1 cup flour

v  1 egg

v  1 cup breadcrumbs

v  1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves

v  1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

v  1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

v  Salt and freshly ground black pepper

v  4 (3-ounces each) chicken breasts, pounded out to ½ inch thick

v  3/4 cups Simple Tomato Sauce, recipe follows or purchased marinara sauce

v  4 or more slices of fresh mozzarella

v  8 teaspoons grated Parmesan

v  1 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

v  1 tablespoon olive oil

D

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Put the flour on a plate and season with salt and pepper. Beat the egg in a shallow bowl. Mix breadcrumbs and herbs on a plate. Coat the chicken with flour and dip in the egg then roll in breadcrumbs. Melt one tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook just until brown, about 2 minutes per side then place the chicken in an oven-proof baking dish. Remove the skillet from the heat.

Spoon the marinara sauce over and around the cutlets. Lay a slice of mozzarella over each cutlet, then sprinkle 2 teaspoons of Parmesan over each. Sprinkle the butter pieces atop the cutlets. Bake until the cheese melts and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.

v  1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

v  1/2 small onion, chopped

v  1 cloves garlic, chopped

v  1/2 stalk celery, chopped

v  1/2 carrot, chopped

v  Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

v  1 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes

v  2 to 4 basil leaves

v  1 dried bay leaves

v  2 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional

In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Sauté until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, and bay leaves and simmer covered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.

Add half the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.

If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to 2 cup portions into freezer plastic bags. This will freeze up to 6 months.

Champagne Risotto

Servings  2

v  4 thin slices prosciutto

v  3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

v  2 tablespoons butter, divided

v  1 shallot, finely chopped

v  3/4 cup Arborio rice or medium-grain white rice

v  3/4 cup Champagne

v  1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

v  1/4 teaspoon salt

v  1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Place the slices of prosciutto on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake until the prosciutto slices are almost completely crisp, about 6 to 8 minutes. The slices will crisp up even more as they cool. Reserve for garnish.

In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer.

In another medium saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the shallot and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the Arborio rice and stir to coat in the butter. Continue toasting the rice, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes more. Add the Champagne and simmer until the liquid has almost evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the simmering broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking the rice, adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of broth to absorb before adding the next, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes total. Remove from the heat. Gently stir in the asparagus, remaining butter, Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Spoon the risotto into serving dishes and garnish by breaking the crisp prosciutto into smaller pieces over the top of the risotto. Serve immediately.

Roasted Asparagus

Servings 4

v  One bunch of asparagus

v  3 tablespoons oil

v  Salt & Pepper

v  Toasted pine nuts (optional)

D

Preheat oven to 400. Wash and trim asparagus spears by bending and allowing each spear to snap (this will remove the tough stem). Dry the spears. Put 3 tablespoons of oil in the bottom of an oven cooking sheet. Coat the asparagus in the oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for approximately 10 minutes, turning half-way through. Move to a serving platter and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts if desired.