Chicken Parmesan

I think chicken parmesan is very hard to mess up. I mean, it's pretty great no matter where you get it or who made it. However, that said, there are some places that are much, much better than others. Mr. Z and I both especially love homemade chicken parmesan. Mr. Z loves when I make it, and I love when Mr. Z makes it from time to time.

We don't really use a recipe per se. It is so simple to make, that we just kind of made up the recipe as we went along the first time we made it, using many different recipes as inspiration. I wasn't sure if I should post a recipe for this dish because of the fact that it is so easy and simple. But I figured, what the heck? I may help someone make a delicious meal if they don't already have a good recipe!

Chicken Parmesan
Original Recipe

Ingredients:
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 c. Italian style breadcrumbs
1/4 c. parmesan cheese
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied then cut in half
1/2 c. flour
1 egg, beaten
mozzarella cheese for topping
1 lb. spaghetti
16 oz. spaghetti sauce

Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Mix breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese together in a shallow bowl. Dip chicken in flour, covering completely. Dip into beaten egg, then in breadcrumb mixture.

Put chicken into the oil, and cook for about 6 minutes on each side, or until chicken is cooked and the outside starts to brown. Take chicken out of the oil, and set aside for several minutes to let the oil drip off. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put chicken on cookie sheet and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake for about 8 minutes or until cheese starts to bubble.

Cook spaghetti according to directions on box. Mix in sauce. Serve chicken over spaghetti.

Chicken Piccata

I never actually tried chicken piccata until about two and a half years ago. Mr. Z and I went to a meeting with a potential caterer to do a taste test, and they prepared samples of their most popular foods. We ended up using them to cater our wedding. To me, the decision was made after I tasted the chicken piccata. I wondered why I waited 20-something years to try this amazing dish. Honestly, I don't think anyone's rendition could ever measure up to the one at our wedding, but this one comes pretty darn close.

I have been making this since right after our wedding on a pretty regular basis, but I just checked back and realized I never blogged about it. We like to serve this with pasta to make a full meal. I could definitely eat this a couple times a month with no complaints.

Chicken Piccata
from SimplyRecipes.com, written as I made it

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied then cut in half
salt and pepper
1/4 c. flour + 2 tbsp. flour, separated
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. butter, separated
1/2 c. chicken broth
splash of white wine
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. capers, drained and rinsed

Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Dredge in 1/4 c. flour. Heat olive oil and 1 tbsp. butter over medium high heat. Add chicken breasts to the pan and cook about 6 minutes on each side, or until browned. Set chicken breasts aside.

Add 2 tbsp. flour, 1 tbsp. butter, chicken broth, wine, lemon juice, and capers, and deglaze the pan. Cook until sauce starts to bubble. Add chicken breasts back to the pan and cook for about 2 minutes on each side. Serve immediately over pasta.

Lobster Macaroni and Cheese

It's not often that Mr. Z and I eat lobster. I love it, but Mr. Z could live without it. And I'm certainly not too fond of spending a lot of money on a little bit of food that he doesn't love. This macaroni and cheese might have changed his mind, though. He didn't just like this...he pretty much loved it. And so did I! This recipe is made pretty similar to the buffalo macaroni and cheese I made last week. It was pretty involved, and best made when you have a little extra time to cook and do dishes. But again, it was well worth the time and mess.

I don't usually use Ina Garten's recipes because of the insane amount of fat and calories they contain, but this one looked too good to pass up. Plus, I changed it a little to lighten it up a bit.

I think I'll make this again next time I decide to buy lobster!

Lobster Macaroni and Cheese
from FoodNetwork.com, written as I made it

Ingredients:
1 lb. cavatappi
4 c. milk (I used skim)
4 tbsp. butter
1/2 c. flour
8 oz. shredded Colby Jack cheese
4 oz. shredded cheese (I used fat free)
pepper, to taste
1 lb. cooked lobster meat, cut into pieces
1 c. breadcrumbs

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Generously spray a 9x13 Pyrex pan with cooking spray. Cook pasta in salted water, until al dente. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, heat milk in a small pot until hot, not boiling. In a large pot, melt 2 tbsp. of butter over low heat, then add flour. Whisk for about 2 minutes, or until smooth. Add milk and continue whisking for about 2 more minutes. Add Colby Jack, cheddar, and pepper; stir until well mixed. Add macaroni and lobster; mix well. Pour the mixture into the Pyrex dish.

In a small bowl, melt the remaining 2 tbsp. of butter; stir in panko. Sprinkle mixture over macaroni. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until top starts to brown and bubble.

Toasted Orzo with Peas and Parmesan

When it comes to side dishes to go with my meals, I am terrible. It's always the same thing. Potatoes or rice and some sort of green vegetables (usually green beans or broccoli). Bor-ing. So, when my grocery store had pasta buy-one-get-one-free last week, I stocked up on regular spaghetti and pasta, but also things I don't normally buy like pastina and orzo, in hopes of making some different side dishes.

I've always wanted to try orzo, but never have. So, I did what I always do when I'm searching for a random recipe...searched through my Google Reader. When I searched for orzo recipes and saw this one, I knew it'd be a winner because, well, everything on Joelen's blog is a winner! This recipe was really good, and I'll definitely make it again, along with some variations of it, because as of now, I'm a big fan of orzo!

Toasted Orzo with Peas and Parmesan
from Joelen's Culinary Adventures, written as I made it

Ingredients:
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 c. chopped onions (I used frozen)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1 lb. orzo
4 c. chicken broth
10 oz. frozen peas
1 c. grated parmesan cheese
pepper, to taste

Melt the butter in a pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and salt and cook until onions get soft and start to brown. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Pour orzo in the pan; stir to coat well with butter. Toast for about 5 minutes, or until orzo starts to turn golden brown.

Add chicken broth to pan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes, or until liquid has been absorbed and orzo is tender. Stir in peas, parmesan cheese, and pepper and heat until peas are hot.

Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese

Here I go again with the buffalo chicken kick. I have actually decided that I love buffalo chicken anything so much, it deserves its own category!

I have been seeing quite a few versions of this recipe floating around the internet and I have always thought it looked amazing. But most of the recipes looked pretty involved. And I was right about that- it took about an hour and a half from start to finish and dirtied a bowl, a Pyrex dish, a pot, and 2 pans, not even counting the plates and silverware we ate with (...and the bowls we had dessert in). While this recipe was excellent, it's something I will probably only make again when I have a lot of time to prepare it. Last night, we didn't end up eating dinner until 9pm by the time it was done!

Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese

from Noble Pig, written as I made it

Ingredients:
5 tbsp. butter
1 lb. elbow macaroni
1 lb. chicken breast, cooked and shredded
1 tbsp. minced garlic
3/4 c. Frank's Buffalo Wing sauce
2 tbsp. flour
2 tsp. dry mustard
2 1/2 c. half and half (I used fat free)
8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
6 oz. shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
2/3 c. sour cream (I used fat free)
1 c. panko
1/2 c. bleu cheese crumbles
cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously spray a 9x13 Pyrex pan with cooking spray. Cook pasta in salted water, until al dente. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, melt 1 tbsp. of butter over medium heat. Add chicken and garlic, cook for about 3 minutes, or until brown. Add 1/2 c. wing sauce, stir, and cook until it starts to thicken.

In another pan, melt 2 tbsp. of butter over medium heat. Add flour and mustard and stir until smooth. Whisk in the half and half and remaining 1/4 c. of wing sauce. Cook until it starts to thicken. Mix in cheddar cheese, Monterrey Jack cheese, and sour cream and cook until smooth. Pour chicken mixture and cheese mixture over the pasta and stir until well mixed. Pour the macaroni into the Pyrex dish.

In a small bowl, melt the remaining 2 tbsp. of butter. Stir in panko and bleu cheese crumbles. Sprinkle mixture over macaroni. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until top starts to brown and bubble.

Easy Chicken Alfredo

Chicken Alfredo is yet another one of those things that I love, but rarely order when we eat out because of the calorie content. I decided a couple months ago to try to make it on my own. When I was making it, I thought it seemed like too much cream cheese compared to other ingredients, but the recipe had such good reviews, I thought it'd turn out ok. When I tasted it, though, it tasted like biting into a block of cream cheese. Don't get me wrong, I like cream cheese and all, but I prefer it on bagels, not pasta. It was pretty awful.

Since then, I have shied away from making any more alfredo sauces...until today. Mr. Z and I were both home at lunch time today, so I searched for something quick and easy to make. I happened to stumble upon a new recipe for alfredo sauce and figured I'd give it another try. I am glad that first incident didn't stop me from trying again, because this one was worlds better than the first. Actually, Mr. Z and I both thought it was pretty great, especially since I made the saue in less time than it took to boil the pasta.

Easy Chicken Alfredo
sauce recipe from Cooks.com, written as I made it

Ingredients:
1 lb. pasta (I used cellentani)
8 oz. cooked chicken, cut into strips
4 oz. cream cheese (I used light)
1/2 stick of butter
1/3 c. grated parmesan cheese
1/2 c. milk (I used skim)
1 tbsp. minced garlic

Cook pasta in salted water until al dente. In a small pot over medium heat, add cream cheese and butter, stirring until melted completely. Add parmesan cheese, milk, and garlic, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour over cooked noodles; stir to mix well. Add chicken to top of pasta.

Toasted Ravioli

I know, I know. It's been a little while. But we really have had so many things going on these past couple weeks that have prevented me from blogging, and even cooking. I think today was the first time in a week I've actually done anything that resembles cooking. Even so, I wasn't sure whether or not to post this 'recipe', because it is so easy I'm not sure it qualifies as a recipe. The other day I heard someone mention fried ravioli, and thought about these. These aren't fried, but they sure taste like it, minus all the extra calories. I've made these several times before, but this is the first time since I've started this blog.

Toasted Ravioli
Original Recipe

Ingredients:
20 frozen cheese raviolis (I used them straight out of the freezer)
1 egg
1 c. Italian style breadcrumbs
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat egg in a shallow bowl. Pour breadcrumbs in another shallow bowl. Dip raviolis in egg, a couple raviolis at a time. Let egg drip off a little and place in breadcrumbs. Cover well with breadcrumbs. Place on cookie sheet; spray top of raviolis with cooking spray. Bake for 20 minutes, turning halfway through. Serve with marinara sauce.

Lemon Pasta

It's a rare occasion that Mr. Z and I get to eat lunch together. On the slim chance that we do, it's usually something quick and easy like a sandwich. Today, Mr. Z had a pretty long morning, and I happened to be home at lunchtime, so I decided to make something a little more substantial than our normal sandwiches. I found this recipe a few days ago, and it sounded like a perfect dish for this time of year. Plus, I had all the ingredients on hand, which does not happen too often. It's not as heavy of a dish as most pastas are; it's more light and clean tasting. I loved it, but Mr. Z thought it was a little too lemony for his taste. Imagine that!

Lemon Pasta

from Telly's Tasty Tidbits, written as I made it

Ingredients:
1 lb. spaghetti (I used fettucine)
2/3 c. olive oil
2/3 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/2 c. fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper, to taste
parsley, for garnish

Cook pasta in salted water until al dente. Meanwhile, mix olive oil, parmesan cheese, lemon juice, and salt and pepper until well blended. Drain pasta, reserving 1 c. of the pasta water. Pour lemon juice mixture over pasta, then toss well. Add a little pasta water at a time until desired consistency (I only used about 1/2 c.). Garnish with pasta.

Pizza Pasta

Sometimes, when it's time to make dinner, I'm just not inspired. I don't feel like eating anything and I certainly don't feel like making anything. When those kind of days happen, I scroll through my Google Reader (where sometimes I bookmark recipes specifically for days like this!) and find the least time-consuming, easiest, but most delicious recipe I can find. And today, this is what I came up with. I was pleasantly surprised with how easily this meal came together, and I think Mr. Z and I were both pleasantly surprised at how good it was. It was a different combination for both of us, but it was definitely a winner.

Pizza Pasta
from How Sweet It Is, written as I made it

Ingredients:
1-16 oz.box of cellentani
1 c. of your favorite pasta sauce
4 oz. Italian blend shredded cheese
2 oz. pepperoni (I used mini pepperoni)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook pasta until al dente. Mix sauce and cooked pasta; pour into 13x9 Pyrex dish. Top with cheese and pepperoni. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until cheese gets bubbly.

Creamy Ranch Turkey Pasta

My husband (I'll call him Mr. Z) and I have recently made a commitment to start eating healthier and exercising in order to get in better shape and just live an overall healthier life. I've gradually started subbing ground turkey and chicken breast for ground beef, using whole wheat instead of white, and using fat-free/low-fat/reduced fat over full-fat.

In trying to figure out what I could make with a package of ground turkey breast, I began browsing recipes in my Google Reader. I came across a recipe for Creamy Ranch Chicken Pasta that looked good, and decided that I could easily replace chicken with turkey. And boy, am I glad I did decide on this recipe...it was delicious!

Creamy Ranch Turkey Pasta

from Cooking This and That ,written as I made it

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c. precooked bacon pieces
1 lb. ground turkey breast
3 tbsp. flour
1 oz. pkg. dry Hidden ValleyRanch Dressing Mix
2 c. milk (I used skim)
1 c. frozen peas
12 oz. pkg. egg noodles (I used whole wheat)
parmesan cheese, for serving

Heat olive oil on medium-high heat and cook turkey until it starts to brown. Add milk, ranch dressing mix, flour, bacon, and peas; stir well. Let mixture cook until it starts bubbling, stirring occasionally.

Cook egg noodles according to package. Add noodles to sauce mixture and toss to coat all noodles. Garnish with parmesan cheese.