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Chicken Parmesan for Sunday Dinner

admin — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:08:03 +0000

One of the things about growing old is that we tend to look back over the years. One of my fondest memories is the Sunday dinner with family. I don’t have much family around here anymore, the kids have grown and moved on to better places. However, I still have my husband and luckily, my mom. I do like to have a traditional Sunday dinner once in a while so this weekend I will prepare one of my mom’s favorite dishes, chicken parmesan. I must admit, it is also one of my favorite dinners. I sometimes make it the delicious, high calorie way, but often, I make it a reduced calorie, healthy version, which is what I will do this time. I am trying to rid myself of some unwanted winter weight gain so that when springtime finally raises its weary head, I will be one step ahead of the game, and be a little thinner. I don’t want any surprises when I get out last year’s capris and put them on. I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs as they are very tender and moist. I will also use a couple of chicken tenders so as to have some white meat to save some calories. When I don’t have the ingredients I need to make the low calorie version, I will use an ole standby: Shake and Bake Italian Chicken Seasoning mix, and bake it in the oven. Very good, very tender, and when I use my sauce on it, very very good. Put some freshly grated parmesan cheese on top, you have one meal fit for a king, or in my case, a mom!

Boneless Chicken Parmesan

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried thyme, crumbled
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 cup nonfat or low-fat milk
1 egg
nonstick spray

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450*.
Lightly spray a baking pan. I use my broiler pan.
Put bread crumbs in a bowl.
Stir in Parmesan cheese, parsley, paprika, garlic powder, oregano, and thyme.
Put milk in another bowl.Beat in egg.
Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels.
Dip chicken into egg-milk mixture, let extra liquid drain off, roll in crumbs, and shake off excess crumbs.
Put chicken in pan and bake for 30 minutes or until juices run clear.
Spread with tomato sauce, top with parmesan cheese, and bake an additional 10 minutes.
Serve with linguine and sauce and a crusty bread.

Higher Fat Version-Very good

Follow the directions for above but instead of baking in the oven, heat 1 inch oil in a cast iron pan. Brown dredged chicken pieces on both sides. Place on paper towels to drain. Place in a pan, spread tomato sauce on top, add the cheese, and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until cooked.

Quest for the Perfect Turkey or Chicken Burger!

admin — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 13:39:10 +0000

Sometimes I crave a great turkey or chicken burger. Last summer I went to Cabo and had the best grilled chicken burger. It was incredible, the kind of meal that makes your stomach oooooh and ahhhhhh. I am not sure how they made them but I am sure they contained some red peppers and garlic. I tried to produce the same great burger. My first try, I added a small amount of poulty seasoning, onions, and salt & pepper. It was good, but not quite the same. Towards the end of the burger, I decided that it wasn’t the flavor I was searching for. My next try was very good, almost a perfect match, but hopefully I’ll figure it out one of these days. I guess I am on a quest for the perfect turkey/chicken burger, hoping that if someone out there has a great recipe that mimics this Cabo burger, they’ll send it my way! Here is the recipe that I used.

Turkey or Chicken Burger

1 lb. ground turkey or chicken
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/2 chopped small onion
1 clove minced garlic
1/4 cup chopped red pepper

Mix all ingredients and grill til cooked. Place on a whole wheat bun.

February 13 is Tortellini Day!

admin — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 15:37:56 +0000

February 13 is Tortellini Day. Imagine, a day to celebrate pasta filled with cheese or meat! Sounds good to me! I love these little pasta rings! They taste great in salads and prepared in any recipe that would utilize pasta! Here are a couple recipes that use tortellini and are just delicious! One is a complete meal in a dish and the other is a nice side dish that in fact can be a perfect lunch!

Chicken Cheese Tortellini Cacciatore

4 cups cooked cheese tortelllini
1 1b. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 small onion
1/2 cup chopped peppers
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 tbsp. chopped garlic
1 can diced onion, basil, garlic tomatoes
2 cups tomato sauce
salt & pepper
1 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
Parmesan cheese

1. Cook the tortellini according to package directions. Set aside.
2. Cut up the chicken and saute in the oil in a fry pan.
3. Add in the onions, peppers, garlic, mushrooms, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.
4. Stir in the sauce and tomatoes. Cover and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
5. Stir in the tortellini, cover, and heat through on low for about 10 minutes longer.
6. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Tortellini Salad

1 lb. tortellini
2 cups cooked chopped chicken
1/2 cup minced red or sweet onion
1 cup chopped or small tomatoes
1 cup chopped cucumbers
1 cup Greek salad dressing
1 cup feta cheese or any cheese chubes
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Prepare tortellini according to package directions. Cool.
Mix all ingredients and serve.
Makes 4 generous servings.

Swiss Turkey Butternut Bake-Ahhh, the Joy of Comfort Food!

admin — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 23:19:44 +0000

I have been craving turkey and butternut and decided to come up with something that would be easy to make and yet give me the comfort of a turkey dinner without the work! Here it is. I remembered having something very similar at a buffet not too long ago but of course, I had to make it the CookWomanFood Way. (My way!) I used a cast iron pan for preparing the dish and decided to use it to bake this all-in-one meal in a pan! Very good! The dish I remembered had cheddar cheese on top but I used Swiss cheese as it is my favorite and I knew it would taste very good. Don’t like Swiss? Use cheddar or the cheese of your choice.

Swiss Turkey Butternut Bake

1 small onion, chopped
2 tbsps. butter
1 medium butternut squash (any type of squash would be great)
1 lb. ground white turkey
1 cup shredded swiss cheese
2 cups seasoned stuffing
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
1 cup chicken broth
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground pepper
1 tbsp. brown sugar

1. Heat oven to 350*. Slice the butternut in half, lengthwise. Clean out the seeds and place face down in a baking pan. Add one cup of hot water and bake for about 45 minutes uncovered. Turn the squash over and bake for an additional 10 minutes until squash is baked completely. Scoop out the squash and set aside.
2. Saute the onion in the butter in a cast iron pan. Add the seasoned stuffing and cook for about 3 more minutes. Place in a dish.
3. Cook the ground turkey adding the salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. Stir and cook completely.
4. Add in the butternut, broth, brown sugar, and stuffing mix. Stir and heat through.
5. Move the pan to the oven and bake for about 25 minutes.
6. Grate the Swiss cheese and spread on top and continue baking an additional 10 minutes until the cheese is melted.

Barley and Chicken Bake

admin — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 23:35:44 +0000

As promised, I will be posting healthy recipes that will be tested by myself and guinea pig husband. Lucky him. This is a dinner that is perfect for this evening. Brrrrrr. It is freakin’ cold out there. The wind is howling and the snow is blowing all over the place. Workout today will be indoors, probably an hour of steps. This is the new me. Gained a couple pounds over the holidays and I am determined to get rid of them. The eating season is over!! Well, the sweet eating season is over. I have always had a love affair with food and I must say this site is killing the diet department. I have a lot of traffic at this site in search of dessert or baked recipes. I have a lot of recipes centering on sweet treats. Have to add in here that I love sweets. Nothing like a fresh baked cookie with a cup of tea. Nothing wrong with it either if you are normal and can just have one. Uh-uh! No suh! (New England girl here). Can’t do it. I figure my childhood was extremely happy and it was always filled with treats. So I guess when I get stressed or anxious or just plain hungry, I always crave something sweet. Must have something to do with a comfort level! Or not! So back to the healthy dinner I am preparing tonight: Barley and Chicken Bake. Yum. It would go really good with a fresh baked loaf of bread and for dessert…just kidding.

Barley and Chicken Bake
6 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup water
3/4 cup barley
2 tsps. instant chicken bouillon cubes (I used no salt added)
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
1 tbsp. minced garlic
2 tbsps. fresh chopped parsley

1. Place all ingredients, except the chicken and parsley, in a pan and bring to a boil.
2. Pour this hot mix into a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish.
3. Place chicken on top. Cover.
4. Bake in a 350* oven for about 1 hour or until the barley and chicken are cooked.
5. Sprinkle with parsley.

Chicken Cheese Tortellini Cacciatore

admin — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:35:59 +0000

This was one of those nights when I feel like something delicious and comforting yet easy to prepare. I came up with this easy chicken tortellini dish. I had all the ingredients at hand which made it even better. It probably took about 40 minutes to create, which at the end of a long day, this makes a perfect choice!

Chicken Cheese Tortellini Cacciatore

Chicken Buttercup Squash

admin — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:25:58 +0000

I recently had the opportunity to savor beef stew prepared in a pumpkin. This was a unique way to serve a rather commonplace meal and perhaps the perfect way to gets oohs and ahhs from any guest! I came up with an idea of using a buttercup squash in place of the pumpkin and the makings of a chicken pie in place of the beef stew. After all, what goes better with chicken and gravy than some type of winter squash? I have to report that this was a great tasting meal, perfect for a chilly fall evening. Some preparation is needed, such as cleaning out the buttercup squash, precooking the chicken, and getting the vegetables ready. I find that an ice cream scoop makes an easy task of cleaning the inside of the squash. I precooked the carrots and potatoes for about 10 minutes, just to make sure they would be fully cooked. Serve this with Rustic Bread and it’ll be a dinner to remember!

Chicken Buttercup Squash

1 3 lb. Buttercup squash
2 large potatoes
3 large carrots
1 small onion
fresh parsely
salt and pepper
2 cups cooked chicken
1 cup chicken gravy
1/2 cup frozen peas

1. Clean the buttercup squash. Place in a study pan.
2. Preheat the oven to 320*.
3. Cut up the vegetables into bite size pieces. Precook the carrots and potatoes for about 10 minutes.
4. Cube the chicken, mix in the carrots, potatoes, onion, and peas, add the salt and pepper, stir in the gravy, and fill the cleaned buttercup squash. Brush the outside of the squash with oil.
5. Bake for 2 hours.

Chicken Fajitas

admin — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 20:59:56 +0000

I recently tried a new recipe for chicken fajitas. As you can see from the picture, there’s not much to creating this delight. Short cut chicken strips certainly make this recipe easy. Notice the cast iron pan? I believe they taste even better when fried in this type of pan.

Chicken Fajitas

Shortening spray
1 lb. package of precooked chicken strips or 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, sliced into 1/2 inch strips
1/2 cup sliced peppers, red and green
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
8 flour tortillas, grilled on a cast iron griddle pan

1. Spray a cast iron skillet with shortening spray. Saute the chicken, peppers, and onions until cooked.
2. Stir in the chili powder and salt and cook for 1 minute.
3. Heat a cast iron griddle and cook the tortillas for 1 minute each side.
4. Fill the tortillas with the chicken mix. Add any toppings of your choice.

Possible topping extras: salsa, sour cream, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, shredded cheddar cheese

The Perfect Summer Luncheon

admin — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 18:41:15 +0000

It is time to go back to healthy eating. I have been on vacation, had guests, put on parties, went on vacation again, and truly overdid everything. As of yesterday, I am back on track with my diet. I usually eat healthy, but like every other normal human, I tend to give in to any and all cravings for delicious foods, such as ice cream, pastries, salads with loads added goodies and crunchies, butter, pizza, and the list goes on endlessly. Not all the time mind you, but, when the cravings appear, I sometimes have a difficult time not caving. I decided to create a really healthy lunch and thought I’d pass it on as it turned out extremely delicious and satisfying. I had a leftover grilled chicken breast which I placed on a multigrain but with field greens, my first tomato of the season, and some Russian dressing! This was very tasty!! For dessert I had a half of cantaloupe, also known as muskmelon, filled with fresh berries. Yum! This makes a perfect lunch for anyone and anytime. Here is the recipe for the multigrain rolls and the Russian dressing. I have to post this tantalizing pic of the cantaloupe I prepared. Looks yummy, doesn’t it?

Multigrain Rolls

5 tsps. of yeast
3 cups warm water (110*-115*)
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup oats
1 egg
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup salted sunflower seeds
1/4 cup oil
3 tbsps. butter
2 tbsps. sugar
1 1/2 tsps. salt
1/2 tsp. white vinegar
5 1/2-6 cups unbleached flour
1 egg yolk
2 tbsps. water
Extra oats

1. Dissolve yeast in water. Add whole wheat flour, oats, seeds, oil, butter, sugar, salt, vinegar, and 2 cups flour. Beat til smooth. Add enough flour to form a soft dough.
2. Knead on a floured surface for about 6-8 minutes. Place in a buttered bowl, turn, cover with a cloth, and set in a warm place to rise until doubled. A perfect warm place is the oven with just the light turned on.:)
3. When doubled, punch down the dough. Turn on a floured board and form into 18 balls. Press each ball into a 4 1/2 inch circle. Place on a greased baking sheet and let rise til doubled. (Back in the oven with the light on)
4. BEat the egg yolk and water. Brush on buns. Sprinkle with a little more oats.
5. Bake in a 350* oven until golden brown. This should be about 20 minutes. Makes 18
Homemade Russian Dressing

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
salt and pepper

Mix all the ingredients and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Shish Kabobs for Sunday’s Best

admin — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 23:46:30 +0000

Summer Sundays are the best time for a grilled dinner, especially after a day of yard work and pool time. I love an easy to prepare, delicious to eat dinner. Shish Kabobs fall into this category. They are relatively easy to make, a little cutting, slicing, and possibly dicing and then marinading. That’s it for a few hours until it’s time to skewer everything. Here’s the best part: my husband is the grill master so I don’t have anything else to do except make rice pilaf and decide what beverage would be best to accompany this meal.

Shish Kabobs
2 lbs. meat (beef tenderloin, boneless chicken thighs)
1 lb. whole mushrooms
2 peppers
2 large onions
20 cherry tomatoes
2 zucchinis
2 summer squash

Cut meat and vegetables and marinate in marinade for about 4-6 hours.
Place meat and vegetables on skewers.
Grill til cooked.

Marinade for Chicken or Beef Shish Kabobs
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon dried basil, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
Pinch of dried oregano

Directions
Combine all ingredients in small bowl and whisk to blend.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Refrigerate.