Perdue & Old Bay Chicken Cutlets

December 30, 2010 by

perdue.jpgMy daughter received these great new Purdue Chicken Perfect Portions as a promotional item and asked me if I wanted to try them. So, browsing my cupboards I came up with this recipe using Old Bay Seasoning and flour. Then, because I had Matzo meal in the house, I substituted it for the traditional breadcrumbs and grated cheese. What a great idea it was! Another dinner gobbled with no leftovers! old-bay.gif

6 (or more) thin chicken breasts, sliced/pounded thin
2 Tbs. butter
3 Tbsp. olive oil (extra virgin is best)
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
2 eggs
2 Tbs. water
3/4 cup matzo meal
2 Tbs. Old Bay Seasoning

Place the oil and butter in a large non-stick frying pan and turn heat to medium-high. Meanwhile, open each Perfect Portion pack to rinse and pat dry; place on a plate.

On 3 separate plates do the following:

  • Mix flour, salt & pepper on 1st plate;
  • Whisk the 2 eggs and water on 2nd plate;
  • Finally, mix matzo meal and Old Bay Seasoning on 3rd plate. Line them up in that order across your counter next to the stove – it’s easier this way.

With a fork, pierce and pick-up one of the cutlets, dredge in the flour mixture on both sides – gently pat; then dip in the egg mixture coating both sides; finally, dredge in the matzo meal/Old Bay mix and press down gently on both sides to make sure it’s coated well. Do this with about 3-4 cutlets or as many will fit in the pan at a time.

Place in the the pan and cook on medium-high for about 5-6 minutes on each side – we like them crispy – or until done. If you make a couple of batches, you will want to add more butter and oil.

Filed Under: Chicken, Frontpage Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Rump Roast

December 16, 2010 by

Adding just 2 bottles of salad dressing is all it takes to make this fabulously delicious roast. Have egg noddles on the side.

About a 5 lb. rump roast
1 8 oz. bottle Italian salad dressing
1 8 oz. bottle Italian Parmesan or Parmesan Peppercorn salad dressing

Place beef in a large bowl, make slits all over, about 1 inch deep with knife or prong fork, then pour Italian salad dressing over. Cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge for minimum of 4 hours or longer – overnight is ideal.  Preheat your oven to 275 degrees. Drain meat from bowl and place on rack in pan, fat side up, while oven is preheating. Slowly pour the Parmesan salad dressing over, cover. Place in oven for 5 hours, basting occasionally. Remove meat to a cutting board and let meat sit for about 10 minutes before you slice and serve. Meanwhile make gravy from pan drippings.

Alternately you could use a slow cooker.

Filed Under: Beef, Frontpage Tagged With: ,

White Pizza

December 4, 2010 by

Normally, a white pizza simply means “no tomato sauce” but more cheeses. Here we have ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan.

2 cans refrigerated pie dough (or store bought, etc.)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cups broccoli florets
2+ garlic cloves, minced
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 large beefsteak tomato, sliced thin
1 tsp. dried oregano

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.  Lightly grease a large sheet pan or pizza pan and spread out the dough. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the garlic for 30 seconds, add broccoli and cook for 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in ricotta cheese.

Spread broccoli mixture over dough, sprinkle on the mozzarella and Parmesan, add the tomato slices, then sprinkle on the oregano.

Bake the pizza about 25 minutes or until nicely browned.

Filed Under: Breads - Quick, Frontpage

Marinated Eggplant

November 28, 2010 by

In elementary school I had a classmate whose mother would send her with pickled eggplant for lunch. To an 11-year old they looked kinda gross at first but then I tasted them. They were so exotic and tart, I was in awe; we never had this kind of stuff at our house! Though I never actually got the recipe, what kid ever asks, I found one that I fiddled a bit with and works for me. If you have one that’s better, please let me know.

4 med eggplants, peeled, trimmed, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices
4 tsp. coarse sea salt
3 cups white vinegar or red wine
4 cloves of garlic – 2 peeled, 2 unpeeled
10 black peppercorns
10-15 sprigs fresh thyme, rinsed and patted dry
3 bay leaves
1-1/2 cups good quality olive oil

Place the eggplant slices in a colander, sprinkle them with the salt, and let drain for 1-1/2 hours over a bowl. Rinse and gently pat dry.

Put the eggplant in a large pot and add the vinegar, unpeeled garlic cloves, 5 of the peppercorns, a handful of the thyme leaves and 2 of the bay leaves. Bring this to a boil over medium-hight heat. Reduce this to a simmer for 25 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool off.

When it’s cool, put it in a jar or container with tight fitting lid large enough to hold it all comfortably. Add the rest of the thyme, peeled garlic cloves, the last bay leaf and the rest of the peppercorns. Gently push the ingredients down into the eggplant. Slowly and carefully pour in the olive oil so it gets everywhere in the container.

Cover this and refrigerate for 3 weeks. You’ll need to check this occasionally to be sure there is a very thin layer of oil on top – add more oil if you need to.

Filed Under: Frontpage, Something Different, Vegetables

Happy Thanksgiving!

November 25, 2010 by

May your stuffing be tasty,
May your turkey be  plump,
May your potatoes and gravy,
Have nary a lump.
May your yams be delicious,
And your pies take the prize,
May your Thanksgiving dinner,
Stay off of your thighs!

Filed Under: Autumn & Winter, Frontpage, Holidays & Special Occasions, Something Different

My Thanksgiving Meal – 2010

November 22, 2010 by

Here is our 2010 Thanksgiving Meal.  We don’t watch sports on this day, instead we hang, chat, nibble, watch the Macy’s Parade, and I begin to play holiday music.  Have a fantastic Thanksgiving, and blessed be!

Divorce Court Turkey 

Gravy

Mashed potatoes

All American Bread Stuffing

Corn and broccoli

Spanish Rice & Beans

Cranberry Sauce – (or use the canned)

Creamy Carrot Puree

Desserts
Chocolate Cream Pie

Apple Pie

Filed Under: Frontpage, Holidays & Special Occasions Tagged With: , , , , ,

Apple Dip

November 19, 2010 by

Dig in! Kids love it.

30 caramels
Water
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter
Sliced apples – keep skins on

Using a microwaveable bowl, place the caramels and about 2 tablespoons water on high for 1 minute; stir. Microwave another minute or more until smooth. Add the peanut butter and mix this very well – then microwave about 30 more seconds or until this is smooth. Serve warm with the sliced apples.

Filed Under: Appetizers / Snacks, Dips, Frontpage Tagged With:

Presto Pasta Primavera

November 13, 2010 by

picture-010.jpgThis is so easy, tasty and versatile; served it with cold, leftover meatloaf and it was fabulous!

1 pkg. dry vegetable soup mix (I use Knorr Garden Veg or Regular Veg)
3/4 stick of butter
1 3/4 – 2 cups milk
1 lb. pasta, medium shells
1/4 – 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan Cheese

In a medium pot, melt the butter, then add the milk and soup mix. Stir well, bring to a boil, simmer for as long as it takes to get the pasta ready.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in salted boiling water as per directions on pasta package; drain and place back into pot. Stir in the soup/milk mixture and sprinkle in the cheese. Serve.

Filed Under: Frontpage, Macaroni / Pasta

Beef Stew

November 10, 2010 by

This is a stove-top stew. It’s fabulous for a chilly day – like the day I post this. Though the amount of garlic sounds like a lot – it truly isn’t.

2-1/2 lbs. stewing beef cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 Tbs. vegetable oil (canola)
2 envelopes of the Lipton Beefy Onion Soup Mix
1 can chopped-up tomatoes
6 – 8 potatoes – whatever variety you like
1 Large onion
Big, heaping spoonful of minced garlic

Place the flour, salt & pepper in a zip-lock type bag and toss in the beef mixture a few at a time until they are coated – tap off excess flour; place chunks on a plate. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot (such as a Dutch oven if you have one) over med-hight heat and add the chunks a few at a time to brown them all over.
Add both envelopes of the soup mix, can of tomatoes, thyme, bay leaf, 2 cups of water, and the 1 can of beef broth. Bring this to a boil; scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon or spatula to get the browned bits all stirred into the broth. Add the potatoes, onion, carrots, turnips, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 3 hours, stirring occassionally.

Filed Under: Frontpage, Soups & Stews

Barley Soup

November 1, 2010 by

So simple, so good.

Step I:
1 1/2 quarts of beef broth (canned is fine)
2 cups cold water
1/4 cup barley
1 celery stalk chopped
2 carrots peeled & diced
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced (jar is fine)
1 inch x 1 inch piece lemon peel
Salt & pepper to taste

Step II:
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
2 tomatoes – chopped
4 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 cup grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan (optional)

Put the stock and water in a large pot and bring to boil. Add barley and turn down to a low simmer. Add the celery, carrot, onion, garlic, lemon peel, salt & pepper and simmer, covered, for 2 hours. Stir this often because the barley sticks.

Now begin Step II.
After 2 hours is up, add all the herbs, tomatoes and paste. Continue cooking, covered for 1 more hour, stirring often. Remove the bay leaves. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle some grated cheese on top.

Filed Under: Frontpage, Soups & Stews
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