st. valentine's day

Dear Mom,

While "cranberry gastrique" sounds "cosmo culinary chic," as you so eloquently put it, its really just a relatively simple cranberry sauce, although it will not come out in cylindrical form.  To be honest, I find myself cooking more towards the "comfy" side of things.  It could be partly because its winter, but lately soups, chilis and stews are really what I'm craving.  That and my chicken parmesan.  Conveniently, chicken parmesan was what was requested by my lovely hubby for Valentine's Day, and don't worry, I offered to cook. 

I should add that the hubs was almost named Johnny Valentine.  Why, you ask?  Because his birthday is on Valentine's Day.  God bless his mother for switching out the Valentine for his father's name.  Although it would have been hilarious, I don't think I would have married a Johnny Valentine.  Can you imagine?  Mr. & Mrs. Johnny Valentine?  I just threw-up a little. 

Alright, let's settle our stomachs so we can move on to the good stuff!  My chicken parmesan is so loved by John because a) his Italian-American heritage gives him a great appreciation for anything smothered in "gravy" (marinara) and melty mozzerella and b) because my chicken parmesan has two beautiful secret ingredients.  And because I love you, Mom (and all you readers out there), I will share those two ingredients with you:  prosciutto and ricotta. 

Happy Valentine's Day!

chicken parmesan

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup panko Japanese breadcrumbs
2 tsp. Italian herb blend (such as McCormick's)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 cup flour
1/2 cup ricotta
1 tsp. Italian herb blend
1 clove garlic, minced
2 thin slices prosciutto 
1/2 cup shredded sharp provolone
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce (feeling ambitious? make your own)
salt & pepper

extra-virgin olive oil
cooking spray

Heat 1-1/2 tbsp. olive oil in a skillet, over medium heat.  Add the garlic, cook until fragrant and starting to brown slightly. Add the panko, 2 tsp. Italian herb blend and salt & pepper, stir so that the olive oil gets distributed in the bread crumbs.  Toast the breadcrumbs in the pan, stirring occasionally, until they are lightly browned through out.  Place toasted breadcrumbs in a wide shallow bowl and put in the freezer to cool.

Pound out the chicken breasts to about a 1/2-inch thickness.  In another shallow bowl place flour and season with a little salt & pepper.  In a third shallow bowl, beat the egg and about 1 tbsp. cold water together.  Remove the breadcrumbs from the freezer and stir in the 1/2 cup parmesan cheese.  (Make sure the breadcrumbs are cool enough, so they don't melt the cheese.)

Heat about 3 tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Working one at a time, coat the chicken in the flour, shake off excess.  Then dip in the egg, then coat in the breadcrumb mixture.  Put the chicken in the hot pan and cook until golden brown and nearly done.

While the chicken is cooking, in a small bowl combine the ricotta, 1 tsp. Italian herb blend, 1 clove garlic, and salt & pepper.

Transfer the chicken to a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.  Lay on the top of each chicken breast 1 slice of prosciutto.  Divide the ricotta cheese mixture between the two chicken breasts and carefully spread the ricotta over the prosciutto. Top each chicken breast with shredded provolone and mozzarella. Broil on high until the cheese is melted and starting to brown.

 Heat the marinara in a microwave safe dish. 

Transfer chicken to plates, top with marinara and serve with your favorite pasta shape.

simple suppers

Dear Kristin,

Sometimes simpler is better. Not that I have anything against - what did you call it - a cranberry gastrique? (In your cedar plank chicken recipe), but I'm more of an Ocean-Spray-gelled-cranberry-sauce-out-of-the-can kind of girl. Don't forget, I was raised on Chef Boyardee.

We had a really busy weekend, and were looking forward to something quick & easy for Sunday supper. Pork chops are always quick. They can be rather bland, though, so they really need a bit of "something" to liven them up - a mustard glaze, or in this case, a topping of caramelized onions and apples. I guess this is my version of the pork chops & applesauce my mom used to make. It may not be cosmo-culinary chic, but it sure tastes good going down!

pork chops with caramelized onions and apples

2 pork chops, about 3/4"-1 " thick (I used center-cut, but I'm sure loin cut would work just as well)
1 large red onion, sliced about 1/4" thick(if you really like onions, you can use more)
1 large or 2 small apples (use apples that are crisp and tart - I used Jonagold)
3 Tbsp.. butter
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt (plus more for seasoning meat)
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper (plus more for seasoning meat)
3 Tbsp. white wine (I used pinot grigio)
2 Tbsp.. fresh sage, minced
4 Tbsp.. extra virgin olive oil, divided

Melt butter in large, heavy skillet. Add onions and cook on medium for 10 minutes. Do not brown. Add apple slices, salt and pepper. Continue cooking over medium or medium low heat for another 20 minutes, or until onions are caramelized. Add wine and cook for three minutes more.

Meanwhile, rub chops on both sides with 2 Tbsp. olive oil. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Rub sage leaves into both sides of the meat.

When onion mixture is done, remove to serving platter and keep warm. Add 2 Tbsp. olive oil to the same pan and bring to medium heat. Place pork chops in pan, and cook about 4 minutes per side, being careful not to overcook. Top with onion mixture and serve.

that resolution

Dear Mom,

So the resolution for healthy eating is going great!  We just finished a very healthy lemony spinach salad with white beans and tuna...  So since we've been so good, its time for dessert!  (Well at least we tried to be healthy.)

I came across this recipe the other day when I was completely out of any thing for dessert except for a bag of chocolate chips. Although I have been known to just sit down with a bowl of chocolate chips and a spoon, I decided to try to find something to do with them other than cookies (or said spoon).  I've had these types of cakes many times before and I always assumed they were difficult to make.  Not only are they not difficult, they're ridiculously easy to make, and most of the ingredients you'll have in your pantry.  With Valentine's Day on the way, if you're cooking at home, this would make a wonderful and easy ending to a romantic meal.

molten chocolate cakes

1 cup chocolate chips
10 tbs butter
1/2 cup flour
1-1/2 cup powdered sugar
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbs orange liquor or bourbon (optional)

Preheat oven to 425F.  Grease 6 oven safe custard cups.

Melt the chocolate and the butter together in the microwave and stir until smooth.  In a separate bowl whisk together flour and powdered sugar.  In another bowl whisk together the eggs, vanilla and liquor.  Add the flour mixture slowly to the chocolate, stirring until somewhat combined (it will be pretty thick).  Add the egg mixture and stir until mostly smooth. 

Divide batter among the 6 prepared custard cups.  Bake in the oven for 14 minutes (they should look slightly set on top).

what resolutions?

Dear Kristin,

Last week was community soup night at one of our local libraries. This is a fun night where people gather at the town park pavilion, bringing with them crock pots full of homemade soup. I decided to fill my 1970's vintage crock pot with chicken taco soup. After a quick rubber band fix by your dad to secure the top, I was good to go. Bread, dessert and beverages are provided by the library, and since the pavilion comes complete with a cozy fireplace, it makes for a nice evening of recipe sharing and post-holiday gossip.

Speaking of post-holidays, we are two weeks into the New Year. How are your New Year's resolutions holding up? If you are like me, you find that your resolutions are growing thin, and instead of blatantly eating beer and cookies (as in your last post), you find yourself looking for subversive ways to incorporate these indulgences into your diet. For example - I did keep my resolution to eat more fat free yogurt, complete with probiotics to aid my digestive process; however, this step in the right direction was foiled as I succumbed to the dark side and found myself dipping cookies into said-same yogurt. (Well, the cookies were getting a little stale, after all!)

As for the beer? Chicken taco soup to the rescue! This recipe calls for a bottle of your favorite brew, allowing you to have your hops while telling yourself that at least you are getting a healthy serving of veggies and low-fat protein!

 crocked chicken taco soup

1 large or two medium onions, largely diced
1 (16 oz.) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (16 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 cup tomato sauce
1 1/2 c. beer
1 (22 oz.) can diced tomatoes (with green chilies if you like it spicy)
1 (1.25 oz.) packet taco seasoning
2 large or 3 small boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

optional toppings:

shredded cheddar or mexican blend cheese
sour cream (light is okay)
crushed or broken tortilla chips

Place onion, drained beans, corn, tomato sauce, beer and diced tomatoes in slow cooker. Stir in taco seasoning. Add chicken breasts, submerging them until just covered by vegetable mixture. Set slow cooker on high and cook for 20 to 30 minutes. Reduce heat to low and cook and additional 5 hours.

Remove chicken from slow cooker and allow to cool until it is easy to handle. Shred chicken, and add back to the slow cooker. Continue cooking for 1 to 2 hours.

Serve soup topped with shredded cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips.

comfy's notes: This makes a very thick soup mixture - almost thick enough to qualify as a stew. It could probably be made more soup-like with the addition of chicken or vegetable stock. I usually use a dark beer. I think this soup could easily be adapted into a stove-top friendly version by dicing the raw chicken, thus reducing the cooking time.

resolutions

Dear Mom,

I'm sitting here enjoying a rather strong beer while my cookies are baking away in the oven.  That is what the holidays are all about.  "Beer and cookies???" you may ask, no-no not just beer and cookies, but everything I've been eating the past week, a.k.a. over-indulgence.  Yes, spending time with the family is great, chestnuts roasting on a open fire and jack frost nipping at your nose and all, but what it's really about is the fact that I ate some type of pork for the last 6 days in a row.  Bacon, slow-roasted pork shank, all-day Italian-style pork, pulled pork (from two different restaurants) and, of course, ham! 

So now it is time for the sweet stuff, and considering that John and I have made a resolution to eat healthier in the New Year, I have to get it all out now!  So that means beer and cookies.  Right now I've got a batch of cowboy cookies in the oven.  (You know that cowboys would not have milk with their cookies, they would have beer!)  I went with cowboy cookies because I wanted to prepare us for the upcoming year of healthy eating, so we get the sinfulness of the chocolate, but the heart-healthy oats at the same time.  Also, this is my reduced-fat, reduced-sugar cookie recipe, which as any cookie-lover knows, you can eat twice as many! (Three-times as many on a holiday!)

cowboy cookies

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup quick oats
3/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup apple sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. molasses
1/4 butter, softened
1 tbsp. vanilla
1 large egg
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375.

Place the 1/2 cup apple sauce in a strainer over a bowl and stain the liquid from the apple sauce for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine flour through cinnamon in a bowl with a mix.

In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the drained apple sauce and the rest of the ingredients through the egg.  Blend together in the mixer until combined.  Slowly add dry ingredients. 

Place cookie dough in the fridge for 15 minutes.  Scoop rounded tablespoonfuls on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.  Bake cookies for 10 minutes, until almost set.  Let cool on the baking sheet 2-3 minutes and then transfer to wire racks.