The Anti-Chicken Fingers Movement ~ Chicken Marsala with Pancetta and Cream

I love chicken marsala.  And this is by far one of the best recipes I've ever made.  I would suggest cooking with whole wheat pasta if desired, and doubling the ingredients for the sauce so you have enough to mix with the pasta.



INGREDIENTS

• Olive oil
• 2 oz pancetta (about a 1/4 inch thick slice), cut into 1/4 inch cubes
• 1/2 medium onion, diced (or you can use chopped shallots)
• Flour for dredging (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 lb of skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut or pounded into thin cutlets
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup dry Marsala wine
• 6 Tbsp 1/2 & 1/2 or heavy cream
• Whole wheat pasta if desired, I used linguine and then doubled the sauce mixture - cream, marsala, salt/pepper, onion

Directions:

1 Coat a large skillet lightly with olive oil and set it over medium high heat. Add the pancetta and cook until just crip and lightly browned. Remove with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pan, and set aside. Add the onions to the pan and cook until translucent and slightly browned, 5-10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pan, and set aside.

2 Put the flour on a plate. Pat the cutlets dry. Season them on both sides lightly with salt and amply with pepper. Heat the skillet with the pancetta fat over medium high. Add more olive oil, if needed, to get about 2 Tbsp of fat in the pan.

3 When the fat is hot, dredge a cutlet through the flour on both sides. Shake off the excess flour and immediately put the cutlet in the pan. Do the same with as many cutlets as will fit in the pan without touching. Sauté the cutlets, turning once, until browned on both sides. If thin, they should cook through in just a few minutes total. Transfer the cooked cutlets to a plate and continue sauteíng the rest, adding more oil if necessary. Transfer these to the plate as well.

4 Pour off the excess fat. With the pan over med-high heat, add the Marsala and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the Marsala is reduced by about a quarter. Stir in the cream and boil until you get a nicely thickened sauce. 

Return the chicken, onions, and pancetta to the pan and turn the cutlets over to coat. Let them reheat for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Serve w/salad and bread also if desired.

Happy Eating Friends! ~ Trina

The Anti-Chicken Fingers Movement ~ Chicken Parmesan w/Whole Wheat Pasta

 Got this one from Pinterest!  Another hit!  Thanks to www.chow.com.  I used Italian bread crumbs as I didn't have any Panko, but I love Panko too, so whatever you desire!  

INGREDIENTS

• 3 (11- to 12-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half horizontally
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups panko or italian bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 1/2 ounce)
• 1 cup olive oil
• 3 cups Tomato Sauce
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves (about 20 medium leaves)
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into 12 thin slices
• Whole Wheat Noodles (amount desired, I used a whole package)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat the broiler to high and arrange a rack in the top third of the oven. Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap, parchment paper, or waxed paper, or in a resealable plastic bag, and pound to an even thickness (about 1/4 inch thick) with a meat pounder, a rolling pin, or the bottom of a pan. Season well with salt and pepper.
2. Place the flour in a wide, shallow dish, season well with salt and pepper, and mix; set aside. Combine the milk and eggs in another shallow dish and mix until the eggs are broken up; set aside. Mix the panko and Parmesan together in a third shallow dish.
3. To bread the chicken, dredge a breast in the flour mixture and shake off the excess. Next, coat it in the egg mixture and let the excess drip off. Finally, press it into the panko mixture until it’s well coated. Set the breaded chicken on a large plate or baking sheet and repeat with the remaining breasts.
4. Line a clean baking sheet with paper towels and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking, or 350°F on a deep-fry thermometer. Add the chicken in batches (don’t overcrowd the pan) and fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Remove to the paper-towel-lined baking sheet and repeat with the remaining chicken.
5. Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions.
6. While frying the last batch of chicken, bring the tomato sauce to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Once warmed through, stir in 1/4 cup of the basil and reserve the rest for garnish. Remove the paper towels and place the chicken directly on the baking sheet. Divide the mozzarella slices evenly among the breasts and place under the broiler until the cheese is golden and bubbly. (Rotate the baking sheet as needed for even browning.)
7. To serve, spoon the desired amount of noodles on the plate, ladle 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce onto each plate, top with chicken, and sprinkle with the remaining basil.  

Happy eating friends! ~ Trina

The Anti-Chicken Fingers Movement ~ Tomato & Pasta al Forno

I always love pasta, no matter what kind.  I try to mix up spaghetti dishes, spaghetti pie, pasta pizza, etc.  This   is a new one I tried, and the family loved.  Callie asked to take it to school the next day for lunch, which is huge since she demands the same sandwich, day in and day out.  

Ingredients:

2-TBL extra virgin olive oil

2-cloves garlic, crushed

1-pd lean ground beef

2-14 oz cans of diced italian tomatoes (or regular)

1-tsp dried oregano

1-lb whole wheat pasta (tubes)

8-oz mozz cheese, cubed

2/3 cup fresh parmesan

Direction, heat oil in skillet. Brown ground beef & garlic.  Add oregano and tomatoes, simmer - stirring occasionally until thickened.  Meanwhile cook pasta.  Toss pasta w/sauce.  Place 1/2 of pasta mixture in oiled 9X13 inch pan. Cover with 1/2 the parmesan, then 1/2 the mozzarella.  Layer the same way again, then bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

Serve with salad and your bread of choice!  Happy Eating Friends ~ Trina

The Anti-Chicken Fingers Movement~Pasta Pie

 This is one of my oldies, but goodies.  Pasta has always been one of my favorite comfort dishes, and usually is pretty easy to convince the kids to eat as they love spaghetti.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Crust: 

7 oz of whole spaghetti noodles

1 egg

1/3 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Filling

2 cloves fresh minced garlic

1 pd lean ground beef

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

1 small onion, chopped

1-14 oz jar of pasta sauce\

Topping

1/4 or 8oz cup light cream cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Cook and drain noodles as directed on package.
2. Meanwhile, heat oven to 350°F. Spray 9 1/2-inch glass deep-dish pie plate with cooking spray.
3. In large bowl, beat egg. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Add cooked noodles; toss to coat. Spoon mixture evenly into pie pan, pushing mixture up sides of pan to form crust.
4. In 12-inch skillet, cook ground beef with garlic, bell pepper and onion over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in pasta sauce. Spoon evenly into noodle-lined pie pan.
5. Drop cream cheese by rounded teaspoons over filling, then top with mozz cheese.
6. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until pie is thoroughly heated and crust is light golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes. To serve, cut into wedges.

Happy Eating Friends! ~Trina