Chicken Parmesan with a little Kick

Simple, quick, easy and good. Seriously, what more do you need? Go by Trader Joe's on the way home and 45 minutes later you're sitting down to this.They have everything you need to make this dish. I'm even gonna let you use a jar sauce for it. Just about any wine will do -pick yourself up a nice Zinfandel or Tempranillo while you're shopping. Get a glass out and lets get to cooking!

List

4 Boneless/Skinless Chicken breast (trimmed and cleaned)

3/4 cup Flour

1 1/2 cup Bread Crumbs

1 Egg in bowl - beaten

1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese 

1/4 cup Olive Oil

1 jar Arrabbiata Sauce

1 tub Burrata Cheese

S & P

Crushed Red Pepper (optional)

Pour a glass of the wine you chose. Breathe, taste, relax, and now we begin.... Pre-heat oven to 375. Get 3 kitchen bowls out: Bowl #1 place flour and add some S & P. #2 add beaten egg. #3 Bread crumbs mixed with the parm cheese. Take chicken breast one at a time and place between two sheets of waxed paper. Pound with kitchen mallet until about a 1/2" to 3/4" thick. Not too thin, we want it a little thicker than normal. If you don't have a mallet use a rolling pin, back of a heavy knife, hell, go grab a brick! Anything will work. If you have a cast iron pan, great. If not, any large oven safe pan will work. Get oil heating in pan med/med-hi heat. Put extra piece wax paper to side. It's a three-step process. Coat chicken in flour, then egg, follow up with the bread crumbs and place on wax paper. Here's the rule:  Use one hand only, you don't need all this goop on both hands. Place in pan and brown on both sides. When finished, place pan in oven and bake till done. Approx 35 minutes. In a small sauce pan heat pasta sauce. If you like a little extra heat, add some crushed pepper. When chicken is done, plate, top with sauce, large piece of Burrata cheese and some fresh ground pepper. 

We served it with a simple mixed bean sauteed with garlic and olive oil. And of course a nice Tempranillo. Dig in!!!

Chicken Coq Au Vin

French wines were the call so we needed a nice French dish to go along. This is a good one for a cold winter night and actually quite simple too.This one uses a whole bottle of wine so your gonna need to pick up a couple!

Lets go shopping....

1 package Whole Chicken cut up (you can also do all thighs) 

4 slices Bacon

1/2 cup Flour

5 cloves Garlic chopped

2 1/2 cups Shiitake Mushrooms

2 cups Carrots (cut into rounds aprox 1/4 to 3/8 thick)

2 cups Pearl Onions peeled

1/3 cup Brandy

3 cups Organic Chicken Broth

1 bottle Burgundy Wine

1/4 cup Olive oil

1 stick Butter

4 tbsp fresh Thyme chopped

2 tbsp Herbs de Provence

2 Bay Leaves

Italian Parsley chopped for garnish

S & P

Trim excess skin/fat from chicken and coat in flour with S & P added. I like to cut the breast in half so all pieces are about the same size.

In a dutch oven or large pot, cook bacon medium heat until crisp. Remove when done and set aside for later. Brown chicken on both sides in bacon grease and remove. If you used turkey bacon you will need to add a little oil. Place chicken in rectangular dish, cover and refridgerate for baking later. In the pot, add 1/2 of the garlic, carrots, onions, 1/2 stick butter, thyme, herbs, and about a 1/2 cup of the wine. Saute for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and add brandy. Hold a lighter or long match above the pot to burn off the alcohol. You might need to place the pot back on the heat and light again. This will flame up so be careful.

Once burned off, saute for a couple more minutes. Set a 1/4 cup of the wine and broth aside and add remaining to pot. Stir well then let simmer on low heat for about 1 hour covered stirring occasionally. Put your feet up and pour a glass, you've got some time. After 1 hour remove cover and simmer for an additional 1 hour. After this time heat oven to 375 and cook chicken till done (35 to 40 min). While chicken is cooking, in large saute pan melt remaining butter with oil on medium/low heat. When melted, add garlic and saute for a couple minutes. Add mushrooms, S & P, and the wine and broth you set aside. Saute till done. Approx 15 minutes. When done add to your pot. At this time finely chop your bacon pieces and also add to the pot. Continue to simmer till chicken is ready. 

If sauce has thickened enough, you can get ready to serve. If not, you can thicken up with a little flour mixed with water. There are two ways to serve. You can add the chicken to the pot and serve mixed or you can plate the chicken and top it with the sauce (I like to plate the chicken). I served it on top of some Thyme Roasted Potatoes* -- was a real nice combination. Garnish with parsley and dig in!!

Thyme Roasted Potatoes: 

6-7 Red and Yukon Potatoes cut into bite size squares

1/4 cup olive oil

5 tbsp fresh Thyme chopped

S&P

Coat well and bake at 375 for 45 minutes

Burrata Lemon Penne with Sausage & Spinach

This was a nice easy dish while the kids were coming to the door for candy. This recipe uses Burrata Cheese. It's soooo fricken creamy and good. You can get it at Trader Joe's. A lot of Markets are carrying it now also. If your really obsessed like me, you can order it from Gioia Cheese Co. in South El Monte (www.gioiacheeseinc.com) They make the best with out a doubt! Just try it once and you'll never switch.

1 - Box Penne Pasta

3 - Sweet Italian Sausage (chicken or pork)

5 - Cloves Garlic chopped

5 to 6 tbsp Olive Oil

2 - Lemons

1/2 lb - Burrata Cheese chopped (in bowl to save liquid)

1 lb - Fresh Spinach

1/4cup - Slivered Almonds

1tbsp - Butter

3 to 4 Mint Leaves Chopped fine

S & P

Start to finish 20/25 minutes.

In small saute pan start browning Sausage with a little oil.

In Large Pot bring water to boil with some salt and oil added then add Pasta.

In Large saute pan heat oil on medium. Add garlic, start to saute. After garlic starts to soften add spinach and toss till coated with oil.  Continue to saute and add juice and Zest of 1 lemon and S & P. Once done add cooked diced Sausage and turn off heat. In sausage pan add butter and brown Almonds. Add about a 1/3 cups of the pasta water to the spinach mixture. Drain pasta. If saute pan is large enough add pasta to it. If not add everything to pasta Pot. Combine pasta/spinach. Add juice of 2nd lemon and stir in Burrata cheese and Almonds with drippings from pan. Plate and garnish with Lemon Zest & Mint. Dig in!!