Tomato Chicken Parmesan

So, I made this the other night for the first time and praised the recipe the entire time we ate it. It was the most moist chicken I've ever made. I think it tastes just like the Olive Garden dish! Mike was a fan too. :)


1 egg beaten
1 tablespoon milk
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2-1/2 ounces seasoned bread crumbs
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/4 pound pasta sauce
2 slices Monterey Jack cheese

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
2. Pour beaten egg and milk into a shallow dish or bowl. In another shallow dish or bowl, mix together the grated Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs. Poke holes with a sharp knife in chicken breasts. Dip chicken into beaten egg and let sit for 2 minutes, then into bread crumb mixture to coat.
3. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Add coated chicken and saute for about 8 to 10 minutes each side, or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.
4. Pour tomato sauce into a lightly greased baking dish. Add chicken, and bake in preheated oven for 15 mintues. Then place a slice of Monterey Jack cheese over each breast, and bake for an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is completely melted.

Mediterranean Tuna Salad

Ryan and I really like this salad. All you need is a jar (for the dressing), can opener and a cutting board.

Salad Ingredients:

head romaine lettuce, torn
1/2 red tomato cut into wedges
2 oz feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 small red onion, sliced
1/2 red pepper cut into strips
1 can tuna or albacore
1/4 cup olives

Dressing:
1 Tbl olive oil
1 Tbl lemon juice
1/2 Tbl Dijon mustard
1/2 Tbl minced fresh tarragon*
1/8 tsp pepper

Makes 2 servings.

Whisk dressing ingredients and then make the salad and drizzle the dressing all over.

*I have substituted with cajun spices and left it out completely and still great.

Navajo Tacos

I think you might all have this recipe but I made them tonight and I love them....so I am going to post it :)

2 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup warm water

crisco or oil for frying

Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and warm water till all the flour is incorporated. Put dough on a VERY floured surface. Pull off pieces and flatten pretty thin (I am bad at estimating how thin so I don't know how to describe how thin). The dough is sticky so use extra flour to keep from sticking to your hands and work surface (it will still stick though). Heat the crisco/oil, to see whether it is ready I throw a tiny piece of dough in and see if it sizzles. Make round pancake type patties till the dough is used up and fry one at a time. Fry till it is starting to brown. I usually fry for a minute and flip and then maybe flip again. Make sure there is enough oil to cover the bread. Lay fried navajos on a paper towel on a plate.

These are open faced fry bread that puffs up when you throw it in the hot oil. Top with refrieds, meat, lettuce, cheese, salsa, chili....whatever sounds good to you. They are also known to be delicious warmed up with a little butter and honey.

Zuccotto

This is the most delicious cake! I got this picture online so it isn't exact but you get the idea. It's kind of rich but I love it with all of my heart! Word to the wise: if you are making this and think during the chocolate phase that a little taste would be good- DON'T! It's not good! Wait until the cake is assembled to try it, or try the white filling part, not the unsweetened chocolate part! The recipe is a little hard to make but well worth it! Let me know if you have questions....Enjoy!!!

Nonstick cooking spray
1 (12-ounce) loaf pound cake
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 cups chilled whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted, coarsely crumbled
Unsweetened cocoa powder
Spray a 1 1/2-quart bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bowl with plastic wrap. Cut the pound cake crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Cut each slice diagonally in half, forming 2 triangles. Line the bottom and sides of the prepared bowl with the cake triangles. Reserve the extra triangles.
Stir the chocolate in a large metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water until the chocolate melts. Allow the chocolate to cool slightly. Using an electric mixer, beat 1 cup of cream in another large bowl until it is thick and fluffy. Fold 1/4 of the whipped cream into the chocolate. Fold half of the remaining whipped cream into the chocolate mixture. Fold in the remaining whipped cream. Spread the chocolate cream over the cake, covering completely and creating a well in the center. Cover and refrigerate if not assembling cake right away.
In another clean large bowl, add the remaining 1 cup of cream and almond extract. Using an electric mixer with clean beaters, beat on medium speed and gradually add the powdered sugar. Beat until firm peaks form. Fold in the nuts. Spoon the cream mixture into the center of the well of the filling.
Arrange the extra pound cake slices over the cake covering the filling completely and trimming to fit, if necessary. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 3 hours and up to 1 day.
Invert the cake onto a platter. Remove the bowl and the plastic wrap. Sift the cocoa powder over and serve.

Easy Easter Pie

I don't remember where I got this recipe from, but I've had it for a while and finally made it yesterday for Easter. It's quite yummy and very easy!

1 ready made graham cracker pie crust

50 hershey's kisses

20 reese's peanut butter cup miniatures

1 tub (12 oz.) cool whip

1. Chop each peanut butter cup into 6 pieces. Place 50 kisses in medium bowl. Microwave on high 1 minute; stir in 3 1/2 cups cool whip until blended.

2. Spread 1/2 chocolate mixture on crust; sprinkle with peanut butter cups, top with remaining mixture. Cover. Refrigerate 3 hours or until set.

3. Top with remaining cool whip and granish with kisses and/or candy eggs.

Speaking of Quesadillas...

I have found the best show on the food network (my source of all inspiration) called Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller. She takes a few ingredients and makes food for the night and some extra to use for the next few nights. That may not make sense so I will give you an example. The one I did this week is called Chicken Coop. You go buy the list of ingredients and then follow the instructions for what to make on which day. The first day I made a delicious marinade and cooked 6 pieces of chicken. I also chopped some onions- some I used this day, some I saved for the next day. I also made a Provencal style potato salad. The chicken was AMAZING!!! Then, the next day, I used two of the pieces of chicken to make quesadillas (where I also used the onions.) They were equally delicious. Tonight I am using the last two pieces of chicken to make an Asian salad. I really like her recipes and I love being able to know what I am making for the whole week! I would include the recipes, but there are so many that...I didn't want to. But look it up on the food network website: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_rm/episode/0,2757,FOOD_23676_43746,00.html
and I guarantee you will love it!

Veggie Quesadillas

I had this at my new favorite restaurant here, Jasons. They have it in Orem over by University Mall. It opened about the time we moved down here as a matter of fact. They have all you can eat ICE CREAM! It really is almost heaven on earth.

I tried it tonight and it was a success, so I thought I would share. It consist of sauteed mushrooms, pico de gallo and spinach. I didn't include the spinach tonight cause I forgot about it, but they were just as good.

To Make:

Sautee sliced mushrooms in olive oil and or butter on med-low heat till tender (a few minutes). Make the pico de gallo, any basic recipe will do (pico de gallo is just chopped tomatoes, cilantro, onion and juice of a lime). Put tortilla in a skillet and cover with cheese, layer mushrooms, pico de gallo, spinach leaves and some more cheese so the tortilla will stick. Cook till cheese melts, flip and cook the other side till cheese melts. You could make this healthier by making sure your tortilla is whole wheat or some type of flat bread.

I served it with mexican rice and bean salsa, which turned out to be a lot of chopping but we definitely got our vegetables ;)

Enjoy.

Real Simple Lasagna

Ravioli is a staple in our home. I love it. This recipe is ravioli all gussied up and very yummy!

1 26-ounce jar pasta sauce

1 18-ounce bag frozen large cheese ravioli, unthawed

1 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 8-ounce bag shredded mozzarella

1/2 cup (about 2 ounces) grated Parmesan

Heat oven to 350° F. Spoon 1/3 of the sauce into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Place 12 ravioli on top. Cover with the spinach and half the mozzarella. Add another layer of ravioli and the remaining sauce, mozzarella, and the Parmesan. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake until bubbly, 5 to 10 minutes more. Serves about 6.