Tag: Main Dish

Fried Chicken Marinara

The other evening, I wanted something that would cook up quickly but didn’t want one of those boring quick-to-table recipes. With some beautiful chicken breasts I needed to use and a craving for pasta, I set to work on coming up with something new.

Now I know it’s a bit cliche for this recipe post on my southern cooking blog to start with the words “Fried Chicken” but be real, folks…you know you love it! If it makes you feel better, call it Chicken Parmesan. Whatever you call it, you’re going to love the way the crispy chicken and marinara blend.

I’m using a good quality, jarred tomato sauce as a base for this. Now, I do like to make my sauce from scratch but there are some good sauces you can pick up at the grocery store. They make a good start and the additional ingredients really kick up the flavor.
Just find a good brand you like and make it your own. My personal favorite is the Bertolli line but try out others to match your taste.

Another one of those recipes you can tweak to match your tastes. Try it out and I think you’ll find it’s a family pleaser.

[recipe title=”Fried Chicken Marinara” servings=”4″ time=”1 hour” difficulty=”easy”]

chicken-marinara2Marinara

  • 1 lg jar pasta sauce
  • 2 cans diced tomatoes, well-drained
  • 6-8 white mushrooms, quartered
  • 1⁄2 med sweet onion, roughly chopped
  • 1⁄2 bell pepper, roughly chopped
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Fried chicken

  • 2 large boneless skinless chicken breast cubed
  • Enough milk in bowl to cover chicken

Place the following items in a 1 gallon Ziploc

  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 teaspoon each garlic and onion powder.
  • 3 tablespoons canned parmesan cheese.
  • 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper

Place chicken to soak in milk bath for at least 45 minutes.

Mix all ingredients for marinara in a medium sauce pot and bring to a low simmer. Stir often and keep covered, simmering on low for 1 hour.

Place dry ingredients for fried chicken in bag and shake to combine. Drain chicken and place in bag, shake well. Heat 1⁄2 inch olive oil for frying in 12” iron skillet. Gently remove chicken from bag and carefully place in the hot grease. Don’t crowd but most if not all will fit in one batch. Try really hard to only flip once. When both sides are golden brown, remove to paper towel to drain.

Boil 1 pound of pasta as per directions on package and drain well. Place desired amount of pasta on plate hollowing out the center. Place 5 or 6 pieces of fried chicken in center well. Dip a ladle full of marinara on top of chicken. Place a few more pieces of chicken on pasta and top with marinara. Serve right away.

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Chicken Noodle Soup

Nothing tastes better on a cold winter’s night than a bowl of hot soup. It makes up quick and tastes delicious – belly-warming  Chicken Noodle Soup.

I think soup is the ultimate comfort food.  Add a chunk of homemade artisan bread and you could comfort yourself right into hibernation mode. Not to mention, with all the creeping crud going around, you can’t choose a better remedy than this.

I’ve had people request this soup to help cure a cold. I don’t profess to be a doctor but I can tell you that the herbs and spices in this soup do seem to help make you feel better. So that old wives’ tale about chicken soup for a cold may be more truth than folklore. And, heck, if it doesn’t cure it, at least you get a meal that will warm your soul.

Let’s make some soup!

[recipe title=”Chicken Noodle Soup” servings=”6″ time=”1 hour” difficulty=”easy”]

cns2Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium sweet onion chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 3 or 4 medium carrots chopped
  • 3 stalks celery cut long ways then chopped
  • 3 boneless, skinless chicken breast cubed
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon salt & pepper
  • 4 (14 1⁄2-oz) cans chicken broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1⁄2 8-oz bag egg noodles

Directions

In a medium stockpot, heat oil on medium heat. Add onions and garlic, stirring for 4 or 5 minutes. Add broth, water, carrots, celery, Italian seasoning, chicken breast, bay leaf and salt & pepper. Bring to a medium boil covered for 25-30 minutes. Add egg noodles and follow package cooking instructions while gently stirring. Cover remove from heat and allow to rest 10 minutes.

*Cooking notes*
Remove bay leaf and discard before eating.

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Ham and Cheese Fritatta

Eggs are amazing. You can eat them as a main dish cooked any number of ways, they add the richness you need to sauces and mayonnaise and they make baked goods, well, GOOD!

I decided last night I wanted a frittata for supper. It’s a bit like an omelet but I like the slightly crispy crust that forms on the frittata in the oven. This little jewel is perfection in its simplicity and versatility.

The best thing about this little dish is you can usually make it from ingredients you have to hand. The only required ingredients are eggs and cheese. Other than that, let your creativity go! You can use spinach, veggies, herbs – some people add potatoes to make the dish more hearty. This can be a spur of the moment supper or a Sunday brunch dish since you make it with what you have.

I searched my fridge and found a number of delicious ingredients. I had some ham left over from Sunday dinner and I knew that was going to headline this dish. So I pulled it all out and started putting it together.

Just a word about beating your eggs – if you want your frittata to be fluffy, beat, beat, beat those eggs to incorporate lots of air into your dish. I like my eggs to have a little body to them so I don’t go nuts with the whisk. Just go with what you like.

I made a little video showing how the frittata goes together. Enjoy the music!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXXkQtGM6CI] [recipe title=”Ham and Cheese Frittata” servings=”6″ time=”30 minutes” difficulty=”easy”]

frittata2Ingredients

  • 2 T. olive oil
  • 1⁄2 cup green bell pepper, cut in 1/2″ strips
  • 1⁄2 cup roughly chopped mushrooms
  • 1⁄2 cup sweet onions, cut in 1” strips
  • 8 oz. ham, bacon or sausage, cooked
  • 1 dzn. grape tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
  • 5 eggs
  • 3⁄4 cup shredded cheese
  • 1⁄2 tsp. each salt and pepper
  • 1 T. minced garlic

Directions
Preheat oven to 325°. In a non-stick, oven-safe skillet, saute bell pepper, mushrooms, and
onions for five minutes on medium heat. Add meat and tomatoes and allow to heat through. Whisk eggs in a medium bowl until frothy, add cheese and carefully pour over ingredients in skillet. Cook for 1 minute. Place skillet in preheated oven and bake for 14-16 minutes until lightly browned. Allow to set up for 5 minutes, then slide onto a warmed plate. Slice and serve. If you like spicy, this is great garnished with a little sriracha chili sauce.

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Penne Rigate

I love the smell of good Italian food cooking. Makes you want to take a big ol’ bite of the air! Putting on a big pot of marinara and smelling it cooking ALL day – well, it don’t get much better than that.

But if you don’t have all day to chop and simmer, you can start out with a good jarred sauce and end up with some pretty good aromas, not to mention a yummy supper. Here are a couple things to look for in a sauce:

  • Turn the jar up to make sure the sauce is thick. You can’t always depend on a label to make that judgement for you.
  • If the product has ingredients added, make sure the one you buy matches the end result you want. Fewer ingredients mean you have more leeway to customize the flavor.

I get good results from Bertolli Sauce. Of course, I end up adding this and that and sometimes simmering it a little so the flavors grab on to each other but for this recipe, I kept it simple.

Now, sausage – buy something good quality and that doesn’t mean it has to be expensive. Many stores have their own brand of sausage that is economical and of good quality. I personally like Publix’s brand of Italian sausage – good flavor and just enough fat to add the flavor to the dish.

You can come home at 5:00 and have this on the table by 5:30. Add a salad and a crusty loaf of bread and you’ve got supper…quick!

[recipe title=”Penne Rigate” servings=”6″ time=”30 minutes” difficulty=”easy”]

Penne-Rigate2

Ingredients

  • Olive Oil
  • 1 lb quality Italian sausage
  • 1 lb Penne Pasta
  • 1 medium sweet onion coarsely chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper coarsely chopped
  • 1 (8oz) container white mushrooms sliced in two
  • 7 cloves of garlic chopped medium to fine
  • 2 medium zucchini sliced ½ inch thick (may also use yellow squash)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • Cheese for grating on top

Directions

Strip the casing off the sausage, tear into small pieces and place in a large deep sided skillet on medium heat. As the sausage begins to fry you should start to see some grease in the skillet, if not add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add onion and allow to cook until onion begins to brown just a little. Reduce heat slightly, add bell peppers and mushrooms (if it looks too dry to cook without burning or sticking, add 1 tablespoon olive oil).

Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Slightly reduce heat, add garlic and stir. Allow to cook about 5 minutes, stir in marinara, cover and lower to a simmer. This is about the time to cook pasta following label directions.

Add zucchini, stir and allow to simmer 8-10 minutes – NO LONGER. Drain pasta and place in a large serving bowl making a well in the center, add sauce and grate cheese on top before serving.

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