Crunch coated lemon chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breast (either flattened with mallet or filet horizontally)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground red pepper
1 cup wheat germ or bread crumbs
1 Tbs butter
cooking spray
3 Tbs fresh lemon juice (I use a lot more, just eyeball it)

Combine egg, salt and pepper. Dip each piece of chicken in egg mixture and dredge in bread crumbs.

Spray large frying pan with cooking spray and melt butter over medium heat. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken and keep warm. Add lemon juice to skillet. Cook over medium high heat, deglazing skillet by scraping bits that cling to bottom; pour over chicken. (The 3 Tbs. is never enough, it fries too quickly so I just throw a bunch in the pan, it only takes a couple seconds for it to fry so you must do it quick)


I've been making this recipe for a few years but decided to try something different. I tried it with this lemon basil cream sauce and it was fabulous!!

Yummy Grazie salad

One of my favorite places is Grazie, a little italian bistro/wine bar. They have a salad there called the Emiliana salad and I tried my best to duplicate it at home and it is soooo good and very simple. Here it is!!

Field Greens
Red peppers (sliced in very thin strips)
Fresh shredded parmesan cheese
Pine nuts
Balsamic dressing

My favorite dressing is the Good Seasons Italian made with Balsamic and Olive Oil

Toss and enjoy!!

Rachel's Favorite Carbonara Recipe

This is for Loraine.....sorry it took me so long to post.
This is from Rachael Ray's 30 minute meals and it is one of my favorite recipes
This is for 4 adult servings

Ingredients

1 pound pasta (I like penne, cavatappi, gemelli or rigatoni)
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1/4 pound Pancetta (chopped)
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (I use a little less)
3-4 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup grated romano cheese (parmesan is good too)
handful of finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley for garnish (optional)

Boil large pot of water, add liberal amount of salt, add pasta.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil and Pancetta. Brown pancetta 2 minutes, add red pepper flakes and garlic and cook 2 to 3 minutes more. Add wine and stir up all the pan drippings.

Beat yolks, then add 1 large ladleful (1/2 cup) of the pasta cooking water. This tempers the egg and keeps them from scrambling when added to the pasta.

Drain pasta well and add it directly to the skillet with pancetta and oil. Pour the egg mixture over the pasta. Toss rapidly to coat the pasta without cooking the egg. Remove pan from heat and add a big handful of cheese, lots of pepper and a little salt. Continue to toss and turn the pasta until it soaks up egg mixture and thickens, 1 t0 2 minutes. Garnish with parsley, if desired, and extra cheese.

Chicken with Tomatoes and Feta

I made this the other night for my fancy girls and they loved it!

chicken breasts

balsamic salad dressing (any brand, I'm a fan of cheap)

cherry or grape tomatoes

balsamic vinegar

olive oil

salt & pepper

feta cheese

Marinate chicken in balsamic salad dressing. Grill until done.

Slice tomatoes in half. Saute in olive oil on med/high heat. Add balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper and continue to saute until tomatoes are a bit blackened and soft.

Set oven to broil. Place grilled chicken in a pyrex. Top with the tomatoes and feta cheese. Broil until feta is a bit golden.

Enjoy!

Peter's Favorite Pasta

The following recipe was given to me by my friend Sandy over 5 years ago when our girls were still babies.  At the time, it was her husband Peter's favorite dish and has remained a family favorite of ours ever since.  Since the original recipe Sandy wrote out for me is now water stained and almost illegible, I decided that it was time to preserve it and share.  Enjoy!!!

{original recipe given to me by Sandy}

Penne Pasta (1/2 to 3/4 box)

Chicken Breast Tenderloins

1 Pack Sliced Mushrooms

1 Package Sliced Mushrooms

1 Package (or less) Sun Dried Tomatoes

1 Packet Knorr Alfredo Mix (per directions)

Parmesan Cheese

Butter

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

1. Saute chicken seasoned with salt and pepper in olive oil (set aside).
2. In same pan, melt 2 Tablespoons of butter and saute mushrooms until cooked, add sun dried tomatoes and drizzle with olive oil.
3. Cook pasta al dente drain / don't rinse.
4. In pan pasta was cooked, prepare Alfredo mix per directions, then add pasta until coated with sauce.  Mix in mushrooms, tomatoes, chicken (sliced thin), and lots of parmesan cheese!!!
5. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with more olive oil.

Very Very Very Yummy!!!!

Fancy Green Bean Casserole

I was searching for a variation on the traditional Green Bean Casserole...this one is a winner!

1 lb. fresh green beans, washed and trimmed

4 Tbsp. butter, divided

4 oz. can of sliced mushrooms

2 cloves garlic, minced

kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

2 cups whole milk

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup crispy onion strips

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 1-1/2 quart baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Place green beans in a gallon-size resealable plastic bag (or buy the beans already in the microwaveable bag in the produce section). Poke a few holes in the bag to allow steam to escape.  Heat in the microwave on full power for 3-5 minutes until beans are tender, but still a bit crisp. Pour into prepared pan.
3. Heat two tablespoons of the butter in a small frying pan. Add mushrooms, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated. Pour over green beans. Toss.
4. Heat remaining two tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour. Cook 1-2 minutes until flour starts to turn golden.
5. Slowly add milk. Stirring constantly, cook until mixture starts to bubble and thicken. Add salt, pepper, Dijon mustard and Parmesan cheese. Pour over mushrooms and green beans.
6. Bake 15-20 minutes until bubbly. Sprinkle crispy onions on top. Bake another 5 minutes.
7. Let green bean casserole rest 5-10 minutes before serving.

From the kitchen of: Stephanie Gallagher, About.com Guide to Cooking for Kids

Baseball Beef Stew

1-1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed

6 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch slices

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

3 celery ribs, coarsely chopped

3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1-1/2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes

3 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 cup beef broth

1 teaspoon ground mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon browning sauce

Layer the potatoes, carrots, onion and celery in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Place flour in a large resealable plastic bag. Add stew meat; seal and toss to coat evenly. In a large skillet, brown meat in oil in batches. Place over vegetables.

In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, broth, mustard, salt, pepper, thyme and browning sauce. Pour over beef. Cover and cook on high for 1-1/2 hours. Reduce heat to low; cook 7-8 hours longer or until the meat and vegetables are tender.

Yield: 8 servings 

Feel free to add or substitute ingredients... I've found that the stew always tastes better when little hands help prepare it and I always pour in a glass of wine and extra beef broth.