Happy Birthday Uncle Eddie

This post is dedicated to Alana's Uncle Eddie, my brother-in-law!

Happy Birthday!  Love, Baby Doll

Eddie is married to my hubby's sister, Lynn, also Alana's Godmother.  He affectionately refers to my daughter as "baby doll".  She adores him.  I decided to dedicate this post to him and his favorite meal.

I asked him what is his favorite meal, he of course came back with something sarcastic, so I replied "stop it"!  I than asked again "what is your favorite meal"?  He replies, "why"?  I think to myself, dear lord up in heaven, all I want to do is give him a surprise birthday dedication and he won't give me a straight answer.  I than say, "just work with me here, I don't want to tell you yet".  He replies:  Veal Parmigiana!

Eddie and I have one great thing in common.....WINE!  As soon as I enter his home, he pulls out a bottle of nice red wine, removes the cork, and proceeds to pour me a glass.  I really like that about him!

Happiest of birthdays Eddie, hope it is great and I cannot wait to visit soon to toast to your day!

So excited he picked Veal Parmigiana, my hubby's favorite is Chicken Parmigiana.  You choose the meat, the rest remains the same.

Eddie's Birthday Dinner

Ingredients:

4 - Veal or Chicken Cutlet, Pounded Thin
2 Eggs
Milk
Seasoned Bread Crumbs
8 Slices Provolone Cheese
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Marinara Sauce (Recipe below)
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1 lb Pasta

Preheat oven to 300, proceed to make the sauce.

Marinara Sauce:

1 32 oz Can Whole Tomatoes, Mashed - preferably with basil
1 Small Can Tomato Sauce
Salt and Pepper to taste
Olive Oil
5 Cloves Garlic, minced

In a sauce pot heat the olive oil over medium high heat, then add the garlic, saute for one minute.

Add the whole tomatoes and sauce, salt and pepper to taste.  Allow to simmer for 20 minutes.

Put a large pot of water on for pasta, once boiling add salt.

Directions:

In a pie plate, or wide, deep dish add the milk and eggs, mix well and season with salt and pepper.

In another deep dish, add the bread crumbs.

Bread the cutlets, first in the egg mixture, than in the bread crumb, pressing well into the meat.  Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat.  Add the breaded meat, cook until golden brown then turn to brown other side.  Have a plate with paper towels by the stove.  When meat is finished, allow to drain on the paper towels, than transfer to a cookie sheet.

Place the meat in the oven to keep warm.

Add the pasta to the water.  Remove the cutlets from the oven and lay two pieces of provolone cheese on each piece of meat then top with mozzarella cheese and return to the oven.

When the pasta is finished, so is the meat, cheese should be melted and bubbly.  Drain the pasta, add to pasta bowl and toss with some of the sauce, reserving the rest for the sauce for the meat.

On warm plates, place the meat and ladle reserved sauce over it.

Serve with pasta, grated cheese and crusty bread!

Eddie and his lovely bride Lynn ~ Alana and I behind them
They just celebrated 30 years of marriage!
Love you guys!!

Breaded Chicken Cutlet Topped With Fresh Arugula Drizzled With Sweet Balsamic Glaze

Question:  What happens when my only child leaves the house for a week to stay at her grandmother's beach house, and I decide to surprise my husband with a brand new meal featuring two of his favorite ingredients?

Answer:  He smiles and says, I don't think this is going to be so bad after all.

I knew from the moment we left our daughter at the shore to come home, I was going to need to kick it up a notch, (thank you Emeril for the catchy phrase) and show my hubby that it might not be so bad having an empty nest.  He was totally depressed, (daddy's little girl) and I was.....slightly looking forward it, ok.... a lot looking forward to it.  I mean, I would actually be able to shower longer, blow dry my hair until it was totally dry, put my make up on in the bathroom mirror, (I usually do it in the parking lot at work), crazy, right?  Needless to say, mornings are very hectic.  The best part, I can make recipes she hates and we love without any complaints, yippee!

Why should I worry, my daughter is with my mother-in-law, the one who raised 4 children, and they are all ok.  My mom was there too, and my brother and I are also ok.  Alana is in good hands, and making wonderful, summer memories!  There, I feel better about being happy.

Day one:  Chicken Cutlet(his favorite) topped with arugula(his other favorite), talk about a win, win situation.  I am going to make him want to marry me all over again and on a Monday, I call that determination.  I tried this recipe at a local restaurant and knew I could recreate it, so simple.

Needless to say, day one was a huge success.  When I came home from work, I made his favorite drink, and served it to him outside under the clear blue summer sky, he was swinging on the hammock smiling at me.  We chat for a bit, I am also sipping my favorite drink.  It's going well so far.  I start walking (maybe sashay, wink and smile) a way, dinner will be ready soon I say, and proceed to my favorite spot, my kitchen.  My hair looking pretty good, I might add.  Maybe that is why he is smiling, hmmmm.

Here is the recipe and trust me it worked....it more then worked.....it was fabulous!  He continued to smile, I had the feeling he would be driving home a little faster each night.  The very next day he said he could eat that meal again, two days in a row, WOW!  Now that is what I call success, but I had other food ideas up my sleeve.

We met with Alana after our wonderful week of fun food and reconnection, then stayed another week with her for a family vacation.  She was perfectly fine and happy.  I must admit, I missed her terribly; it was time to return to family life, I am blessed.

The stars of the show:

2 Eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 Cup Milk
2 Cups Seasoned Breadcrumbs
Boneless Chicken Breast, rinsed and patted dry, give it a good pounding
Light & Mild Olive oil, Peanut Oil, or Canola Oil for Frying
1 Tablespoon Butter
Fresh Baby Arugula, rinsed well and spin dry, salad spinner works great
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Block of Parmigiano Reggiano
Balsamic Glaze, found in the vinegar aisle
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Add the light oil and butter to the bottom of the pan in a large skillet over medium high heat.

Set up your dredging stations:  One rimmed plate (pie plate works great) for eggs and milk, mix well and season with salt and pepper.  One rimmed plate for the bread crumbs.  Using a fork, coat your chicken pieces first in the egg mixture then in the crumbs, pressing the chicken into the crumbs to throughly coat.

Fry each breast in the oil/butter until brown about 5 minutes per side.  Remove and drain the chicken onto a paper-towel-lined dinner plate.  Once drained, if you have more chicken to fry, then add the cooked chicken to a baking sheet with the oven set on 250, place in oven to keep warm until ready to serve.

In a separate bowl, add the arugula, toss with extra virgin olive oil to just coat, sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Arrange the arugula on top of the breast, shave on the parmagiano Reggiano, a veggie pealer works great for this, and drizzle the balsamic glaze over all.

I served this with tomato and mozzarella salad(his other favorite) with a nice loaf of Italian bread.  This is all you need for a fast, fabulous, midweek meal that is sure to please!

Succulent Oven Roasted Chicken Legs and Thighs

This is one of my daughter Alana's favorite meals.  Every day when she comes home from school her first question is:  What's for dinner mom?  When I announce that I am making this, she cheers!  One bite and you will see why.  The outside of the chicken is crispy while the inside is tender and juicy.  She loves helping me in the kitchen, for this one she adds the ingredients and I do the mixing.  There is not an exact measurement, use your judgement.  Whatever part of the chicken you like will work well, add breasts and wings if you prefer.

What it will look like when it goes in the oven.

This is how yummy it looks when it's done!

Here is what you need:

4 - 6 Chicken Legs

4 - 6 Chicken Thighs (Can use wings and breast as well)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Garlic Powder

Italian Seasoning - I usually use good seasons packet

Season Salt

Cajun Seasoning

Oregano

Rosemary - Fresh or Dried

Cracked Black Pepper
1 Onion, Sliced

1 Lemon, cut in half

Paprika

Captain Morgan Rum - Optional

2 Tablespoons of Butter , cut up

Preheat oven to 375

Line a cookie sheet with a rim around with Parchment Paper or Foil

In a large mixing bowl add the chicken and drizzle olive oil to coat.  Sprinkle with the next 7 ingredients.  Squeeze lemon over all and mix well.

Lay the chicken on the baking pan skin side up and drizzle with Captain Morgan.  Top the chicken with the cut up butter and sliced onions, sprinkle with paprika, adding more Italian seasoning if needed.

Bake uncovered for one hour, after 30 minutes, remove from oven, bring the onions down off of the chicken and on the pan, baste with the juices in the pan and return to the oven for another 30 minutes or until the skin is crisp.  Serve immediately.

My Alana showing it off before she digs in!

Chicken, Spinach & Tortellini Soup

If you prefer escarole or other green by all means replace it. The next time you make this soup try it with orzo or other soup pasta. The soup is hardy enough to serve as the main course. Pair it with crusty Italian bread and a tossed salad. Chicken soup for the soul. Nothing better on a cool, fall day. I feel better just thinking about it! This will make a nice big pot.






Ingredients:

4 Carrots, Diced
2 Spanish Onions, Diced
4 stalks of Celery, Diced
Celery leaves in the center, Cut up
1 28 Oz Can of Italian Whole Tomatoes In Juice, Mashed
Whole Chicken, Cut Up
2 Cloves Garlic, Cut in Half
1 - 2 Bags of Baby Spinach, Washed well
1 Large Can Chicken Broth
Salt and Pepper, To Taste
Favorite Brand Tortellini
Locotelli Cheese, Grated

Preparation:

In a large soup pot place the cut up chicken and Large Can Of Chicken Broth, adding water to 3/4 full. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer for one hour. During this time, prepare the vegetables. After one hour add the carrots, onion, celery, tomatoes, garlic, salt and pepper. Allow to simmer on low for about another hour or until the vegetables are fork tender.

When the soup is finished, cook the tortellini in a separate pot so any left over soup can be frozen without the pasta. While the pasta is cooking add the spinach to the soup. Check for seasoning. When the pasta is finished, add some soup to a large bowl. Pour in the well drained tortellini and top with soup. Sprinkle with grated cheese and serve!

Yummy Chicken Marsala

This one is dedicated to my wonderful father-in-law Ray Zorzi!

Dad, you have been so much more then a father-in-law to me, you have been a DAD in every sense of the word. Thank you for being one of my biggest fans. I love you! Dinner is at 6, see you then!

This is one of his favorite meals, when I made this for him the first time he raved over it and would often request I make it for him again. If you want to impress your in-laws or anyone else, make this easy delicious dish.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Pounds Chicken Cutlet, pounded thin
2 Cups Mushrooms (Button or Shiitake), sliced thin
9 Large Tablespoons Water
6 Large Tablespoons Marsala Wine
2 Cups Flour
1 Chicken Bouillon Cube, Cut in fourths
1/2 Stick Butter, Cut up
2 Tablespoons Fresh Parsley, chopped
Mild and Light Olive Oil
Black Pepper to Taste

Directions:

In a bowl add flour and dredge chicken in the flour. Discard any flour left over.

Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Add the cutlets when oil is hot and saute for about 7 minutes on each side or until slightly browned.

Turn off the heat and add the remaining ingredients.

Turn the heat back on over low heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender. Serve in a large warmed serving dish, top with additional parsley.

Delicious, Juicy, Tender Chicken Kabobs

Happy Fourth of July Weekend!

Here is a perfect addition to Hamburger and hotdogs and I promise everyone will rave over them. They are so easy too.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Olive Oil
1/2 Cup ranch dressing
3 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tablespoon fresh or dried rosemary
2 Teaspoons of Salt
1 Teaspoon lemon juice
1 Teaspoon white vinegar
Black pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon sugar or to taste (optional)

Directions:

In a medium bowl, stir together the olive oil, ranch dressing, worcestershire sauce, rosemary, salt, lemon juice, white vinegar, pepper and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes. Place chicken in the bowl and stir to coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat grill for medium-high heat. Thread chicken onto skewers and discard marinade.

Lightly brush the grill grate. Grill skewers for 8 to 10 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear.