Sunday Supper For the Hubs: Chicken Parmesan with Homemade Chunky Tomato Sauce

I'm doing my best to strive in my wifely duties lately while working the crazy hours that I do. Most nights, I'm not home to make dinner and I have to admit, that is one thing I really miss about having a 9-5. There was nothing I enjoyed more than coming home after a long day at work than pouring myself a glass of wine and spending a little quality time in my kitchen. I still get to enjoy nights like this a couple times a week but I've found that now that I am not able to cook as much during the week, I need to find meals that can last a couple days for the hubs to enjoy on those nights when I'm not around. Not that he isn't self-sufficient. He absolutely is. I think he just got very pampered the last few years when it comes to his dinners and he misses that. So, while he is paying the bills, I'll do my best to oblige and ensure that he still gets delicious home-cooked dinners as many nights as possible. One way I am able to accomplish this is by making one of his favorite dishes last.

The last few weeks he's been requesting Chicken Parmesan. I have to admit, this isn't one of my favorite dishes and after each request for it, I'd try to find something else that he would be just as happy with. But when I wasn't going to be home really at all to make dinner a couple weeks ago, I gave in and made him chicken pram. Clearly chicken pram can be incredibly easy- a jar of good tomato sauce, some chicken cutlets, and some bread crumbs. But that is just not how I roll so I turned to one of my bff's, Miss Martha Stewart, and made it a little more special with her recipe for easy homemade chunky tomato sauce.

Easy Chunky Tomato Sauce

3 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
salt and pepper
2 28 oz cans diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp dried thyme or Italian seasoning

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add onion, garlic, salt, and pepper, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes with their juice and thyme. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened, 20-25 minutes.

Chicken Parmesan

3/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
8 chicken cutlets
salt and pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 cups Chunky Tomato Sauce, recipe to follow
1/4 cup olive oil
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into eight 1/4-inch-thick slices

Heat broiler. Combine breadcrumbs and Parmesan in a shallow bowl. Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in beaten egg then dredge through breadcrumb mixture, turning to coat both sides.

Heat oil in a large skillet. Cook chicken in skillet until golden brown on both sides. Spread tomato sauce on bottom of a baking dish and place browned chicken cutlets on sauce. Top each cutlet with slice of mozzarella cheese. Broil about 4 inches from heat source until cheese is melted and lightly browned in spots, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately over pasta.

Recipes adapted from Martha Stewart.com

Inspired by Jersey, Created By San Fran: Pork Sugo

A few weeks ago, one of the very lovely ladies that I work with told me about this dish that her boyfriend was working on. And by working on, she meant that he had started the dish one morning and it wouldn't be complete and ready for them to eat until the following night. I have to say, this really sparked my interest. I'd never heard of pork sugo before but clearly, I love pork and I really love a dish that slow cooks for a long time and takes lots of love and heart to prepare. I know it's totally cheesy, but I have to agree when chefs, and eaters, talk about how much better food tastes when it's made with love. Luckily enough, a few days later this recipe arrived in my inbox from my co-worker's very sweet boyfriend. I decided to try out the recipe this past weekend.

He suggested that I serve the pork sugo over polenta or grits. To be honest, I'm not very familiar with making either so I did a little googling to find other suggestions and I stumbled upon something even more amazing than I'd already thought I'd found. One of the most fabulous restaurants in San Fran, Delfina, where I spent a few lovely, much too short lunches with 2 of my SF bff's serves this dish and actually let San Francisco's 7x7 Magazine publish the recipe. I thought I'd died and went to recipe heaven! I mean... pork, San Francisco's Delfina, I learned of it in Jersey! How much more perfect could it be!! This recipe was a huge treat for me to find, to cook, and to enjoy. It was one of those dishes where I felt so good making it and my love and excitement for the dish shined through in every bite.

It took me two days to complete the dish but it was well worth it. This is actually something that would be really great to start on a Sunday evening, before your work week starts, as most of the work is done on Sunday. Then on Monday after a long day at work, you just have a few quick and easy steps left and dinner is ready. It makes for great leftovers too!

Pork Sugo

1lb pork butt
1/2 rack pork spareribs
salt & pepper
1/4 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cup sliced yellow onion
1/2 cup carrots, sliced on the diagonal
1/2 cup celery, sliced on the diagonal
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 sprig rosemary
3 sage leaves
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 quart chicken stock
1 1/2 tbsp butter
1 tsp chopped fresh parsley
pinch chili flakes, optional
grated parmesan, to taste
1lb pappardelle or other fresh pasta

Cut the pork butt into 2 large pieces. Season the pork butt and the spareribs with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large dutch oven or other heavy bottomed pot. Brown pork on all sides. Remove and set aside.

To the pot add onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and herbs and saute for a couple minutes until the vegetables start to get tender, stirring occasionally to scrape up brown pork bits from bottom of pan. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally for 2 minutes. Add wine to deglaze pot and cook until reduced by half, about 5-6 minutes.

Return pork to the pot and add chicken stock. Bring to a simmer. Cover and transfer to 325 degree preheated oven. Braise in oven until pork is tender and falling off the bone, about 2 hours. Remove from oven, let cool, and refrigerate overnight.

The next day scrape any congealed fat from the top and discard. Over low heat, warm sugo through. Remove pork and ribs from pot. Pull meat from bones and shred the rib meat and the pork butt (the pork should shred rather easily using 2 forks).

Pour veggies and liquid from the pot into a food processor and puree until smooth. Return to pot and reduce sauce over medium heat until it thickens. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Add meat to pot, bring to a boil and turn off heat.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. To serve, warm some pork sugo in a pan with butter, parsley, and chili flakes. Serve over pasta and top with grated parmesan.

Recipe adapted from Delfina as featured in SF's 7x7 Magazine

Sunday Supper: Crab Cake Macaroni and Cheese

One of my favorite childhood memories stems from all the time I was lucky enough to spend as a kid with one of the most amazing women I know, my grandma Watson. She was a nurse in World War 2, raised my mom all on her own, and was absolutely the most fun person to hang out with when I was a kid, along with her sister, my aunt Hazel. When my brother and I visited her house for sleepovers it was all about what we wanted to do. I would make magazines with aunt Hazel, we'd play cards and lots of games including Tripoli and Sorry, and on New Year's Eve every year we would dance and party until the ball dropped. She truly made me feel like there was nothing else in the world she would rather be doing than hang out with my brother and I.

Along with all the great times we spent with her, I have great memories of food. We used to make delicious sugar cookies with frosting in fun shapes. I still remember exactly what all her cookie cutters looked like. She made the most amazing bread and butter pickles which I only hope to get the recipe for one of these days. And finally, something my brother would eat every day if he could, her macaroni and cheese. It wasn't anything special and was made with good old Velveeta cheese but it was so creamy and delicious and perfect every time she made it. This mac and cheese was such a huge part of my childhood that any time I see mac and cheese anywhere, it always takes me back to all of the great times I spent with my Grandma Watson. I think of her often and miss her a ton, but I'm so glad that I have so many memories that I will be able to share with my family one day through her recipes.

I saw this recipe on a Rachel Ray show recently. I don't really care for Rachel Ray and was telling the hubs that we should change the channel but then she said she'd be making crab cake mac and cheese. Between my love/warm fuzzies for mac and cheese and my love for crab cakes, I couldn't bare to change the channel. It looked so good that I had to give it a shot! I thought it'd be a perfect twist on my grandma's classic and perfect for Sunday Supper! The dish isn't terribly cheesy, which is a good thing because you really want the crab to be the star player. The panko gives it a little crunch and the hot sauce adds the perfect touch of heat. It turned out SO delish and definitely something that I'll make again. The only downfall is that it dirties quite a few dishes but it's so good and your hunny will be so satisf that I bet you could easily talk him into doing all the clean up!

Crab Cake Mac and Cheese

1lb elbow pasta
2 tbsp olive oil
6 tbsp butter
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp thyme (2 tbsp if fresh)
about 1 tbsp lemon zest
freshly ground black pepper
3/4 to 1lb jumbo fresh crab meat (picked through for shells)
1 tbsp old bay
3 tbsp flour
2 1/2 cups milk
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 cup sharp cheddar, grated
1 cup gruyere, grated
3 tbsp (or to taste) hot sauce
1 cup panko bread crumbs
fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions, about 2-3 minutes less so pasta is undercooked (it will cook more in the oven) and drain. Add to a large bowl.

In a saucepan heat 2 tbsp of olive oil and 1 tbsp of butter over medium high heat. Add celery, onion, red pepper, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, lemon zest, salt, and pepper to taste. Cook until tender, 6-8 minutes. Add crab meat and season liberally with old bay. Stir to combine and remove from heat.

In a saucepan over low heat, melt 3 tbsp butter and whisk in flour. Cook for 1 minute then whisk in milk until just starting to boil. Season with salt and pepper and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring so as not to burn, until cream sauce starts to thicken. Add mustard and cheese. Stir until cheese is melted. Add cream sauce and vegetable mixture to bowl with pasta and stir to blend together.

Spoon mixture into a large casserole dish or into small individual baking crocks. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Melt 2 tbsp butter in a saucepan. Add hot sauce and bread crumbs and toss to coat. Remove from heat and cool enough to handle then add parmesan. Top pasta mixture with bread crumb mixture and bake until heated through and bread crumbs are golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Recipe adapted from Rachel Ray on The Cooking Channel

Warm Winter Nights: Baked Shells with Winter Squash

It's been cold and snowy here in the northeast the last few weeks. I'm not so into the cold, but when it snows, it is truly beautiful. I almost forgot how much I love it when it snows. I'd love it more if I could cozy up in my house with a fire and a big cup of hot tea after a bit of frolicking with my hounds, but unfortunately I've had to go to work the last few snow days. If I did get the chance to stay home on a snow day and play in the snow, I think I'd end the day with a warm dish of baked shells.

I love baked shells and was so excited when I found this dish because it's done with my kind of twist! It's cheesy and a little sweet- kinda like me! It's also pretty quick, easy and inexpensive. And if we had some little kiddies running around, I think it'd be a great way to sneak some veggies into their dinner! They'll totally buy it if you tell them it's mac and cheese.

Baked Shells with Winter Squash

butter
4 tbsp olive oil
2 large onions, halved and thinly sliced
salt and pepper
2 tsps chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 lb small pasta shells
1 12 oz pkg frozen winter squash puree, thawed
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 slices crusty bread, cut into 1/4" cubes (about 1 1/2 cups)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 9 by 13 inch baking dish. Heat 3 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook about 15 minutes, until onions are soft and release liquid. Uncover and raise heat to medium. Cook, stirring until onions are browned, 20-25 minutes. Stir in 1 tsp rosemary.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water about 2 minutes less than package instructions. Drain, reserving 1 1/2 cups pasta water and return pasta to pot.

Stir squash and reserved pasta water into onions. Simmer 2 minutes. Toss squash mixture and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese with pasta. Transfer to prepared baking dish.

Combine bread cubes with remaining Parmesan, rosemary, and oil. Season with salt and pepper. Top pasta with bread cubes. Bake until golden brown, 10-15 minutes. Serves 6.

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

It's All About the Sauce: Lasagna with Homeade Bolognese

I may have said this before, once or twice, but I love spending a cool Sunday cooking away in my warm kitchen. The last time my mama came to visit, she brought down some tomatoes from her garden. We didn't get to use them right away so we froze them so I could use them later on. Later on happened to be this past Sunday for a delish Sunday supper at the farmhouse.

Now, it's not hard to make your own sauce but perfecting can be tough. I do feel though, that it's important for every modern housewife to have a great tomato sauce recipe and to be able to make it well. I stumbled upon this recipe a couple years ago and have made it a few times but I've found that it is best with lasagna. It's ok with spaghetti but for some reason, when I use it in lasagna it's so much better. I think it could be adapted to be great with spaghetti with the addition of some fresh herbs such as basil, parsley, and oregano.

A couple quick tips for making great bolognese:
1. Mix up your meat! I use ground beef and ground pork and the pork really adds a little something extra to the flavor.
2. Simma down now! The longer you simmer the better. This recipe calls for simmering for 1 hour but I use that as a minimum. I simmered almost 2 hours this time around which was perfect.
3. I've found a lot of recipes that use sugar, which I think the sweetness is a definite must, but what I like about this recipe is that instead of sugar it calls for carrots and red onion which gives it sweetness without that sugary sweet flavor.

Bolognese

3 tbsp olive oil
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1/3 lb ground beef
1/4 lb ground pork
2 cups canned peeled whole tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add carrot, celery, onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add beef and pork and cook stirring occasionally until meat is browned, 15-20 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, and 1/4 cup water. Season w/ salt and pepper. Cook covered over low heat, stirring occasionally for a minimum of one hour.

Lasagna

1/2 box of lasagna noodles (about 10 noodles)
1 15 oz container ricotta cheese
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 eggs lightly beaten
fresh herbs such as parsley and basil, about 1 tbsp

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook noodles according to package instructions, drain and toss with a little olive oil to help separate noodles. In a large bowl, combine ricotta cheese, 3 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, parmesan, eggs, and fresh herbs. Spray 13x9 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Cover bottom of baking dish with a thin layer of the bolognese. Layer 3 to 4 of the noodles over the sauce, slightly overlapping. Spread half of cheese mixture over noodles and cover with about half of the remaining sauce. Repeat layers. Cover last layer with remaining noodles and remaining bolognese. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes until cheese is lightly golden brown. Let stand about 10 minutes before serving.

Bolognese recipe adapted from Martha