Serves 4
Ingredients:
Boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons low-fat Italian salad dressing
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon italian seasoning mix
1 cup thick spaghetti sauce or tomato sauce
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup grated low fat mozzarella
Method:
- Remove any clinging fat from the chicken & discard; wash& pat dry.
- Lay chicken between sheets of waxed paper, gently pound with a meat mallet to flatten slightly.
- Rub all over with Italian dressing and let it sit while measuring out the remaining ingredients.
- Combine bread crumbs and seasonings on a piece of wax paper.
- Spray a large non-stick frying pan with cooking spray and place over medium heat.
- When hot, dredge dressing coated breasts through the bread crumb mixture and saute until golden, about 5- 8 minutes per side.
- Spoon some spaghetti sauce on top of each breast, sprinkle with Parmesan and top with mozarella.
- Cover pan and continue to cook over medium heat until sauce is hot and cheese melts, about 3- 5 minutes.
Stay Healthy ...
Makes 20 appetizers
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 loaf Italian bread, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1&1/2 cups chopped seeded plum tomatoes
1 jar diced pimientos peppers, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon grated Romano cheese
Fresh basil leaves
Method:
- Using 2 tablespoons oil, lightly brush one side of bread slices. Place bread oil side up on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
- In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, pimientos, chopped basil, vinegar, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper flakes and pepper; stir in Romano cheese.
- Place a whole basil leaf on each slice of toasted bread. Top with tomato mixture. Drizzle with remaining olive oil. Serve immediately.
Enjoy...
Serves 6
Ingredients:
2 pounds mussels or small hard-shell clams in shell, scrubbed
1 bottle clam juice
1/4 cup butter, divided use
3/4 cup sliced green onions
2 large cloves garlic, finely minced
1 pound medium-size raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
12 ounces fresh linguine
1/2 cup chopped parsley
Method:
- Pull beard from each mussel with a swift tug.
-Pour clam juice into a 5 to 6-quart pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Add mussels; reduce heat, cover, and boil gently until shells pop open, about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Discard any unopened mussels. Drain mussels, reserving liquid; keep mussels warm. -- Strain cooking liquid to remove grit; reserve 1 cup of the liquid.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring often, until onions are softened, about 3 minutes. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil; then boil, uncovered, until reduced by about half, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Add shrimp, then cover and remove from heat. Let stand until shrimp are opaque in center, about 8 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook linguine in a about 3 quarts boiling water until al dente, about 1 to 2 minutes; or cook according to package directions. Drain well.
- Add pasta and parsley to shrimp mixture and toss gently to combine. Mound on serving platter and top with mussels.
Enjoy...
best for gatherings and food parties..
Ingredients:
Green olive and caper tapenade:
1&1/2 cups tightly packed, pitted green olives
1/3 cup capers, drained
1/3 cup olive oil
Sun-dried tomato tapenade:
1 cup tightly packed sun-dried tomatoes marinated in oil
2/3 cup olive oil
Black olive tapenade:
1&1/2 cups tightly packed, pitted black olives
1/3 cup olive oil
Method:
1. Purée the ingredients for each tapenade seperatly in a blender until smooth.
2. Add more oil than called for if the tapenades seem dry or are difficult to puree.
3. Arrange on a small platter or plate so you get all three of the vibrant colors next to each other.
and there you have it .. all that's missing.. is your freshly baked bread..yum!
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 medium onions, chopped
2 pounds lean ground beef
3 cans whole tomatoes
3 cans tomato paste
18 ounces water
1 teaspoon sugar
salt to taste
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf crumbled
2 & 1/2 pounds spaghetti, cooked and drained
grated parmesan cheese
Method:
- In a large pot, saute garlic, parsley and onion until tender, but not browned.
- Add the ground beef; cook over high heat, stirring to break up the meat as it browns.
- Crush tomatoes in a blender or with a potato masher. Add to the pot with the tomato paste, water, sugar, salt, oregano, basil, pepper and bay leaf.
- Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 45 minutes.
- Taste and correct seasonings by adding salt, pepper or more sugar if needed.
- Serve over cooked spaghetti, topped with grated parmesan cheese.
"This recipe makes a lot of sauce, but it freezes well"
Enjoy...
Serves 2
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
8 oz. mixed wild mushrooms (shiitake, portobello, oyster, and chanterelle) cleaned, stemmed, and thickly sliced
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, toasted
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 pound penne pasta
1/4 cup coarsely chopped basil
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Method:
- In a large deep skillet, melt butter in heated olive oil. Add the garlic and cook over moderate heat until golden. Add the mushrooms, fennel seeds, rosemary and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally until the mushrooms are tender, about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the penne in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but firm to the bite; drain well. Add the pasta to the mushrooms, adding the basil and cheese. Mound onto two plates and serve immediately, offering additional Parmesan if desired.
Enjoy...
Jamie Oliver Style.. with mild changes.
Ingredients:
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup black olives
4 to 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
A drizzle of herb vinegar
1 dried chili
A handful fresh basil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 ciabatta or other rustic bread, cut into thick slices
1/2 clove garlic
4 boccacini
Parmesan, for shaving
Method:
- Squash your tomatoes into a bowl. Then, gently smash the olives on a board with a rolling-pin. Remove the stones, throw the olives in with the tomatoes, and toss together.
- Add a few drops of oil, the oregano, a drizzle of vinegar, crumbled chili, and the basil. Season, to taste.
- Toast the slices of bread and rub with the garlic clove, pile on the tomatoes and olives, rip the mozzarella and lay over the top. Drizzle with a little bit more oil and finish with shaves of Parmesan.
it's cold today.. and I was in the mood for pasta, so I tried this simple recipe... loved it. Ingredients: 1/2 pound penne pasta
1/8 cup fresh rosemary, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup tomato puree
salt & pepper
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
cook the penne until al dente. meanwhile, suate the rosemary in olive oil over low heat for 3 minutes. Add the tomato puree. Season with salt & pepper.
simmer for 15 minutes. Pour in the cream and parmesan chesse, and keep stirring until heated.
Drain your pasta and toss with the cream sauce.
Enjoy....Tip:
To warm a large bowl for serving pasta, put the serving bowl in the sink and place the colander in it. When the pasta is done, pour it into the colander, allowing the hot water to drain into the bowl. Pull the colander out of the serving bowl and let the pasta drain.
