Chicken Cutlets with Pasta in Garlic Butter

I don't usually like to toot my horn but I'm about to toot away. This recipe was delicious! I have to say my favorite part of having this blog is that it forces me to try different flavor combinations. I've watched Rachael Ray for years and I've seen her quite a few times cook with anchovies. I was always a bit curious about trying it in a recipe. I was at my favorite store, Executive Chef, and I saw anchovy paste and I bought it without knowing what I'd use it for. Don't tell Jon, but I put it in the sauce. If you think you wouldn't like it, please try it anyways. It gave it a salty flavor just like Rachael said it would. That lady knows what she's talking about.

I also made some sacrifices so I could make the garlic butter sauce and not feel totally guilty. I used a whole wheat pasta and oven baked the chicken rather than fry it. It still came out amazing. I'd say the stick of butter had something to do with it!

1 lb chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
3/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

1/2 lb pasta, reserve 1/2 cup pasta water

1 stick butter
4-5 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tsp anchovy paste
1/2 tsp oregano
2 tbsp all purpose flour
2 tsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat baking sheet or pan with olive oil.



Like my mismatched plates?



<3 gunk on my hands!

Set up three plates. First with flour, parsley, garlic powder, paprika, salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. Second with eggs. Third with panko and parmesan. Toss each chicken breast in flour, then eggs, back to flour, again in eggs, and then lastly in breadcrumb mixture. Repeat with both chicken breasts. Place on prepared baking sheet. Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and cooked throughout.

Melt butter in frying pan, add garlic and whisk in anchovy paste, oregano, flour and lemon juice. Allow sauce to simmer on low heat for 20-25 minutes.

Toss pasta with reserved pasta water and garlic butter sauce. Add extra parmesan cheese if desired. Serve with chicken on top and enjoy!



Toasted Coconut Saltine Candy

So funny story about this recipe, I almost burnt my oven down making it a couple years ago. I used to make this candy (minus the toasted coconut) allllll the time for gift baskets and at home snacking. At the time, I had the smallest baking sheet you can buy. So anytime I needed to make an abundance of this treat, I had to make four batches. So I had a flat pizza sheet that was like three times the size and decided "hey, why not use this?". I'll tell you why not use this past presence idiot self, the recipe has butter in it. So, on a flat sheet when the butter bubbles up, it bubbles over, over as in to the bottom of the oven. Luckily, when making this recipe my knight in shining armor, Jon, was outside working on his truck. I started screaming like a mad woman as I'm watching smoke pour from the rings of my stove top and flames engulfing my pizza sheet inside the oven. Jon snaps into action, grabs the fire extinguisher and saves the day. What the heck would I have done if he wasn't there? I really should take a fire safety course or something...

Morale of the story, make sure when you make this recipe, you use a baking sheet that has a lip on all four sides. I took pictures of the evolution of this recipe for you so you can see what I'm talking about there. You'll also notice in my pictures that only half of mine is covered with toasted coconut and almonds. My parents have had coconut flakes in the fridge forever and haven't used them for anything. I decided I wanted to make this recipe with them and asked Jon to go get them for me. He was pissed. He hates coconut and knew that I was going to be creating something that he wouldn't even get to it. So, out of the kindness of my heart, I went ahead and made half my way, and half his way. Aww, I'm so nice. The recipe however reflects the whole thing being covered with coconut flakes and almonds. If you have picky eaters in the house like I do, just go ahead and cut the almonds and coconut flakes in half.

On to the recipe...

Toasted Coconut Saltine Candy

42 saltines (this is going to vary on the size of your baking sheet)
2 sticks of butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup almonds, finely chopped
1 cup toasted coconut flakes
2 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. *While the oven was preheating, I toasted up my coconut flakes in there on a foil covered baking sheet for 3-4 minutes until golden brown*Arrange saltines on foil covered baking sheet. Be sure they are all touching each other but not overlapping. Melt butter in microwave or on stove top. Once melted, whisk in brown sugar. Pour over top of saltines and use spatula to spread it evenly across saltines. Bake in oven for 3-4 minutes until bubbling. Take out of the oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over top. Allow the chocolate chips to melt and then use the back of spatula to spread evenly over entire surface. Sprinkle with toasted coconuts and finely chopped almonds. Refrigerate for one hour. Break into pieces and enjoy!

Just a quick note... When you take the saltines out of the oven, the butter mixture may make them move around a bit. I just take a spoon or spatula and rearrange them so they're not overlapping. I tend to yell at them "get back in line!" while I do it, purely for my own amusement. Hope you all enjoy this delicious chocolate concoction!

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake

Hey there,

So since Thanksgiving is approaching us rather quickly, I wanted to get as many recipes up for you guys as fast as possible. Most of the time, I research and taste test recipes online and then adapt it to make it my own. This next recipe is perfect just as it is. Soooo delicious. Apparently Gooey Butter Cakes come from St. Louis, but I was introduced to them by a sweet little lady from Georgia. You guys may have heard of her before.. Paula Deen? It was one of the very first dessert recipes I tried of hers and it is to die for. It is like birthday cake meets cheesecake in Heaven. So good! Anyways, here's the link to the recipe on Food Network's website.

Love ya!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/pumpkin-gooey-butter-cakes-recipe/index.html

Glazed Carrots

This is Jon's favorite recipe of my dad's. You all know by now that Jon hates veggies so for this to be his favorite it saying something. It could be the butter and brown sugar, but hey, they're still veggies right?

7-8 carrots - do not peel, just slice into 1/4 inch slices

1 stick of butter

1/2 cup of brown sugar

1/2 cup of water

Place water and butter in saucepan and cook over medium heat. Add carrots. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and add brown sugar. Cook for 40 minutes stirring occasionally.

Caramelized Onions

Another super easy recipe courtesy of my mom and dad! Only 3 ingredients, don't you guys love them? They do Thanksgiving the smart AND delicious way!

2-3 sweet onions - chopped and sliced

1 stick of butter

1 cup of brown sugar

Place one stick of butter and sliced onions on burner over medium heat. Cook until butter is melted and bubbling. Reduce to simmer and add brown sugar. simmer for at least 30 minutes stirring occasionally

Scalloped Potatoes

This recipe is one I've been having since I can ever remember, and it is hands down my favorite. My mom is literally notorious for these scalloped potatoes. We live at the Estates at Turtle Bay and have a lot of really great neighbors. We have also become so close with the people who work on the property, at the restaurants and bars. As soon as people find out she's making these potatoes, she will be harassed for days to get some! I always end up missing out because by the time I make it there to get some, she's already given it out to all her other "kids" at the hotel! Haha. Anyways, we love this recipe in the family and I think it's going to make an awesome addition to your recipe collection.

10-12 red potatoes, peeled and slice thinly

2 16 oz packages of American Cheese

1/4 stick of butter, plus 2 tbsp for baking dish

2 tbsp all purpose flour

1/4 tsp. salt

Prepare baking dish by greasing with butter. In a medium sauce pan melt butter, then add flour and stir with a whisk until blended. Add milk and heat slowly-then add American Cheese, let melt. Stir with whisk and let stand for a few minutes. Put potatoes in a the baking dish and pour the cheese sauce over the potatoes. Cook in a 350 degree oven for an hour and fifteen minutes.

Tips from Mom's Kitchen:

Don't let the sliced potatoes sit very long without the cheese sauce, the potatoes will turn grey...

You could cook this a few days ahead of your Thanksgiving feast and warmed in the stove the day of, they even will taste better and less work on Thanksgiving, more time to enjoy your family...

Mashed Potatoes

Cheesy, creamy and delicious. Perfect for your Shepherd's Pie or served with gravy.

3 pounds potatoes

½ cup parmesan

½ cup Romano

½ cream cheese              

½ cup milk

1  stick butter    

3 cloves of garlic

Salt and Pepper to taste

Cube potatoes and get them in a pot and cover them with cold water. Bring to a boil and season water with salt. *see tip at bottom* Cook for 20-25 minutes until fork tender.

Drain potatoes. Using an electric mixer, beat potatoes with Parmesan, Romano, cream cheese, milk, butter and garlic until smooth or to desired "with lumps" consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Tip from the cook: Anytime I make potatoes, pasta or rice, I always season my boiling water with salt AND chicken bouillon. I think its much more inexpensive than cooking in Chicken Stock in a box and gets you the same flavor. It also adds a really nice gourmet color to it. That little jar of bouillon lasts quite a while too, even with the amount of cooking I do!

Cheese Sauce

Cheese Sauce:

1/2 stick butter

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 1/4 cup milk

8 oz American cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp salt

 

Melt butter on medium heat on stove top. Whisk flour in until there are no clumps. Add in milk. Allow to heat for 1-2 minutes and then reduce heat to low-medium. Add cheese in a couple slices at a time and allow to melt. Add in Parmesan cheese and salt. Stir until thickened.