Chicken Parmesan Again

• Time 15 minutes
• Serves 4

Ingredients

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• 4 each boned and skinned chicken breasts, about 4 ounces each
• 2/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon dried italian seasoning
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/3 cup flour, all-purpose
• 3 large egg whites, lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 4 cups spaghetti, cooked and drained (about 8 oz raw)
• 3 cups pasta sauce, details to follow
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup diced tomato (optional)
• 2 tablespoons chopped basil, fresh or dried basil leaves

How to make it

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• Place each chicken breast between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap. Flatten to 1/4 inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin.
• Start bringing pasta water to a boil in a pasta pot or large saucepan.
• Combine breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, italian seasoning and pepper in a shallow dish. Dredge each chicken breast in flour. Dip in egg whites, dredge in breadcrumb mixture.
• Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook 5 minutes on each side or until done.
• Start cooking the spaghetti separately.
• Preheat broiler.
• Place the cooked and drained spaghetti in the bottom of a medium sized glass baking dish. Spoon one cup of the pasta sauce over the spaghetti. Spread the diced tomatoes on top. Arrange cooked chicken breast in a layer on top of that. Spoon the rest of the pasta sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella on top of all.
• Place the baking dish on a cookie sheet and broil for three minutes or until the cheese melts and starts to brown slightly. Garnish with basil and serve.

This dish is so yummy. It would be great to make for guests. The only problem was that the pasta sauce was not warm enough after the 3 min on broil in the oven. I will have to work on that.

McCormick Slow Cookers:

BBQ Pulled Pork/Chicken

I was looking for a simple way to cook some chicken and was wanting BBQ for something different. I went to the store and bought McCormick's BBQ Pulled Pork Slow Cooker seasoning. All I needed was ketchup, brown sugar, and cider vinegar to add in the crock pot. After about 4 hrs in the crock pot, the chicken was extremely tender and delicious!

Asian Meatballs With Sesame Lime Dipping Sauce

Adapted from Gourmet (May 2007)

Servings: Makes 4 (main course) servings.

1/4 cup milk (I used 1%)
1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs (I used Panko)
1-1/2 pounds ground turkey, with dark meat (Don't use breast meat, it will be too dry)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup canned sliced water chestnuts, rinsed, drained, and finely chopped ( did it in my food processor)
1 Tablespoon finely minced ginger root
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro plus
1/4 cup sprigs
5 tablespoons soy sauce
4 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons sugar
Accompaniment: steamed white rice

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 500°F.

Pour milk over bread crumbs in a large bowl and stir until liquid is absorbed. Add ground meat, egg, water chestnuts, salt, chopped cilantro, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and 2 teaspoons oil and mix with your hands until combined well. Shape 3 tablespoons meat mixture into a ball and transfer to a 13- by 9-inch glass baking dish. Make more meatballs with remaining mixture, arranging meatballs about 1/2 inch apart in baking dish. Bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, stir together lime juice, water, sugar, remaining 4 tablespoons soy sauce, and remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a bowl until sugar is dissolved.

Transfer meatballs to a serving dish. Stir sauce, then drizzle meatballs with 1 tablespoon sauce and sprinkle with cilantro sprigs.

Serve meatballs with remaining sauce.
Makes 4 (main course) servings.

Note: I always make a tiny meatball and boil or microwave it, to check if the seasonings are right. I wound up adding a little more salt to the meat mixture before I formed the rest of the meatballs.

These are kind of different. Just okay. I don't think Michael would even try them =) I didn't care for the dipping sauce. The Asian Sesame Oil has a unique flavor.

Cheesy Broccoli Casserole: by Paula Deene

Ingredients

• 2 pounds fresh broccoli, trimmed and cut up
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the casserole
• 1/4 cup chopped celery
• 1/4 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 pound cheese product, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup grated Cheddar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 13-inch casserole.

Steam the broccoli until tender, about 10 minutes. In the meantime, melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat and saute the celery, mushrooms, and onion until softened, about 10 minutes; drain. Combine the broccoli and the cooked vegetables in a bowl.

Heat the soup and softened cheese product in a saucepan over low heat until the cheese melts. Pour it over the broccoli mixture. Add the garlic salt and pepper and combine.

Put it into the buttered casserole dish and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Sprinkle the top with the grated Cheddar the last 5 minutes of baking.

This was okay. I don't know that I would repeat it. I am just not a big fan of creamy/cheesy vegetables. I was trying it hoping that Michael would enjoy it, but it wasn't his favorite either.

Chocolate Volcano Cakes

From Cook Yourself Thin Faster with Lauren Deen

Serves 6

Nutrition per cake:

Calorie 298, Total Fat 19g, Sodium 116 mg, Sugars 22g

Ingredients:

Cocoa powder, for muffin tins

21/2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 egg white

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted (= 1 cup chocolate chips) Melt the chocolate in the microwave, checking after 30-second intervals. Mix after each check as chips keep their shape even when melted.

1/4 cup heavy cream, for serving

Confectioners' sugar, for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 400F

2. Spray 6 cups of a standard muffin tin with cooking spray. Dust with cocoa powder and tap out the excess. Place on a baking sheet.

3. Using a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or with the beaters of an electric hand mixer, cream the butter and granulated sugar until fluffy, about 1 minute.

4. Add the eggs and egg white one at a time, beating well after each addition.

5. Lower the speed to low and mix in the four and salt until just combined. Add the chocolate and mix, again, until just combined. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups.

6. Bake just until the tops of the cakes no longer jiggle when the pan is lightly shake, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, place on a cooking rack, and let rest for 5 minutes.

7. Meanwhile, using a whisk or electric mixer, whip the cream.

8. With the help of a small offset spatula or spoon, invert the cakes onto serving plates; the bottom will now become the top. Don't worry if they crack slightly. Just dust with confectioners' sugar and serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

This dessert is super rich and delicious. It is very quick and easy to put together and does not require too many ingredients. I haven't made it with the whipped cream on top but think a little ice cream would be perfect with the lava cakes.