Easy Recipes & Kitchen Update
I actually have the week off from construction. I know that I want my kitchen to be done (only painting, tile and some finishing work with the crown moulding and lighting is left,) but as someone who is accustomed to having the house to herself for the majority of every day, it’s very disconcerting to have people coming in and out at will for two solid weeks…especially when, no matter how much my contractor assures me his workers are professional and know what to do…you have to watch them every frickin’ minute.
The decisions are endless. Do you want the handles on the left or the right? What length should the pendant lights hang down? Granite 12 inches from the edge at the counter or 11? And paint! Don’t get me started on paint.
As a sidenote, I want a job naming the paints at Lowes. I’ve never seen such wonky names in my life. I’m betting the Name The Paint department has a water cooler filled with vodka and serves very special brownies in the breakroom.
But I digress.
The house is quiet!
So tonight, I cook!
It’s not the first meal in the kitchen. I actually did a very simple baked chicken recipe on Sunday night that requires one pan…two if you want a side dish. I thought maybe I’d share it because it’s super easy, has very few ingredients and anyone could make it for their family if you have the following:
Chicken (bone-in is best…any cut will do…skinless is okay if you must)
Italian breadcrumbs
Parmesan or Romano cheese
potatoes (any brand, though the little red ones save time since you don’t have to peel them)
sweet onion (optional, but you don’t have to eat them, even if you use them to line the pan)
mayonnaise (good stuff, people. I prefer Kraft because of the slight lemon tang)
I call this my Aunt Rosie’s Chicken.
In a shallow baking dish, cut onion into rings and line across the bottom fo the pan. Cut potatoes into slices (about 1/2 inch thick more or less) and line them over the onions. You don’t have to cover the whole pan. Onions can be eliminated, but if you do that, coat the baking dish with a thin layer of olive oil to keep the potatoes from sticking. If you include the onions, they’ll keep the potatoes from sticking.
In a shallow bowl or dish, mix equal portions of Italian Breadcrumbs and Parmesan or Romano cheese. About 1/2 cup each for a small amount of chicken…3/4 for a bit more.
Take the chicken pieces you like best (I like thighs, daughter likes drumsticks, husband prefers breast) and salt & pepper a bit–not too much because the breadcrumbs and cheese have salt. Then smear chicken with mayonnaise. Not a lot, just enough to make the breadcrumb mixture stick. You’ll probably need less than a 1/4 cup of mayo, and since you’re smearing on raw chicken, put it in a bowl before you start so you don’t dip into the jar with chicken juice on your spoon or knife. Coat with breadcrumb mixture and then lay on top of the potato/onions.
Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes.
Buy bread or bake biscuits for dunking in the juice that will be in the bottom of the pan, if you’re not worried about calories–and if you are, you really shouldn’t sweat the mayo…it all cooks off the chicken and just gives it flavor and keeps it moist. And you’re not really putting that much on.
I serve this with sauteed brocolli. It’s easy. Heat a pan with olive oil (not the extra virgin stuff…it burns too easily.) Saute brocolli. Salt & pepper. Voila! It’s a side dish.
Easy, yes?
Edited to add: katie reminded me that Tyler Florence is a hottie, so I’m adding this picture to the blog! 
Tonight, I’m making Chicken Marsala. I can’t print the recipe because it’s not mine to share…it’s a Tyler Florence recipe from Food Network. But this is the link.
(Okay, I wrote this blog yesterday…here are a couple of Julie tips to this fabulously easy recipe!)
=> Don’t pound the chicken. Buy cutlets or scallopini. They’re already thin and it saves you time and energy. They’re usually not too expensive.
=> Salt and pepper my cutlets just a bit before I dredge in the flour. Gives them more flavor.
=> You’re going to lose a bit of flour in the cooking process and it will settle into the oil. That’s good. It will help thicken the sauce later. But watch the temperature on your pan while frying so you don’t scorch the leftover flour.
=> Do NOT use Extra Virgin olive oil because it burns too easily. Use the regular olive oil.
=> Proscuitto is available at most delis, but they will want to slice it paper thin, which is the traditional way to serve it. For this recipe, have them slice is to a regular thickness. It’s must easier to work with and gets nice and crispy. Don’t omit this if you can find it. The smoky tanginess of the prosciutto is a nice balance against the Marsala wine (which is also available in most grocery stores.)
=> I add 3/4 of a cup of Marsala wine (the sweet variety, not the dry) and 3/4 of a cup of chicken STOCK (the boxed stuff…it’s in the same aisle as the broth, but has TONS more flavor). I like mine a bit more saucy since I serve this over hot pasta.
=> I use Baby Bella (also known as baby portabella) mushrooms, which are easily available in the grocery. You can also use white button in a pinch. Buy the sliced and save more time!
=> Never put salt on your mushrooms until after they’ve browned (carmelized) to the color you want. Salt brings out the natural juices and stops the carmelizing process.
=> I skip the parsley…green stuff on food does not go over well in households with children. BTW, if you’ve got kids, like mine, who do not like their food to touch, it’s very easy to hunt out the chicken and mushrooms and serve separately.
=> Put olive oil (extra virgin here if you have it!) on your pasta after it has been drained, not while its in the pot. It really doesn’t help the pasta from sticking…putting it in a big pot with lots of salted water helps it from sticking! And never rinse your pasta! (Who started that??) That removes the starch, which is what allows the flavor of sauces to stick to the pasta.
It’s super easy and really the best Marsala I’ve ever had. I like it better than any restaurant version I’ve had to date.
What’s your favorite recipe? What meal does your family just love? And if you don’t cook, what is your “tried and true” meal at a restaurant or the one you request most often of other people to make!
My kitchen should be done by next week after this little break (we’re waiting for the tile to arrive)…pictures should be available next week of everything all done!
Sounds yummy Julie. I’m not a big cook, and I don’t have any special recipes from mom. But I do love my food.
And when I go out to eat, I like to try different things, except at Cheescake Factor, then I always get chicken madeira - it’s wonderful, with asparagus and garlic mashed potatoes. I never order anything different cuz I love it so much.
Comment by Stacy ~ — February 20, 2008 @ 7:17 am
MMMMMMMMM…..I will need to try your recipie. I like simple.
ONe of my daughters favs is Lemon Chicken. And I made Lasagne for my b’day. Hubby is doing his german pork tenderloin tonight.
Off to work. ick. Don’t want to go. I want one of those work from home jobs…
Comment by ev — February 20, 2008 @ 8:33 am
Good morning Plotmonkeys and Jungle Babes,
I LOVE chicken Marsala. I always order it at a restaurant if it’s on the menu. Delish!
Your Aunt Rosie’s chicken sounds great, Julie.
I’m not sure I have a favorite recipe. My husband has been on this low carb diet for a while so our meals have really simplified.
I’m looking forward to the big “ta da” of your kitchen, Julie Be sure and post some close up pics so we can see tile and counter details and so forth.
Have a super day all,
Cher
Comment by Cher — February 20, 2008 @ 8:34 am
Yummy! Congrats on the kitchen progress! Are the workers at least hunky enough for some hero characterizations?
I love my grandmother’s paella and flan. I love ordering fruti del mar and I make just about anything that sometimes is a hit or miss. 
Comment by Yolanda — February 20, 2008 @ 9:09 am
Ummmm….I’m the one with the “I kiss better than I cook” floorcloth, so I don’t really have any great recipes to share, but I’m definitely going to try yours!!! I especially like the “1 pan” part!
Glad your kitchen is almost finished - and that you get a break. You’re so right about the endless decisions. When we built our 1,000 sq. ft. house (which will be turned into a guest house) I was overwhelmed with details. I finally just threw my hands up and told hubby “whatever”. I know he has great taste and I knew it would look good so I just let him make decisions - and we were literally building it ourselves too so that probably made it a little easier, no 3rd party involved. I’m glad I had that experience so I can be a little better prepared for when we move on to the bigger house. It makes me shudder just thinking about it!
Hope everyone has a great day!!
Comment by Jodie — February 20, 2008 @ 9:11 am
Sounds delicious. I usually only like it at Olive Garden, but you make it sound so simple that I may have to try it at home. Thanks for the tip.
BTW if I’m going for easy in my house it is hotdogs and french fries, or just let the daughter work on her culinary skills. LOL
Comment by Patty L. — February 20, 2008 @ 9:19 am
That sounds delicious! I’ve actually never had chicken marsala… I love the food network - love it. (Baby Bella mushrooms are also called cremini’s)
Comment by JSL — February 20, 2008 @ 9:21 am
The recipe sounds yummy and boy do I need some new ideas for dinner.
I know what you mean about the names of the paints at Lowe’s.
My bathroom which I painted last summer is called Midsummers Night Dream. It is a shade of green close to the Mylanta bottle green. Once it cured I really liked it.
With Sailcloth (a shade of white) for trim.
My kitchen is La Fonda Tortuga, another shade of green again. After seeing pirates of the Carribean I couldn’t help myself.
And the inside of my garage is Avalon. I thought it sounded romantic and it is the color of the inside of a 3 Musketeer bar. I thought the beige would hide dirt out there and I was right it does.
Like Janelle I have learned that there is nothing better in the paint world that can compare to semi gloss or satin paint. Talk about easy to clean.
No more flat paint for me.
Comment by Gigi — February 20, 2008 @ 9:38 am
Comment by katie — February 20, 2008 @ 10:15 am
I’ve had to switch to low fat and low salt cooking for my husband so, I’ve had to find new favorite recipes. I still like baked chicken with stuffing. It’s a comfort food especially when I make my mother’s recipe for stuffing.
It’s not a recipe but I love fried chicken. I’m from NY so by law, I’m not allowed to make fried chicken. Chicken Parmesan, yes.
Comment by ThatBrunette — February 20, 2008 @ 11:04 am
ThatBrunette, I don’t think you can adjust the Aunt Rosie’s chicken to low fat or salt, but the marsala might. Just use half the amount of olive oil (which is good for the heart anyway!) and make sure the Chicken stock/broth is low sodium. You don’t have to salt the mushrooms like the recipe says…you could just put the pepper. You could also flavor the flour and the chicken with Mrs. Dash or use poultry seasoning. It may change the flavor a bit, but not by much. The marsala is a strong flavor. You could also reduce the proscuitto, which I’m sure is salty (but not very fatty if you buy the good stuff) by half.
Just a suggestion!
I’m all about altering recipes. Once I make something once, I usually fiddle. I can’t think of a single recipe that I follow to the letter…except my Mac & Cheese, because it’s perfect the way it is (it’s not MY mac & cheese, but came from Isaac Mizrahi’s television talk show.)
Comment by Julie Leto — February 20, 2008 @ 11:23 am
katie…me too!
Comment by Julie Leto — February 20, 2008 @ 11:23 am
He and Curtis Stone (along with most of the Food Network males) can cook for me anytime!
Comment by katie — February 20, 2008 @ 1:48 pm
I am getting good at altering recipes. Olive oil is one of the ‘free’ fats in our diets. It helps to lower cholesterol so, I’m not afraid of adding a little extra! :-) Oh, I also have to cook low vitamin A. That means nothing orange (sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkin) and go easy on red (tomatoes, red peppers). I still cook with tomatoes but, not as often as I would like.
Thanks for the suggestions, Julie! I get some of the best suggestions from other cooks. Someone just sent me a recipe for canned cream substitute. I might have to whip out the crock pot and try one of the recipes I haven’t been able to do because of the high salt canned soups.
Comment by ThatBrunette — February 20, 2008 @ 2:26 pm
I can’t cook, but my dad and my cousin are great cooks. My dad’s specialty is roasted chicken and my cousin’s best dish is chicken parmigiana.
Comment by Jane — February 20, 2008 @ 3:27 pm
Cooking for our house changed drastically when Honey and I were diagnosed as diabetics. Now I only do
“old style” cooking for special occasions. I miss it, but our newer style of eating has paid off. I’ve lost
54 pounds over the last three years. What’s the saying about one door closing and another opening?
P. S. Don’t tell anyone, keep this just between you and I: I’m a native of Texas and I haven’t fried chicken
in more years than I can remember!
Pat Cochran
Comment by Patricia Cochran — February 20, 2008 @ 3:39 pm
I will have to try your Aunt Rosie’s chicken the next time I have family in for the weekend. I’m single, so I do pretty simple and small meals. When my family comes for a visit I try to fix my lasagna or Italian noodles.
Comment by Liza — February 20, 2008 @ 3:52 pm
Stacy~, I always order the same thing at the Cheesecake Factory, too. The shrimp scampi. Janelle turned me on to it. Every time I’ve tried to order something else, I’m hugely disappointed. Their pad thai is AWFUL. Ugh. Never do that one again.
At Carrabba’s, I always order the Chicken Parm. At Macaroni Grill, either the meat sauce pasta or the salmon on the risotto. Oh, that’s yummy! I have a set meal for just about every chain restaurant, LOLOL!
Comment by Julie Leto — February 20, 2008 @ 4:53 pm
My husbands favorite is Taco Soup.
Comment by Estella — February 20, 2008 @ 5:31 pm
Oh, Julie, chicken marsasla is my FAVE! Bruce makes fabulous chic marsala…made it for my birthday dinner, as a matter of fact.
Yummmmmmm.
Yay on the house!
Comment by Leslie — February 20, 2008 @ 6:10 pm
Thanks for the recipe. I LOVED the comment on the Name the Paint department, too. Some nail polishes and lipsticks get that crazy, too.
Comment by Caryn — February 20, 2008 @ 7:31 pm
That sounds yummy Julie. Since I live by myself & have for a long time my cooking goes in spurts according to my mood! I’ve been in a slump lately relying on frozen foods, etc. I prefer fresh! Last night I made Carrot and Orange Soup, which I love & is healthy. In the winter I make a lot of soups & sometimes a stew then I have something for several days. If I get tired of it I just have something else to give the taste buds a break! Most of the things I love to make are for families but I make them anyway. There are some things I can put in the freezer for another time. I also love to bake which helps my hips & but to enlarge!! My grandson likes me to make him cookies & I do whenever the mood hits me. He has a birthday next month that will probably prompt me to make something for him. His favorites are Oatmeal Raisin & mine are Brownies or Chocolate Chip. Okay I think I will go heat up some leftover soup all this food talk is making me hungry!
Comment by Donna M — February 20, 2008 @ 10:10 pm
Hi everybody…Jules, this is a great topic for today…I started cooking when I was about 7 years old…that’s when I became the “mommy” in the family…I used to love cooking and my fav dishes were Jamaican dishes like Stew peas and Rice, Curry Goat, Stew Chicken and Rice, Rice and Peas and Chicken…those are really great dishes…later I ended up cooking meals for 8 people and I never got out of the habit of cooking for a large group…I liked cooking and experimenting with dishes, but when I was involuntarily re-classified as a cook in the military, I grew to HATE cooking…I don’t even like to make Ramen noodles, unless I really have to, anymore…the dishes that everyone has written about sound great…I tried Chicken Marsala, but the mushrooms killed it for me…I will talk to you all later…
Peace and love,
Paula R.
Comment by Paula R. — February 20, 2008 @ 11:15 pm
Those recipes sound yummy. Sometimes I coat my chicken in mustard then roll in bread crumbs. Cuts some of the calories. And Tyler? Any man that hot and can cook… a keeper!
Comment by Beth — February 21, 2008 @ 2:10 am