A cornucopia of recipes
Grace prepares one of her favorites – chicken cutlets
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| Grace browns the panko-covered chicken before covering it with Parmesan cheese and baby spinach. (Philip Marruffo/pmarruffo@saukvalley.com) |
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I had planned a column on soup this week. It seemed like it would be perfect. Cold and snowy outside and warm and toasty inside. Perfect to come home to a hot soup simmering in the pot, with the aroma wafting all through the house when you walk in. Mmm, perfect.
But the cold did not come. The snow did not fall from the sky. The temperatures did not plummet.
The weather is all turned around this year, it seems. I was in Arkansas and Oklahoma over the holidays and it was colder there than it was here. My daughter was in Florida, and that was even colder than it was here in Illinois.
I’m not complaining – I love it. It can stay this way all winter and I would be perfectly happy.
But, plan B. I am bringing you a mix of recipes that I have been stashing, with no real theme.
This first one is a favorite that I just recently made. The basic chicken cutlet recipe can be turned into several other dishes, just by swapping or adding different ingredients. Use your imagination. This dish also is fast, less than a half-hour – easy, healthy, and economical.
Chicken cutlets
4 small chicken cutlets
Salt and pepper
Paprika (optional)
Panko bread crumbs
3 tablespoons olive oil
Rub the chicken with salt, pepper and a little paprika, or any spice you like. Coat the cutlets in bread crumbs, pressing gently to help them stick.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the cutlets and cook until golden brown and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side, being very careful not to shake off the crumbs. Transfer chicken to a plate.
These are your basic chicken cutlets, good just as they are. Here are a few variations:
Chicken, spinach Parmesan
4 crispy chicken cutlets
1/2 cup marinara sauce
1/2 cup fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
Spread about 2 tablespoons marinara sauce on the bottoms of each of four broiler-proof dishes, or a 1/2 cup on the bottom of a medium broiler-proof baking pan. Lay the fried cutlets over the sauce, top the chicken equally with the spinach, the remaining marinara, and the mozzarella cheese. Broil until the cheese begins to brown, 2 or 3 minutes.
Chicken cordon bleu
Place the cooked cutlets in a foil-lined, broiler-proof baking sheet.
Spread a small dab of Dijon mustard on each, then top with a thin slice of ham and a slice of Swiss cheese. Broil until the cheese begins to brown, 2 or 3 minutes.
Looking for my mother’s recipe
I have been trying to find a recipe for the Spanish rice that my mother made. Of course, she probably did not have a real recipe, just something in her head. I have never found the recipe. This one is good, but it is not quite right. I don’t know what is missing. I seem to recall she used fresh or canned tomatoes (I don’t think she ever used tomato sauce). I remember that she used peppers and onions, and that she fried the rice with the onions and peppers.
If you have a recipe you think might be the one, please email it or send it to the Sterling office.
Thanks, Grace.
Hamburger Spanish rice
Servings: 4
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 cup uncooked instant rice
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
3/4 cup hot water
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
In a skillet, brown beef, onion, green pepper and rice. Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 20 to 25 minutes or until the rice is tender.
Creamy scalloped potatoes
Servings: 18
Cook time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Prep time: 30 minutes
1 tub (8 ounces) chive and onion cream cheese spread
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
10 slices bacon, cooked, crumbled and divided
4 1/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes (about 12), cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 cup shredded Colby and Monterey jack cheeses
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cook the cream cheese spread, broth and milk in saucepan on medium heat until the cream cheese is melted and the mixture comes to a boil, constantly stirring with a whisk.
Reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon. Layer half of the potatoes, onions and remaining bacon in 13-by-9-inch baking dish, then repeat. Add cream cheese sauce, cover and bake 1 1/2 hours or until the potatoes are tender and top is golden brown. Uncover and top with shredded cheese and the reserved bacon the last 10 minutes.
Note: You can substitute 1 (8-ounce) package of cream cheese, cubed, for the cream cheese spread.
Hamburger goulash
Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
1 pound ground beef, browned
2 large onions, chopped
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 (16-ounce) bag elbow macaroni
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
Brown beef, 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes and 2 onions in a large frying pan. Drain excess fat. While browning the beef, in another pan, cook macaroni in boiling, salted water until tender. Set aside until almost ready to serve.
When beef and onions are finished cooking, add the canned, crushed tomatoes and about 1/2 cup water, garlic salt, pepper, and chili powder mix. Blend well.
Simmer for about 20 minutes; then add cooked macaroni noodles and mix well when ready to serve. If you add the macaroni noodles too soon, they may overcook and get mushy.
Hamburger and macaroni
Servings: 4
1 pound ground beef
1 yellow onion, chopped (or mixed chopped green onion greens and yellow onion)
Olive oil
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1 large can (28 ounces) of diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 cups uncooked macaroni (use rice pasta for wheat-free version)
Get a large pot of hot water heating and begin cooking the macaroni per the directions on the package.
In a skillet, brown the ground beef in a tablespoon of olive oil on high heat.
In a large skillet, saute chopped onion with a tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and lower the heat to medium. Add a dash of crushed red pepper. Add seasoned salt, celery seed, canned tomatoes, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a simmer and let simmer for 5 minutes. Mix in the drained and cooked macaroni and parsley. Simmer for another 5 minutes.
Breakfast tacos
Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6
4 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup chopped green or red bell pepper
4 medium green onions, chopped
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
6 taco shells
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 small avocado, pitted, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup chunky salsa
In small bowl, beat eggs, garlic salt and pepper thoroughly with fork or wire whisk. Stir in bell pepper and onions.
In 8-inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Pour egg mixture into skillet. As mixture begins to set at bottom and side, gently lift cooked portions with spatula so that thin, uncooked portions can flow to bottom. Avoid constant stirring. Cook 3 to 4 minutes or until eggs are thickened throughout. Gently stir in cheese.
Heat taco shells as directed on package. Place lettuce in shells. Spoon eggs onto lettuce. Top with avocado and salsa.
Chicken spaghetti pie
Prep time: 35 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Servings: 8
CRUST
7 ounces uncooked vermicelli
1 egg
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
FILLING
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
12 ounces prepared cheese product (such as Velveeta, from 16-ounce loaf), cut into cubes
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 9 1/2-inch glass deep-dish pie plate with cooking spray. Cook and drain vermicelli as directed on package.
In large bowl, beat egg. Stir in 1/4 cup melted butter and the Parmesan cheese. Add cooked vermicelli; toss to coat. Spoon mixture evenly into pie plate, pushing mixture slightly up side of plate to form crust.
In 12-inch skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until tender. Stir in mixed vegetables, tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce. Cook 5 minutes. Add cheese; cook, stirring constantly, until melted. Stir in chicken. Spoon evenly into vermicelli-lined pie plate.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until filling is set and crust is light golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes. To serve, cut into wedges.
Tip of the week
Never rinse pasta. Rinsing washes away most of the starches and nutrients and some of the flavor. When cooking pasta, add a little bit of the pasta water to the sauce for lots of flavor.
