Foodmomiac

Me? Cooking? Whaddayaknow (Chicken Milanese and Pasta)

Chicken Milanese with Pasta
Originally uploaded by Foodmomiac

I know myself better than to promise anything, but today begins July's NaBloPoMo (posting every day in a month), and the topic is food. I gotta at least try, no?

Last night we had Chicken Milanese. I sliced chicken breasts very thinly, dredged them in egg and panko (seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic powder) and then pan fried them in extra virgin olive oil. Once they were cooked, I popped them into the oven on low to keep them warm. Then, Dylan stepped up to help.

We grabbed a few leaves of basil from the garden along with some cherry tomatoes. These were all thrown into a wooden bowl with some capers and some baby arugula. She chopped everything up and then I added a bit of olive oil. No vinegar was needed due to the capers. I also threw in a bit of shredded cheese (an Italian blend that was lurking in the fridge).

The kids ate the chicken breasts plain. The adults topped them with the arugula mix for a delicious Milanese.

On the side, we had gemelli tossed with raw, chopped cherry tomatoes, black pepper, olive oil and chunks of fresh mozzarella. Such a nice summer meal.

Featured Ingredient: Leftover Corn

I always get so excited when corn is finally in season. Excitement translates to more ears of corn than my family can possibly eat, so it's nice to have some leftover corn recipes in my pocket to avoid being wasteful.

My all-time favorite leftover corn recipe is Ubiquitous Corn Salad. You really can't go wrong with this, and everyone always loves it. In fact, I would have probably made it tonight, but the reason I had leftover corn in the first place was because I made the salad yesterday. It was requested that I bring a bowl of it over to our friend Dave's birthday party. (We had a great time, and loved getting the chance to spend time with our old buddy Howard.)

So, yeah, you can't make corn salad with corn that's leftover from corn salad. But, I made too much corn, and I needed to do something with it. Michael went to a Cubs game tonight, so it was just me and the kids. I wanted something simple, summery and healthy, but I didn't want it to seem so healthy that they'd refuse to eat it.

I am happy to report that this dish was a hit. Proof:

Pasta with Corn, Chickpeas and Cheese

1/2 pound small pasta (I used gemelli, but I think small shells or elbows would be even better)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, sliced thinly
2 ears of leftover cooked corn, scraped off the cob
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3 tablespoons butter
1 scallion (white and light green parts), sliced
salt and pepper
3/4 cup of Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
small handful of fresh basil, julienned (cut into thin slices)

Cook pasta according to the package directions.

In the meantime, heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds (don't let it get too brown). Add the corn and chickpeas and saute for two minutes. Add the butter and scallion and continue to cook for another minute or two. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

When the pasta is done cooking, drain it and add to the pan. Stir to combine and then add the Parmigiano. Stir again. Top with the julienned basil. Enjoy!

Vegetarian Lasagne

I have a beautiful photo of the lasagne I served last night (the one I cooked on Sunday). Sadly, though the photo was beautiful, the lasagne tasted like butt. Moral of the story? When a Bolognese sauce calls for pancetta, it might be a good idea to use pancetta. German proscuitto seasoned with juniper berries will yield a lasagne that tastes like it was soaked in gin. (Yet, the damn thing is still sitting my refrigerator because I just can't bring myself to throw out a giant pan of lasagne.)

Next time I'm going to stick with what I know. And what I know is how to make a fabulous vegetarian lasagne. Bon Appetit:

Vegetarian Lasagne

2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small package mushrooms, chopped
1/2 bag baby spinach
salt and pepper
1 32 oz. can San Marzano tomatoes (whole or crushed)
1 16 oz. tub ricotta
2 eggs
4 cups shredded mozzarella, divided
grated Parmigiano Reggiano
one box Barilla oven ready lasagne

Heat a large, deep skillet over medium high heat. Add the olive oil. Add the onion and saute until translucent. Add garlic. Saute until fragrant (a few seconds). Add mushrooms and spinach. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the spinach is completely wilted and the mushrooms have released their juices.  Add the tomatoes (if using whole, be sure to crush them up first with a fork, or better yet, your hands). Lower heat to low and let cook for up to an hour.

In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, eggs and half of the mozzarella. You can also add some grated Parmigiano if you like. Set aside.

Cover the bottom of a 9x13 inch Pyrex with about a cup of the sauce. Place four lasagne noodles over the sauce. Evenly spread about half of the ricotta cheese mixture over the noodles. Top the cheese with another cup of sauce. Place another four noodles over the sauce. Spread on the remainder of the ricotta and another cup of sauce. Top with another four noodles, another cup of sauce and about a cup of the mozzarella. Place the final four noodles over the cheese and cover with the remainder of the sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining cup of mozzarella and a healthy grating of Parmigiano.

Baked, covered with foil in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 60 minutes. Remove foil and cook for another five minutes to melt the cheese. Let the lasagne stand outside of the oven for about 15 minutes so that it doesn't fall apart when you cut it.

Notes: I like this type of pasta because it utilizes the entire box. Also, it is flat, which appeals to my aesthetics. It's also important to note that my order of layering is basically random. Your main goal is to use up all of the ingredients. The only set rules are to start with sauce and end with cheese. Finally, please feel free to rif on this recipe. Got some zucchini? Throw it in the sauce! Hate mushrooms? Leave 'em out! It's very flexible.

Enjoy!

(Oh, you can freeze this before and/or after cooking it.)

 

Disclaimer
Barilla is one of my clients which is why I tried this lasagne. BUT, it's amazing stuff, and I would not recommend it if I didn't truly like it.