When asked to contribute a Recipe of the Week blog, I was thrilled! But while I have a ton of recipes (ask me about my homemade deodorant), I'm not the best writer. So let's see how this goes! I've been thinking about what kind of meals most moms I know really cook and I think it comes down to a couple of things.
- Quick - there's a kid screaming somewhere.
- Not a ton of ingredients. It takes too long to get them together!
- Nothing that requires unusual items. After all, you don't want to buy something you're only going to use once.
I know we want to be super mom and do everything...AND do it perfectly! But I think sometimes super mom is the mom who says, "Dinner is a ham sandwich and I have a child that needs me more."
I've got a few recipes to share that shouldn't take too long, but look and taste awesome. And they are mostly healthy. What can I say, I'm Southern and I like butter! So here's my first contribution:
I'm not a huge Italian food fan, but this was really good! I made a few tweaks because I believe recipes are better when tailored to your family. In this case, I used Italian bread crumbs (no, I didn't make my own. That seemed way too time consuming with that screaming child.), basil and oregano diced tomatoes. Also, I skipped the fresh herbs because I didn't have them on hand.
Even with the changes, it was awesome!
Quick Chicken Parmesan
INGREDIENTS
- 2, 8-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
- 1/2 cup coarse dry breadcrumbs, preferably whole-wheat
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1, 28-ounce can no-salt-added crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or parsley
- Cut each chicken breast in half on the diagonal to make 4 roughly equal portions. Place between pieces of plastic wrap and pound with the smooth side of a meat mallet or a heavy saucepan to an even 1/4-inch thickness. Sprinkle the chicken with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Combine breadcrumbs and 1 tablespoon oil in a small bowl; set aside.
- Position rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler to high.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the chicken and cook until golden, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Reduce the heat to medium and repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and chicken. Transfer the chicken to the plate.
- Add onion and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Pour in crushed tomatoes; add Italian seasoning and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Return the pan to medium heat and cook, stirring, until the onions are tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan. Turn to coat with the sauce.
- Sprinkle about 1/4 cup of cheese over each piece of chicken, then top with the reserved breadcrumb mixture. Broil until the cheese is melted, about 1 minute. (Watch carefully to prevent burning.) Serve the chicken with the sauce, sprinkled with basil (or parsley).