Chicken Marsala and Polenta

Polenta:
6 cups of boiling water
2 cups of polenta
1 cup parmesan cheese
3 TBS butter
2 TBS dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Boil 6 cups of water in a large sauce pan.  Once the water has boiled add the 2 cups of polenta to the boiling water and reduce to low.  As the polenta simmers, add the butter, oregano, cheese, salt and pepper. Constantly stir the polenta so it doesn't stick to the pan. Keep this up for 30 minutes. Olive oil a glass pie plate and pour the polenta into the pan.  Let it sit for 15minutes, then cover with plastic wrap and let it set up in the refrigerator for 2 hours. When rhe chicken is cooking, slice the polenta and place it in a saute pan with 1 TBS of butter and heat it through.

Chicken Marsala
2-4 chicken breasts
6 crimini mushrooms
1 cup of Marsala Wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 TBS butter
2 TBS olive oil
1 TBS cream
salt
pepper
flour

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet. Put 2 cups of flour in a bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper. Lightly dredge the chicken breasts in the flour, making sure to shake off any excess flour. Place the chicken in the hot skillet and brown on each side. Remove the chicken and place the chopped mushrooms into the pan.  Saute the mushrooms and then add the Marsala wine, chicken stock and cream.  Once that comes to a boil, return the chicken to the pan and reduce the heat.  Finish the chicken in the sauce, letting the sauce reduce.  Add a pinch of salt and pepper at the end.

Kid Friendly Mac and Cheese and Chicken Fingers

Tired of feeding your kids or family that nasty, powdered, 2 mimutes in the microwave mac and cheese? Or those "all white meat" chicken nuggets? Here's two easy takes on those foods that are not only kid friendly, but "grown up" enough to satisfy adult tastes as well.

Mac and Cheese:
1 1/2 lbs of medium shells (about a box and a half) 
4 cups milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar
1 cup diced fresh mozzerella
1 cup shredded taco cheese (happened to have a small amount left over, so i added it)
1 cup chopped bacon (Hormel Real Bacon in a jar is my new best friend)
1 cup bread crumbs
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tsp butter
2 tsp flour
salt
pepper

Pre-heat oven to 425

Boil the shells and set aside when cooked.  In a large sauce pan, melt the 2 tsp of butter and 2 tsp of flour in the pan to create a rue. Once the butter and flour are combined, add the 4 cups of mik and bring to a boil and whisk frequently. Add the 2 types of cheddar, mozzerella and taco cheese mix, salt and pepper to the milk, reduce to low and simmier, string frequently.  Drain the pasta and return it to the boil pot and add the milk and cheese mixture to the shells. Add the 1 cup of chopped bacon and spread the mix into 13x9 glass baking dish. Add the bread crumbs and parmesan to the top and place in the oven and bake for 35 minutes or until the cheese and bread crumbs brown.

Chicken Tenders:
4 boneless chicken breasts
2 cups bread crumbs
salt
pepper

Cut the chicken breasts on an angle into 3 inch pieces lengthwise and set aside in a bowl. Once all the chicken is cut, spray with a butter spray (I don't use egg because my son has an egg allergy, the butter spray works fine) and dip into the bread crumbs, salt and pepper.  Make sure to shake off the excess bread crumbs. Place them in a bowl and put the refrigerator to help them set up.  Half way though the Mac and Cheese cooking, place the chicken on a cookie sheet and cook for 15-20 minutes at 425 or until the chicken browns.

Italian Beef Sandwich

This is similar to a French Dip Sandwich.  Very simple.

Beef:
2 lbs Beef Strip Steak
2-14 oz cans beef broth
1 8oz bottle Italian Dressing
1 green pepper
1 sweet onion
2 TBS minced garlic
1 TBS dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Put all the ingredients in a crock pot and set to low for 5-6 hours. The beef should be thinly sliced, but not stir fry or shaved steak meat. The meat will be very tender, but not like pulled beef.  The larger and thicker the strips are will keep the meat from shredding. 

Oven Roasted Potato Wedges:
3 large Russet Potatoes
2 TBS olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Chop the potatoes up into wedges and place them in a bowl with the oil and spices.  Coat evenly and place on a cookie sheet and bake at 425 for 45 minutes or until the potatoes get golden brown and crispy.

I used a nice, soft, bulky roll for the sandwiches, but a nice crunchy piece of Italian bread would work fine too. Top with provolone and some pepperoncini's and have at it.  Keep the "au jus" and use it to dip the sandwich in if you choose.

Chicken Parm

Sauce:
1 28oz can of crushed tomato
1 28oz can of tomato puree
1 8 oz can of tomato paste
1 small yellow onion
1 TBS minced garlic
1 TBS oregano
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp olive oil

Sweat the onions and garlic together in olive oil over medium heat until the onions are translucent. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer on low for 2-3 hours (the longer the better).

Pre-heat oven to 350.

Bread Crumbs:
2 slices of multi grain bread, toasted (one piece of bread for each piece of chicken, so 3 pieces of chicken, 3 pieces of bread)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp oregano
1 TBS grated romano cheese

Toast the bread and let it cool.  Once the bread has cooled, place the bread and spices into a food processor and blend until a fine crumb mixture.

Chicken:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 oz fresh mozzerella cheese
1 large egg

Place the chicken breasts in the egg wash and lightly coat the chicken breasts with the bread crumb mixture.  Brown each side of the chicken in a pan over medium heat with 3 TBS of olive oil, then place them in the oven at 350 for 10-15 minutes to finish them off. Add the mozzerella cheese to the chicken during the last 5 minutes and cook until the cheese melts.  Serve with pasta of your choice.

Cuban Sandwich

This isn't so much a "recipe" as it is more of a list of ingredients to make the greatest sandwich ever created.  The only thing you have to cook is the roasted pork.  Outside of that it's a build it and eat it scenario.

1.5lb Pork Tenderloin
0.5 lb Black Forest Ham (sliced thin)
0.5 lb Swiss Cheese
2 12 inch loaves of Italian bread
7-8 Kosher Dill Pickles
2 cups yellow mustard

Put the pork tenderloin in the crock pot and set on low for 4 hours.  Salt and pepper are all that you'll need for seasoning.  Once the pork is done, set it aside and let it cool.  Once cooled, pull the pork and place it in a bowl.  Cut both loaves of bread in half and spread mustard on the top and bottoms of each loaf.  Layer the sandwiches like this:
Half of the roasted pork, 3 slices of Swiss, 4 of the cut up pickles (length wise), half of the sliced ham, 3 more slices of swiss.
Once the sandwiches are layered, heat a griddle to 300 degrees. Now, if you have a panini press use it, I don't.  I took a heavy roasting pan and placed 2 heavy mixing bowls inside the pan and placed them on top of both sandwiches. Press and grill each side of the sandwich for 15 minutes.  That may seem long, but these are huge sandwiches and require the time to not only melt the cheese, but to heat the pork and ham as well.  You could always press them until the outside of the sandwich is heated and crusty and you could them place them in the oven at 400 for 10 minutes until they heat through. 
Makes 2 very large sandwiches.  Each one serves 4 people.

Orange Chicken

This following recipe is for one big meal or for two.  If you need to make it for more than that, just double up the recipe. It took a bit, but being home by myself and my son being in bed (apparently the law frowns upon going out for take out while your children sleep), I had some time and the ingredients at the house. 

2 chicken breasts
1 pkg Uncle Ben's Bag and Boil White Rice
2 cups orange juice
1/2 small red onion
1/2 medium green bell pepper
2 cups broccoli
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1 tbsp fresh ginger
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp teriyaki sauce
salt
black pepper
cayenne powder
red pepper flake
flour olive oil

Pre-heat the oven to 425

Dice the chicken breasts into bite sized pieces and toss in olive oil and then toss in 3 tablespoons of flour. Sprinkle a dash of salt, pepper and cayenne on the chicken.  Place on a cookie sheet and bake until golden brown and crispy (about 15 minutes). 
In a medium sauce pan bring the orange juice and teriyaki to a boil.  Once it reaches a boil, add a dash of salt and 1/2 tsp of cayenne and 1 tsp of red pepper flake to the juice. Reduce and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
Boil water for the rice.  It should take no longer than 5 minutes once the water boils.
Heat a large saute pan over medium heat.  Drain the rice and toss it in the pan.  Add the chicken, veggies, ginger, garlic and half of the juice mixture and heat it through.  Once everything is incorporated, turn the heat up to high and add the rest of the juice for 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat and serve.  A nice addition is a little shredded coconut over the top.

This dish should have a nice amount of heat to it.  The heat should not ruin the meal, but you should feel it in the back of your throat and on your tounge.  Taste the sauce before hand.  If it's too hot, add another 1/2 cup of orange juice and that will tame it.  Or be like me, add more pepper flake.

Quick and Easy Chinese

Instead of take-out, try this.  Healthier and more cost effective, plus it's just as tasty.

1.5lb pork tenderloin
1 pkg angel hair pasta
10 oz cherry pie filling
10 oz crushed pineapple
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1 medium green pepper
1/2 medium red onion
2 cups shredded carrots
2 cups broccoli
2 tsp minced ginger
1 tsp minced garlic
pinch of salt
pinch of black pepper
olive oil

Rub the pork tenderloin with a teaspoon of olive oil, salt, pepper and place in the refridgerator to marinate (30 minutes will do). In a blender, combine the cherries, pineapple, teriyaki sauce and 1 teaspoon of ginger and blend it together.  Put the pork on the grill and cook for 10-15 minutes, basting with 1 cup of the "sweet and sour" sauce during the last 5 minutes of cooking.  While the pork is on the grill, boil the water for the pasta and start the veggies.  Place 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a saute pan and place the veggies, garlic and remaining teaspoon of ginger in the pan and crisp the mixture.  Once the pasta has cooked, drain and place back in the boil pot and add the veggie mixture.  Remove the pork from the grill and dice into bite sized pieces.  Pour the remaining sweet sauce into the pan and give it all a good stir.  Heat through on medium and serve.