My Boyfriend Dated A Chef

Perfect for feeding a crowd or a casual dinner, this roll baked sandwich can be made with a variety of meats and vegetables. Here’s a basic version to get you started. Hint: the more vegies you use, the more liquid they will release, which could lead to a soggy stromboli.

Serves 4. Recipe from Real Simple.

INGREDIENTS:
1 Wildtree So Quick & Easy Pizza Dough or a 1 lb. package of refrigerated pizza dough
2 tsp. olive oil
1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
kosher salt
8 oz. fresh mozzarella, sliced, or 4 oz. shredded provolone
2 cups fresh spinach

PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 450°F.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place in a medium bowl. Coat with the oil, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, over medium heat, combine the tomatoes and their juices, the oregano, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, crushing the tomatoes with a wooden spoon until the sauce thickens, 10 to 15 minutes.

Shape the dough into one 12- to 14-inch round and place on a baking sheet. Cover with the sauce and top with the cheese and sprinkle the spinach over the top. Roll the pie into the shape of a log, turning the log so the seam is facing the pan and not visible. Bake until golden brown and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes.

Transfer to a cutting board. Slice into rounds and divide among individual plates.

Cut into this delicious stuffed chicken dish to find a real treat: melted mozzarella and fresh basil. Sensational!

Serves 4. Recipe from Fine Cooking.

INGREDIENTS:
4 medium boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1.5 lb.)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
12 large basil leaves
1/4 lb. fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
4 thin slices prosciutto
1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

PREPARATION:
Prepare a medium charcoal fire or light a gas grill to medium high.

To prepare the chicken breasts, cut through each one horizontally almost all the way through and open it like a book. Sprinkle the chicken all over with 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper. Layer the basil and mozzarella evenly on half of each breast and then fold it closed. Wrap a slice of prosciutto around each breast  to hold it closed and then brush lightly on both sides with the olive oil.

Reduce the heat on the gas grill to medium. Grill the breasts , covered, until they are well marked, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook, turning every few minutes, until the chicken is just firm to the touch and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the breast  registers 165 degrees, another 10-12 minutes. Let cool for a couple of minutes and then serve.

The traditional turkey dinner is probably one of the easiest dishes to prepare and yet, when the task is placed before us it seems like such a chore. Here is a quick guide to making your turkey holiday dinner a success. And, don’t forget the stuffing! Stuffing is one of the most important parts of a turkey dinner…other than the hot apple pie. To avoid the worry of salmonella or E. coli from invading your turkey dinner, cook the stuffing separately. Stuff the turkey right before presentation and no one will know the difference.

Stuffing serves 8. Stuffing recipe from Epicurious.

INGREDIENTS:
Turkey
Turkey - It is recommended you allow 1 1/2 pounds of turkey per adult for a generous serving with leftovers. For children, allowing 1/2 pound per child should be sufficient.

vegetable oil or butter

Stuffing
8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 medium onions, cut into 1/4 1/4-inch dice (about 3 cups)
6 stalks celery with leaves, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 (14-ounce) package seasoned bread stuffing cubes
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp. celery salt
1/2 tsp. dried sage, crumbled
1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1/2 tsp. dried thyme, crumbled
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 3/4 cups hot chicken or turkey stock

PREPARATION:
Turkey
If the turkey is frozen, thaw it in the refrigerator up to 3 days in advance or COLD water the night before.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

To prepare the turkey, put on a pair of rubber gloves and work over a clean sink. Remove the neck from the body cavity and the giblets from the neck cavity. Drain the juices.

Wash the turkey down under cold water and place in a roasting pan, breast side up, with a rack for circulation below it. I don’t have a special turkey rack so I steal it from my toaster oven.

Rub the turkey down with butter or oil.

Cover the top of the turkey with tin foil and insert a thermometer in the base of the breast so you can read it. Be sure not to touch the bone.

Cook turkey based on size - 15 minutes per pound. When your thermometer reaches 185°F, the turkey is done. **Make sure to remove the tin foil during the last 30-45 minutes of cooking.

Cook the stuffing separately.

Stuffing
In 12-inch, heavy skillet over moderate heat, heat butter until hot but not smoking. Stir in onion and celery, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 15 to 20 minutes. (Vegetables can be prepared up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated. Reheat before continuing.)

Transfer to large bowl and add stuffing cubes, parsley, celery salt, sage, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir in 11/4 cups hot stock.

Preheat oven to 350°F and butter 3-quart casserole or 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Transfer stuffing to dish and drizzle with 1/2 cup hot stock. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until heated through, about 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until top is slightly crisp and golden, about 10 minutes longer.

Serve immediately.

Let me start off by saying…”I don’t like chicken parm.” When thinking about what to eat for dinner, this is never on the menu. I don’t like the generic sauce and fried food taste. There are soooo many better options out there, why waste the calories on blah? And then, on a request, I found and adapted this recipe. My thoughts on chicken parm are now changed forever! Enjoy.

Serves 4. Recipe adapted from Food Network.

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
1/2 bunch fresh basil leaves
1 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, drained and hand-crushed
Pinch sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 skinless, boneless, chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon water
1 cup dried Italian bread crumbs
1 (8-ounce) ball fresh buffalo mozzarella, water drained
Freshly grated Parmesan
1/2 lb angel hair pasta, cooked al dente

DIRECTIONS:
Coat a saute pan with olive oil and place over medium heat. When the oil gets hazy, add the onions, garlic, and bay leaves; cook and stir for 5 minutes until fragrant and soft. Add the olives and some hand-torn basil. Carefully add the tomatoes. Cook and stir until the liquid is cooked down and the sauce is thick, about 15 minutes; season with sugar, salt and pepper. Lower the heat, cover, and keep warm.

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Prepare an assembly line of your chicken ingredients. Put the chicken breasts side by side on a cutting board and lay a piece of plastic wrap over them. Pound the chicken breasts with a flat meat mallet, until they are about 1/2-inch thick. Mine 2 chicken breasts were enormous at this point so, I cut them in half. Put the flour in a shallow platter and season with a fair amount of salt and pepper; mix with a fork to distribute evenly. In another shallow platter, combine the eggs and water, beat until frothy. Put the bread crumbs on a plate.

Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil over medium-high flame in a large oven-proof skillet. Lightly dredge both sides of the chicken cutlets in the seasoned flour, and then dip them in the egg wash to coat completely, letting the excess drip off, then dredge in the bread crumbs. When the oil is nice and hot, add the cutlets and fry for 4 minutes on each side until golden and crusty, turning once.

Ladle about half of the tomato sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with mozzarella, Parmesan, and basil. Bake the Chicken Parmesan for 15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly. Serve hot with angel hair pasta. Ladle remaining sauce over pasta.