Chicken Parmesan Recipe

Sauce:
1/2 large yellow onion, grated (don't cut onion in half, just grate half of a whole
onion), about 3/4 cup of grated onion
1/4 cup olive oil
2 medium garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes (we use Muir-Glen)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Pinch of sugar
Chicken:
4 chicken breast cutlets (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds total)
Salt
2 eggs
1 cup breadcrumbs (we make our breadcrumbs running pieces of stale French
bread through a blender)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, sliced

Method
1 First start the sauce and while the sauce is cooking you can proceed with the
chicken. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan on medium-high heat. Add the onions and
saut for 2-3 minutes. Add the minced garlic. Cook until fragrant, about a minute more.
Then add the crushed tomatoes, oregano, red pepper flakes, and sugar. Bring to a
simmer, reduce the heat to maintain the simmer. Cook, uncovered while you prepare
the chicken (about 10-12 minutes).

2 Preheat oven to 400F. Place the chicken cutlets one at a time between two layers of
plastic wrap or wax paper. Use a meat hammer, mallet, rolling pin, or even a heavy
empty wine bottle to pound or roll the chicken pieces to an even thickness of 1/4 to 1/2-
inch. Sprinkle salt on both sides of the cutlets.
3 In a shallow bowl (large enough to dredge the cutlets), mix together the breadcrumbs,
1/2 cup of the Parmesan, and pinch of salt. In separate shallow bowl, whisk together the
eggs.
4 Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil in a large saut pan on medium-high heat until the oil is
shimmering (not smoking) and a piece of breading dropped into it sizzles. Working one
cutlet at a time, dip the chicken cutlet into the egg mixture and then into the
breadcrumbs. Working in batches as to not crowd the pan, place the dredged cutlets
into the pan. Lower the heat to medium and gently fry the chicken cutlets until they are
golden brown on each side, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.

5 Spread enough tomato sauce to thickly coat the bottom of 9x13 casserole pan or
baking dish. Once the cutlets are browned on both sides, arrange them on top of the
tomato sauce in the baking dish. Spoon tomato sauce over each of the cutlets. Sprinkle
the tops with sliced basil. Then lay slices of mozzarella over each cutlet and sprinkle
with the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese.
6 Bake in the oven at 400F for 10-12 minutes, or until the mozzarella begins to brown.
Serve with spaghetti and the remaining sauce, or in a large bread roll.
 Baked Potato Soup Recipe

Ingredients
4 pounds russet potatoes (about 7 medium potatoes)
1/4 pound thick sliced bacon, cut crosswise into 1/8-inch slices (lardons)
1 large onion, finely chopped (about 2 cups)
2 ribs celery, finely chopped
6 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon kosher salt (more to taste)
1/8 teaspoon of ground white or black pepper
2 to 4 Tbsp heavy cream (optional)
Garnishes:
Grated sharp cheddar cheese
Sour cream
Minced chives
Crumbled bacon (from step 2 in method)
Method

Method
1 Scrub the potatoes clean and poke them all over with the tines of a fork or paring
knife (this is so they don't explode from internal pressure building up as they cook).
Place on a foil lined baking sheet and bake at 400F for 1 hour, or until easily cut
through with a knife. Remove and let cool enough to handle. (To speed up cooling, slice
them in half lengthwise.)
2 Place bacon lardons in a large, thick bottomed Dutch oven (about 5 to 6 quart pot).
Heat on medium high until the bacon starts to brown then lower the heat to medium.
Cook until the bacon has rendered most of its fat and the lardons are browned and
crispy. Remove the cooked bacon and set aside. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of bacon
fat from the pan. (Do not discard bacon fat in your sink, it will clog the drain. Pour the
fat into a jar and let it cool and solidify. Then either scoop it out and discard it or use it
for another purpose.)
3 Add the chopped onion and celery to the remaining bacon fat in the pot. Cook for 2
minutes on medium high, then lower the heat to low, and cover the pot. Let cool slowly
on low heat for 15 to 20 minutes.

4 When potatoes are cool enough to handle, scoop out the insides to a bowl. Then add it
to the cooked onion and celery mixture along with 6 cups chicken stock. Add a teaspoon
of kosher salt. Bring the soup to a simmer and reduce the heat to low. Use a potato
masher to mash the potatoes into the stock.

5 Cook the potato soup for about 5 minutes, then use an immersion blender to pure about half of
the soup if you want a slightly chunky soup, or pure all of it if you want a smoother soup. Stir 2 to 4
tablespoons of heavy cream into the soup if you want a creamier soup. Add more salt and pepper to
taste.
6 Pour into bowls and top with grated cheddar, sour cream, chives, and crumbled crispy bacon.
 Italian Pot Roast
Ingredients
3 1/2 to 4 pound rump or chuck beef roast
1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 large carrot, diced (about 1 cup)
1 large celery stalk, diced (about 1 cup)
1 medium red onion, diced (1 to 1 1/2 cups)
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 Tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh sage
3 cups medium-bodied Italian red wine (we used a Barbera)
1 28-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes, put through a food mill to remove the
seeds

1 Trim some of the fat from the meat. Pat dry with paper towels. Season generously with the salt and
pepper. Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot,
shimmering but not smoking, add the roast and cook, turning it a few times, until it is nicely browned
on all sides, 10-12 minutes. Transfer the meat to a platter.

2 Reduce the heat to medium. Add the carrot, celery, and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally until the
vegetables are golden brown and begin to stick to the bottom of the pan, 10-12 minutes. Add the
garlic, parsley, and sage, and stir until the herbs are lightly colored and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add
1 cup of the wine and stir quickly, lifting up the richly browned caramelized vegetables that stick to
the bottom of the pan. When the wine is almost all evaporated and thickly coats the vegetables,
return the meat to the pan and turn it over a few times to coat it with the savory base.
3 Raise the heat to high, adding the remaining wine, the bay leaf, and the tomatoes, and bring to a
boil. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, turning and basting the meat every half hour
or so, until the meat is very tender and flakes away when pierced with a fork, 3-4 hours. Turn off the
heat and let the roast sit in its juices for an hour. (You can also put the pot into a 300F oven and turn
the roast every hour.)
4 Remove the meat from the pot and place it on a cutting board, covered loosely with aluminum foil.
If the sauce is too thin, bring it to a fast boil and reduce it until it has a medium-thick consistency.
Taste and adjust seasoning.
5 Cut the meat into thick slices (it will probably fall apart), and place on warm serving dishes. Spoon
the sauce over the meat and serve hot. Serve with rice, mashed potatoes, or polenta.