One Pan Chicken Parmesan

Chicken Parmesan is a family favorite and I have many fond memories of this classic Italian meal from my own childhood. I was taught to make this meal the traditional way with breading and although it is a VERY delicious way to experience this dish I decided to make a simplified version.  Instead of dredging the pounded thin chicken in a bowl of flour, egg and breadcrumbs, I seasoned the chicken and seared it in a nonstick pan. Using the same pan, I covered it in sauce,cheese and herbs and tossed the pan in the oven for 15 minutes.   With my toddler running around I have been taking some of our favorite meals and simplifying them to save on time and additional dishes. This dish was just as wonderful without having it breaded and fried before covering it in sauce and cheese. If you love Chicken Parmesan as much as we do, give this simplified version a whirl. My toddler went crazy for this meal and I served his dish with peas and spaghetti that I tossed in olive oil, herbs and some of the sauce from the bottom of the pan.

Ingredients- Serves 4

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

salt, pepper, garlic powder

1/4 cup olive oil

1 1/2 tomato sauce ( I used PC black label marinara sauce- it is all natural with no preservatives)

2 tbsp each basil and parsley- fresh or dried- I finely minced fresh

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

1. On a cutting board slice each chicken breast into 2 making 4 chicken fillets. If you prefer to save even more time you can purchase the chicken already sliced and pounded thin. It is more expensive but a great time saver. I usually make slice and pound my own. 
2. In order for the chicken to sear evenly you need to gently pound it thin making sure it is the same thickness. If you do have a meat mallet simply cover the chicken with parchment and gently press the pan you are going to use over each breast until you achieve the results you are looking for.
3. Heat a non-stick pan.
4. Season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
5. Add the olive oil to the pan and sear the chicken on the first side until a deep golden color. About 3  minutes. Turn the breast over to sear the other side. Once seared, remove from the heat and cover each breast with the tomato sauce, Parmesan, herbs and mozzarella. Make sure to cover the entire breast with sauce and there should be extra pooling in the pan. See picture.
6. Bake for 15 minutes or until bubbling and golden. 
7. Serve with Caesar salad, spaghetti or any side dish you wish. 
8. Enjoy!

One Pot Cabbage Roll Stew

I love cabbage rolls in the winter and this is a deconstructed fast an easy version of the classic rolls, with my own special twist. I toasted some fennel seeds in the olive oil before adding the ground pork and instead of rice I used Italian Farro. The fire roasted tomatoes, chicken stock and ground pork creates a wonderful indulgent broth that is so comforting on cold winter days.  This one pot meal is easy to make, packed with flavor and is incredibly hearty. I was very happy with the results and I wanted to share this recipe with all of you.


Ingredients- 8 Servings

1/4 cup olive oil
1 lb ground pork
1 large yellow onion- diced
1 large carrot- diced
2 large celery stocks- diced
4 cloves garlic- minced
1 small head cabbage or 1/2 large head cabbage- thinly sliced
1 bunch parsley- stems removed and diced, leaves chopped and set aside for garnish
1 tbsp paprika or smoked paprika- I used regular paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1 container (900 ml) no salt added chicken stock
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
salt and pepper as desired
110 grams Italian farro


Directions

1. Heat a large heavy bottom pot and add the olive oil and fennel seeds. Toast the fennel seeds for about a minute. They should be sizzling and fragrant. 
2. Add the ground pork and mix with the fennel seeds. Stir scraping the bottom of the pot making sure the meat and seeds do not burn.
3. Once the meat is cooked, add the onions, carrots, parsley stems and celery. Saute for 6 to 7 minutes until the vegetables start to caramelize. 
4. Add the garlic and saute for a minute or two. 
5. Add the paprika and garlic power and mix into the meat and vegetable mixture. Once the dried spices hit the pot they will toast adding more flavor to the dish. Saute for about a minute.
6. Deglaze the pot with the chicken stock making sure to scrape all those wonderful flavor bits from the bottom of the pot.
7. Add the fire roasted tomatoes and bring the stew to a boil. 
8. Add the cabbage and mix well. Season the stew with salt and pepper and turn the heat down to medium. Slightly cover the stew and cook for 10 minutes or until the cabbage is cooked. 
9. Add the farro and cook for 10 minutes or until the farro is cooked. The package I used indicated a 10 minute cook time. 
10. Add the chopped fresh parley to the stew and serve. Garnish with parmesan cheese  if you wish.....I ALWAYS do!
11. Enjoy.