#92 :: Eggs in Purgatory

Jamie is working nights this week, so I planned some breakfast/brunch meals for us to have together. This one turns leftover mashed potatoes into a delicious and light brunch. This recipe definitely makes my list of favorites so far on our cooking journey!




Ingredients

• 5 large eggs
• 2 cups mashed potatoes, chilled
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup marinara sauce, warmed
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.

Stir 1 egg in a large bowl to blend. Mix in the potatoes, then the flour. Using a generous 1/2 cup of potato mixture for each, form the potato mixture into 4 (4 1/2-inch) diameter pancakes.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick fry pan over medium heat. Fry the pancakes until they are golden brown and heated through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the pancakes to paper towels to drain. Keep the pancakes warm on a baking sheet in the oven. Pour off the excess oil from the pan.

Heat the pan over medium-low heat. Crack the remaining 4 eggs into the pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until the white is firm, about 2 minutes. Using a spatula, turn the eggs over and cook for 30 seconds longer.

Spoon the sauce onto 4 plates. Place a pancake atop the sauce. Top each pancake with a fried egg. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve.

Makes 4 servings

Recipe from Everyday Italian on Food Network

Star Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

#89 :: Spaghetti w/ Meatballs

I needed a quick fix dinner last night. Does it count if you cook dinner, but not from scratch? :) I took the shortcut route tonight and made spaghetti and meatballs.



I used thin spaghetti noodles, boiled in heavily salted water for 8 minutes. I used a jarred tomato sauce (cooked in a sauce pan on the stove top) and frozen meatballs from a bag (cooked in the oven on a sheet tray). *Gasp* Shame! It was quite delicious though. I also bought a small loaf of Italian bread to go with the spaghetti. A little butter, garlic salt and parmesan on each slice, and a few minutes in the broiler is all it takes!

So did I cheat a little? Maybe. But it wasn't a hamburger from some greasy fast food drive-thru, so it's still a winner in my book!

#11 :: Slamma Jamma Chicken Parmesana

A word of warning - don't leave these chicken breasts brining for longer than 30 minutes! I left my first one quite a bit longer than that, so it came out waaay too salty! Luckily I was doing a practice run with the first chicken breast, just to see how it would came out. I didn't want to ruin the whole bag! Thank goodness the rest turned out much better! Don't skip the brining process, it really does makes all the difference....but as I learned, don't leave it in too long either...brining timing is everything!

Ingredients

• 4 (5-ounce) boneless, skinless, trimmed chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup kosher salt
  
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cups dried bread crumbs
• 1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
• 1/4 pound Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus extra for garnish, grated
• Olive oil, for frying (about 2 cups)
• 1 pound penne rigate, cooked al dente
• Tomato Sauce (Pasta Sauce)
  
• 1/4 cup minced Italian parsley, for garnish

Directions

Lightly pound the chicken breasts to 1/2-inch thickness. Combine the kosher salt, sugar, and 1 quart of water in a 1-gallon size resealable plastic bag; shake until dissolved. Add the chicken breasts and soak at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Place the flour in a medium bowl. Remove the chicken from the brine. Shake off excess moisture and, with tongs, lightly dredge the chicken in the flour. Shake off the excess flour and transfer to a large plate.

Mix the eggs and milk in medium bowl and whisk thoroughly. In a separate bowl combine the bread crumbs, oregano, basil, parsley, sea salt, and pepper. Dredge the chicken in the egg and milk mixture with tongs and let excess mixture drain off. Now dredge the chicken into the bread crumb mixture, and lightly pat down in the bread crumbs to adhere.

Preheat the broiler.

Let the breaded chicken sit for 5 minutes before frying. In a medium saucepan on medium-high heat, add enough olive oil to come 1/3 up the side of the chicken. Cook the chicken in batches until golden brown on both sides. Remove from the pan when cooked and place on a sheet tray. Repeat with remaining chicken.

When all the chicken is cooked, sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan evenly over the top. Place under the broiler until the cheese melts and is golden brown.

Serve chicken over pasta and ladle tomato sauce on top. Garnish with additional Parmesan and parsley.

Makes 4 servings

Recipe from Guy's Big Bite on Food Network.

Star Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars