Chicken Milanese over Penne with Fresh Pesto

This is another great weeknight dinner that is tasty and impressive enough that you could serve it for a dinner party. It requires a minimal amount of ingredients, and if you buy chicken breast tenders then you don't have to pound the breasts to get them thin enough to cook. Usually Chicken Milanese is quite a process- you have to dip the chicken in flour, egg, and then bread crumbs. It makes a pretty big mess so I don't do it very often. In this recipe I use mayonnaise instead of the flour/egg to help the bread crumbs stick to the chicken breasts- it also gives the chicken and wonderful flavor. I also add some parmesan cheese to the crumbs to make the coating more flavorful and crunchy. The pesto is super easy- I make it in the mini cuisinart food processor which is a great kitchen tool for small batches of anything and only about $40. You could serve this with some crusty french bread or a salad, but I just served it with fresh sliced tomatoes on the side to give the dish a little color.

Chicken Milanese

Ingredients:
-2 chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 inch each, or 4 chicken breast tenders
-2-3 tbs mayonnaise
-1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese
-1/2 cup of bread crumbs
-1 tsp each salt and pepper
-2 tbs olive oil for cooking

Directions:
-Heat oil in a skillet over medium high.
-Mix the parmesan with the bread crumbs, salt, and pepper.
-Spread a very thin layer of mayonnaise on each chicken breast.
-Dip coated breasts into bread crumb mixture and coat each side.
-Sautee for about 3 minutes on each side, until chicken breasts are browned and crisp on the outside, and cooked through on the inside.

Fresh Pesto

Ingredients:
-1 or 2 cloves of fresh garlic, peeled
-2/3 cup of fresh basil leaves, most of the stems removed (I bought a bunch at the store and cut the stems off. It is fine to leave some of the stems since they are getting chopped up).
-1/4 cup of parmesan cheese, grated
-1/4 cup pine nuts
-1/4 cup olive oil
-salt to taste (about 1/2 tsp)

Directions:
-Put garlic in food processor, process until finely chopped.
-Add basil, parmesan, and pine nuts. Process until finely chopped.
-Add olive oil and continue to process until everything is mixed and looks like a thick paste.
-Note: Pesto freezes well, so if you make extra, put it into a jar, coat the top with a layer of olive oil (to prevent pesto from getting brown) and when you defrost stir it in.
-Toss with 1/2 pound (1/2 a box) of pasta. I used penne but pesto is also great with spaghetti or any other pasta.

Honey Hotty Toddys

Uh oh- it's cold season! After a chilly weekend getting our festive on at Nantucket's Christmas Stroll, we seem to have come down with the sniffles. Here's something that will soothe your throat and warm your soul. Literally. I promise you will feel better if you drink one (but you have to stop there). This is also delicious if you aren't sick, in which case you can drink as many as you want (best consumed fireside).


Ingredients (for 2-3 Hotty Toddys):
-3 cups of water
-1/3 cup of honey
-1 lemon, sliced
-1 tsp grated nutmeg
-3 oz good quality bourbon

Directions:
-Pour everything into a small saucepan except the bourbon. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes.
-Turn heat off, add bourbon. Serve warm, in mugs.

Dinner in 15- Fish with Onions, Capers, Tomatoes and Lemon

Sometimes you are in the mood for something really delicious, fresh tasting, comforting, that doesn't take an hour to make. I use quite a few shortcuts here but the result is outstanding. This recipe is for one serving (which I made for myself the other night and liked so much that I made it again the next day for lunch), but you can double, triple, quadruple the ingredients so you have plenty for whoever you are feeding during that meal and put each one in it's own individual packet. I bought a box of frozen sole filets from Whole Foods and they are awesome. I keep them in the freezer so I always have something to eat on hand, and even if you just saute the (defrosted) filet in a little bit of butter with s&p it's great for a weeknight. The filets (which come in individual plastic pouches) only take about 5 minutes to defrost if you run them under warm water so it's nbd.

Ingredients:
-1 white fish filet (I used frozen sole, didn't even defrost it. Feel free to class it up with a nicer piece of white fish that's fresh or defrosted).
-1/2 tomato or a handful of grape tomatoes, diced
-1/4 yellow onion, minced
-1 tsp capers
-2 lemon slices
-1 tbs olive oil
-salt and pepper (about a 1/4 tsp each)

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 375.
-Place frozen fish (or fresh) on a piece of tin foil that is about 12x12 inches. Salt and Pepper the fish.
-Top the fish with the tomatoes, the minced onion, the capers, and the lemon slices. Drizzle the olive oil on top of everything.
-Fold the two sides that are on the long part of the fish filet up, and then fold over the top, leaving room for the fish and veggies to cook.
-Bake for 15 minutes, or until fish is cooked through.

Greek Vegetable and Feta Salad with Grilled Chicken

This has been one of my favorites recently. I wanted a salad but was out of lettuce- I improvised and haven't looked back! I do still enjoy a lettuce salad but this is so good with a piece of grilled chicken, fish, or shrimp that I make it about once a week now. Feel free to add or subtract any ingredients to your liking!

Ingredients
-1 tomato, diced
-1 red bell pepper (or yellow, or orange), chopped
-1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
-1/4 cup kalamata olives, chopped
-1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbles or chopped into small cubes
-1/4 cup mint, chopped
-1/4 cup basil, chopped
-juice of one lemon
-1 garlic clove, minced
-1/4 cup olive oil
-salt and pepper
-2 pieces of fish (any white fish works well), 2 chicken breasts, or 2 shrimp skewers

Directions
-Whisk together lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, and 1 tsp each salt and pepper. Pour half of the dressing on the meat or fish to marinate while you are composing the salad.
-Toss chopped vegetables with the mint, basil, olives, and feta cheese. Pour remainder of dressing onto salad and toss. Salt and pepper to taste.
-Grill or bake the meat/fish and serve with a scoop of the salad. I like to use a little bit of fresh basil or mint as a garnish.

Notes: Depending on how much salad you'd like to serve with each piece of meat, this recipe can make anywhere between 2-4 portions. Enjoy!!

Summer Spaghetti

My mom brought this recipe home from a trip that she went on earlier this summer and it has quickly become a staple in my house. It is so easy and everyone loves it. Unlike most tomato sauces, it requires no cooking. I like to serve it room temperature over just cooked pasta so that it is warm but not hot, and lately I've been serving it without pasta as a garnish/side to fish or chicken. You can also use it for bruschetta if you have leftovers. I love using fresh tomatoes and basil from my garden when they are available, but store bought ingredients work just as well. I usually serve the spaghetti with a side of sliced grilled chicken, shrimp, or a fresh white fish, like swordfish or sea bass.

 Ingredients:

-6 tomatoes, diced

-2 cloves of garlic, minced

-1/2 white onion, minced

-2 tbs capers

-1/3 cup chopped kalamata olives

-1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

-2 tbs red wine vinegar

-1/4 cup olive oil

-salt and pepper to taste

-1 box spaghetti

Directions:

-Toss everything together in a bowl.

-Cook spaghetti and toss sauce with warm pasta. Serve immediately.

-Note- sauce can be made ahead of time.

Cookie Bars

This is a super easy recipe that my mom used to make for us when we were little. I was recently looking for a good cookie/brownie alternative and remembered these. They are so good and so simple! I also like to freeze half the batch after they cook and cool so that I can have them on hand for an impromptu dessert. Enjoy.

Ingredients:

-1/2 c butter
-1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs (I make my own in my mini cuisinart but buying the pre made is a good timesaver)
-1.5 cups chocolate chips (if you are in the mood, you can swap in PB chips for a change)
-1 and 1/3 cups coconut flakes (I prefer sugar free)
-1 cup chopped walnuts
-1 can sweetened condensed milk

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 350.
-Melt butter in a 9x13 pan (I usually stick both in the oven while it's preheating)
-Mix graham cracker crumbs in with the butter to make the "crust," then press the mixture firmly into an even layer on the bottom of the pan.
-Layer the rest of the ingredients in the order listed.
-Drizzle the sweetened condensed milk over everything.
-Bake at 350 for 40 minutes, or until cookie bars are golden brown.

Homemade Granola

I recently made this for my sister's bachelorette party so the girls would have something healthy to eat for breakfast and to snack on. It is super easy and totally worth the 10 minutes it takes to put everything together. If you would like, you can add dried fruit after you bake it so that you have something you can take on the go that's got some fruit mixed in. I love to eat it in the morning for breakfast with vanilla yogurt and fresh fruit, and sometimes I'll even make a strawberry ice cream cone and dip it in the granola. It is awesome, inexpensive, and so good for you.

Ingredients:

-2 cups rolled oats (not quick cook)

-1 cup shredded coconut (I use unsweetened)

-1 cup sliced almonds

-1 cup chopped walnuts, pecans, or cashews

-1/3 cup olive oil

-1/4 cup honey

-1 tsp cinnamon

-1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

-Preheat the oven to 300.

-In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, honey, cinnamon, and vanilla.

-In a large bowl, toss the oats with the nuts and coconut.

-Pour the liquid over the oats and stir until everything is evenly coated.

-Spread onto a cookie sheet and bake for 45-60 minutes, mixing the granola every 20 minutes to make sure it cooks evenly.