Chicken Parmesan Recipe

Ingredients

* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
* 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
* 1 teaspoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 8 (3-ounces each) chicken cutlets
* 1 1/2 cups Simple Tomato Sauce, recipe follows or purchased marinara sauce
* 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
* 16 teaspoons grated Parmesan
* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Directions

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Stir the oil and herbs in a small bowl to blend. Season with salt and pepper. Brush both sides of the cutlets with the herb oil. Heat a heavy large oven-proof skillet over high heat. Add the cutlets and cook just until brown, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the skillet from the heat.

Spoon the marinara sauce over and around the cutlets. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of mozzarella over each cutlet, then sprinkle 2 teaspoons of Parmesan over each. Sprinkle the butter pieces atop the cutlets. Bake until the cheese melts and the chicken is cooked through, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Simple Tomato Sauce:

* 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 small onion, chopped
* 2 cloves garlic, chopped
* 1 stalk celery, chopped
* 1 carrot, chopped
* Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
* 4 to 6 basil leaves
* 2 dried bay leaves
* 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional

In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, and bay leaves and simmer covered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.

Add half the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.

If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to 2 cup portions into freezer plastic bags. This will freeze up to 6 months.

Roman-style Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

* 4 skinless chicken breast halves, with ribs
* 2 skinless chicken thighs, with bones
* 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus 1 teaspoon
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1 teaspoon
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 1 red bell pepper, sliced
* 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
* 3 ounces prosciutto, chopped
* 2 cloves garlic, chopped
* 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
* 1/2 cup white wine
* 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
* 1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves
* 1/2 cup chicken stock
* 2 tablespoons capers
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Directions

Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. In a heavy, large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, cook the chicken until browned on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Keeping the same pan over medium heat, add the peppers and prosciutto and cook until the peppers have browned and the prosciutto is crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, wine, and herbs. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pan, add the stock, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 30 minutes.

If serving immediately, add the capers and the parsley. Stir to combine and serve. If making ahead of time, transfer the chicken and sauce to a storage container, cool, and refrigerate. The next day, reheat the chicken to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in the capers and the parsley and serve.

Chicken Cacciatore Recipe

Ingredients

* 4 chicken thighs
* 2 chicken breasts with skin and backbone, halved crosswise
* 2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
* 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
* 1/2 cup all purpose flour, for dredging
* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
* 1 onion, chopped
* 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
* 3/4 cup dry white wine
* 1 ( 28-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
* 3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
* 3 tablespoons drained capers
* 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
* 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions

Sprinkle the chicken pieces with 1 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour to coat lightly.

In a large heavy saute pan, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the chicken pieces to the pan and saute just until brown, about 5 minutes per side. If all the chicken does not fit in the pan, saute it in 2 batches. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. Add the bell pepper, onion and garlic to the same pan and saute over medium heat until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice, broth, capers and oregano. Return the chicken pieces to the pan and turn them to coat in the sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Continue simmering over medium-low heat until the chicken is just cooked through, about 30 minutes for the breast pieces, and 20 minutes for the thighs.


Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a platter. If necessary, boil the sauce until it thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Spoon off any excess fat from atop the sauce. Spoon the sauce over the chicken, then sprinkle with the basil and serve.

Roasted Chicken with Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe

Ingredients

* 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
* 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
* 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* 2 garlic cloves, chopped
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1 (4-pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces (giblets, neck and backbone reserved for another use)
* 1/2 cup low-salt chicken broth
* 1 teaspoon lemon zest
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Whisk the vinegar, mustard, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper in small bowl to blend. Combine the vinaigrette and chicken pieces in a large resealable plastic bag; seal the bag and toss to coat. Refrigerate, turning the chicken pieces occasionally, for at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Remove chicken from the bag and arrange the chicken pieces on a large greased baking dish. Roast until the chicken is just cooked through, about 1 hour. If your chicken browns too quickly, cover it with foil for the remaining cooking time. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Place the baking dish on a burner over medium-low heat. Whisk the chicken broth into the pan drippings, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the baking sheet with a wooden spoon and mixing them into the broth and pan drippings. Drizzle the pan drippings over the chicken. Sprinkle the lemon zest and parsley over the chicken, and serve.

Chicken Piccata Recipe

Ingredients

* 2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, butterflied and then cut in half
* Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
* All-purpose flour, for dredging
* 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
* 1/2 cup chicken stock
* 1/4 cup brined capers, rinsed
* 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate. Melt 2 more tablespoons butter and add another 2 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the other 2 pieces of chicken and brown both sides in same manner. Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the plate.

Into the pan add the lemon juice, stock and capers. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Check for seasoning. Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley.

Chicken Saltimbocca Recipe

Ingredients

* 6 (3-ounce) chicken cutlets, pounded to evenly flatten
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 6 paper-thin slices prosciutto
* 1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed
* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
* 1 (14-ounce) can low-salt chicken broth
* 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions

Place the chicken cutlets flat on the work surface. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Lay 1 slice of prosciutto atop each chicken cutlet.

Squeeze the frozen spinach to remove the excess water. Season the spinach with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, toss the spinach with 1 tablespoon of oil to coat.

Arrange an even, thin layer of spinach atop the prosciutto slices. Sprinkle the Parmesan evenly over each. Beginning at the short tapered end, roll up each chicken cutlet as for a jellyroll. Secure with a toothpick.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and cook just until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Add the chicken broth and lemon juice, and scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium. Cover and simmer until the chicken is just cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a platter. Simmer the cooking liquid over high heat until it is reduced to about 2/3 cup, about 5 minutes. Season the cooking liquid with salt and pepper, to taste. Remove toothpicks from the chicken. Drizzle the reduced cooking liquid over the chicken and serve immediately.

Crunchy Parmesan Chicken Tenders Recipe

Ingredients

* 4 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 cup buttermilk
* 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders (about 18)
* 3 large garlic cloves, minced
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan
* 3/4 cup Italian-style seasoned bread crumbs

Directions

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Brush 1 tablespoon of oil over each of 2 heavy large lined baking sheets. Place the buttermilk in a large bowl. Add the chicken tenders and stir to coat. Let stand at least 15 minutes and up to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, mash the garlic with the salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in the vinegar and then the remaining 1/2 cup of oil. Season the vinaigrette, to taste, with pepper. Transfer the vinaigrette to a small serving bowl.

Stir the Parmesan and bread crumbs in a pie dish. Remove the chicken tenders from the buttermilk and dredge them in the bread crumb mixture to coat completely, pressing to adhere. Arrange the coated chicken tenders on the prepared baking sheets, spacing evenly. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over the chicken tenders and bake until they are cooked through and golden brown, about 12 minutes.

Transfer the chicken tenders to a platter and serve the vinaigrette alongside for dipping.