crEATe Recipe Share: Parmesean Crusted Chicken

I'm following Nancy's great idea for her crEATe recipe share idea and here we go.

Let me first disclose that I'm not a great cook, don't have my own recipe book, or really any recipes that my entire family loves.
It's either something the kids love or something T-Bone and I love.
Can't really get it all together for one big love food fest but still hoping that my kids will start trying out some new stuff, while loving it.

This yummy one is quite satisfying and a melt-in-your-mouth chicken recipe that you'll want to try.

I originally saw it on a Racheal Ray 30 Minute Meal show long ago.

You'll need...

4-6 lean boneless chicken breasts

(I sometimes use those yummy chicken tenders, too)

EVOO - extra virgin olive oil (I layer the bottom of my fry pan pretty well)

Shredded parmesean cheese

(a whole small tub or more if you're frying up a lot of chicken)

salt 'n peppa

Pour down your EVOO into your fry pan and get that pan heating up

Rinse off your chicken breasts and pat dry with a paper towel

In a bowl, mix together the whole tub of parmesean cheese, salt and peppa

Smash the cheese mixture onto both sides of chicken - you'll have to press down firmly

Lay chicken in hot pan and cook on first side for approx. 10-12 minutes or until golden brown

Important:  only turn chicken once

Cook other side approx. 10-12 minutes.

photo from www.epicurious.com

I usually prepare a side salad with feta, tomatoes and romaine, sauteed fresh (or frozen) green beans along with friendly mashed potatoes.
Enjoy!

Come on....link up

My good friend, Nancy, at The Goat and The Kid is having a great Thursday link up.

Join on in with your favorite family recipe and link it up on her blog.

Enjoy!

Chocolate cake...with strange ingredient

Sugar Nugget brought home a recipe for Grandma's Thunder Cake about 3 weeks ago and has been wanting to make it ever since.  I like to bake....but don't ask me to bake a cake from scratch.  It's just not my thing.  I've been known to make cookies or banana bread from scratch, but not cake.  There's just nothing better than a box of Funfetti.  Moist.  Delicious.  Why mess with perfection?

But, when she wrote this on the white board, I knew it was time to put aside my own fears and bake the darn cake.

Off to the store we went with our list in hand.

"Pureed tomatoes" was an ingredient.  Odd, don't you think?
With all our ingredients and baking stuff ready to go, we begin...

You wanna see something really gross??

The first batch of wet ingredients ended up looking like this.

That's shortening all chunked up in pureed tomatoes, sugar, etc.

Need I remind you of the reason I avoid baking from scratch?

I re-read the directions and it said to blend each ingredient individually.
Ohhh.

Well, I didn't and it looked like up-chuck.  No lie.

Cream together, one at a time:
1 cup shortening
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs, separated (blend yolks in)
Beat whites until they are stiff, then fold in.
1 cup cold water
1/3 cup pureed tomatoes
(I used canned cut tomatoes and pureed them in the magic bullet)

Sift together:
2 1/2 cups cake flour (I used all purpose)
1/2 cup dry cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Mix dry mix into creamy mixture.
Bake in two greased and floured 8 1/2" round pans at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.
Frost with chocolate butter cream frosting.
Top with strawberries.

The second batch was much better.

No wonder there are instructions.

My life would be much simpler if I read them once in a while.

Thunder cake with some vanilla ice cream = good!

Quick, easy lunch or breakfast

I don't claim to be a good cook - or even an O.K. cook....

however this is a yummy sandwich.

I forgot to include the english muffins in the picture below.

I mean, really.  A good cook can't forget the main ingredient.

No wonder I'm not a good cook.

Anyhoo...

here's what you need.

Toast up your english muffin (use the high fiber ones for a healthier choice).

Mush up your egg and add some mustard and mayo, plus a little "no salt" seasoning.

Add pesto to the english muffin and ..... presto - everything's better with pesto.

Serve it up on paper plates for easy clean up.

Try it.  You'll like it!

This is a good thing

These rich, red babies are coming into season and I am one happy strawberry-camper.

I made my first purchase at the Strawberry Stand last week.  We've almost eaten every morsel.

For an extra added sweet treat
Sweet Cheeks dips hers is herseys chocolate syrup.
Sugar Nugget prefers whipped cream.
YUM YUM!

Low carb snack

T-Bone surprised me recently and brought this out of the cabinet.

SHOCKED and UPHAULED I was as I have NEVER bought this meaty GROSSNESS before.  Why is it in my cabinet?  He proceeds to tell me that while he's on his low carb regime, he'll be eating this cavier of sorts.

Cavier....oh, no.  It's more like dog food for people, I reply.  T-Bone asked me to give it a shot, so I did.  It says it's from white meat so it can't be that bad, right?  I took the smallest nibble known to man and began tasting the chicken spread.  Poooey - yuck - gross - no bueno - nasty - blah.  I didn't like it.  I don't care if it's on that delicious, white, gooey bread that sticks to the roof of your mouth.  It's bad!

I'm no food snob.  But, this gunk reminded me of my childhood when my mother (who's not the greatest cook in the world because she hates cooking) used to make us potted meat sandwiches.  Potted meat?

What is that?  Don't ask.

So, T-Bone, I am sorry that your low carb snack didn't work for me.  I'll stick to having my baked potato chips with ranch dip, when I please.

Brussel Sprouts

I've been seeing a few blogs mention brussel sprouts.  I checked them out but never once thought about buying some of these round, little cabbage look-a-like veggies.  I ate brussel sprouts once about 30 years ago when my boyfriend at the time was eating some.

Me no likey....so I never went back again.

During a quick stop at Trader Joes I noticed this branch of cute little nubbies and didn't recognize what they were.  A quick look at the tag and I realized that they were brussel sprouts.

In a attempt to get my girls to try new foods, I thought this branch of goodness might be a conversation piece, fun for them to see....and, hopefully, eat.  The purchase was made.  The branch was placed carefully in the car for its first ride to our pad.

So, here's the funny part.  I took the groceries into the house.  The brussel sprouts weren't bagged because they're A HUGE BRANCH that won't fit into any TJ brown bag.  I carried it in like a baton...doing some bustin' and movin' of my own while making up a song.  The lyrics went like this:

Brussel sprouts are cool

Brussel sprouts are funny

Brussel sprouts will be yummy

You just have to stick 'em in your mouth

The girls and my hubby had to take their turn handling the green stick and were actually feeling the love, and I secretly think that they were hoping that these morsels would be yummy (because Mom was making a big deal of it).

My recipe was made up on the spot:

Pinch off brussel sprouts from their adorable stick home

Cut off nub

Wash thoroughly and remove dead leaves

Shake to dry

Dredge in canola oil (some may want olive oil but I sometimes think olive oil just takes over in taste)

Season with Crazy Mixed Up salt

Microwave for 3 minutes

YUM - YUM - YUM

These babies were yummy.

The seasoning was just very basic, but delicious.

Guess who liked them?

Just me.

Not the hubby.

Not the girls.

Just me.

The moral of the story is to buy something new, try something new and have fun doing the whole thing.

I suggest you buy a branch and see what happens.

And, be sure to tell me about it.