A Cooking Baker

I apologize for the cheesy basil garnish.... :) Chicken Parm can be messed up.  It can. Ever had a reeeaally thick chicken breast, with a heavy, soggy breading and a thick, chewy covering of cheese?  Yeah....  not my favorite.  We made this version last week, and it was awesome - just the right amount of tender chicken, crisp breading, a taste of cheese and bright sauce in each bite.  This was so light, and we all really enjoyed it.    Ridiculously Easy, Lighter Chicken Parm   2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half for 4-6 thin cutlets EVOO to mist or brush onto chicken (you can also melt some butter and brush that on - about 2 tbsp. or so) your favorite marinara sauce (1-2 c. ) grated parm for garnish if you like - or if you need more cheese, mozzarella or provolone fresh herbs for garnish if you like, minced For the breading: 1/2 - 3/4 c. breadcrumbs (make your own, use store-bought, Panko, whatever) 1/4 c. gra...

Tried a super easy recipe last night... While paging through a magazine yesterday, this recipe caught my eye.  I needed something for dinner, so rather than put it off, I just went to the kitchen and went for it!  The recipe was for skewers, and called for you to slice the meat into 1/4" strips, and then thread them on to skewers, but I'm lazy, so I just threw the whole thing in a bag and sliced it up afterward.  You do what you need to do. Teriyaki Flank Steak 1 flank steak (about 1 lb.) 1/2 c. Teriyaki sauce 2-3 cloves garlic, minced 1-1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper 1-2 scallions, thinly sliced a good squeeze of a fresh lemon (about 1-2 tbsp.) Add the above items to a freezer bag or dish to marinate meat, at least 30 minutes, or overnight (or toss in the freezer for another night - even better, make one for tonight, and one for another time!).  Heat your grill, and grill until done to your liking.  Let rest for a few minutes, then slice thin...

Pesto isn't hard to make. I had it in my head that it was, for some reason, until I finally tried it.  It just takes a few minutes!  I'd been meaning to makes some with almonds, instead of pine nuts for 2 reasons: (1) pine nuts are expensive, yo! and (2) I had a big bag of almonds from Costco that we haven't attacked with as much gusto as I thought we would.  We had some bad luck with basil this year, and I scrounged up enough for a packed 1/2 cup, but not a whole.  Shoot!  Then I saw a recipe that combined parsley and basil - problem solved!  Here's what I did, and another recipe with just basil, in case your crop fared better. I plan to toss some angel hair pasta with pesto and some little grape or Sun Gold tomatoes from the garden, and toss in whatever else makes sense from the fridge or garden, and maybe throw on some grilled chicken strips or something for dinner tomorrow.  I'll also do some little toasts and spread them with the fre...

This is the most versatile side dish ever.  I think you could literally serve it with everything.  Last time at the farmer's market, we picked up some carrots, zucchini, squash and onions.  Right away, I washed everything up, grabbed a knife, and sliced it all up.  Then I made a big bag of mixed veggies, added a few cloves of minced garlic, and a splash of basil-infused olive oil.  I tossed it in the freezer, and I've been grabbing a few handfuls, tossing the mix into a hot pan, and I have a simple, healthy side dish in just a few minutes.  Last night, I ran out to the garden and grabbed some fresh basil, chopped it up and tossed it in before serving.  YUM.  You can add whatever you like - just do it now, while the fresh veggies are plentiful, and you can enjoy the tastes of summer for months to come. Farmer's Market Veggie Medley 1-2 zucchini, sliced 1-2 squash, sliced 3-4 carrots, sliced 1 medium red onion, sliced 1 tbsp. EVOO, basil-infuse...