Chicken Parmesan (Pollo Parmigiana)

Ingredients: 
6 chicken cutlets
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups marinara sauce
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
5 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste


Instructions:
In a bowl combine bread crumbs, oregano, nutmeg, salt, pepper and 2 tbsp of Parmesan.
In a second bowl beat the eggs and in to the third bowl add flour .
Tenderize the chicken, but not too much. Or else it will be dry.
Dredge the chicken in flour, than dip in the egg and cover in bread crumb-spice mixture.
Over medium heat, preheat olive oil in a large skillet.
Fry the chicken, until golden for 4-5 minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook  for about 5-6 minutes over  medium-low heat, covered with a lid until the chicken is cooked.
Take the chicken out of the skillet and place on plate covered with a paper towel.
Spray or brush baking pan with olive oil, spread 4 tbsp of marinara sauce on the bottom of the pan.
Place chicken on top, spread the rest of the sauce on top, sprinkle with Parmesan and top with Mozzarella cheese.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and bake for 5-10 minutes until the cheese melted and sauce started to bubble.
Serve with pasta of your choice.
Enjoy!

Pasta with Shrimp and Green Peas

This dish is delicious and easy! 

7 oz pasta of your choice, cooked (do not drain the water from pasta, you will need it later)

8 oz medium shrimp, peeled and deveined 

1 onion, roughly chopped

3 oz peas, defrosted 

6 peeled plum tomatoes, chopped

1 garlic clove, finely diced

1 tsp butter

2 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat, add onions, salt and pepper to taste, when onions are soft, add garlic. Cook until golden. Set aside.

2. In the same skillet, melt butter over high heat, when butter starts to sizzle add shrimp and cook for 1 min on each side until pink in color, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

3. Cook peas for 2 mins, until heated through and hot inside. Set aside.

4. Over medium heat, cook the tomatoes until thickens a little, salt and pepper. Add onions, shrimp and peas to the tomatoes, cook for 1 min. Add pasta, and 2/3 cup of pasta water ( if needed add some more, you do so to add creaminess to the dish). 

5. Serve with shredded Parmesan on top.

Chicken Piccata (Piccata di Pollo al Limone)

Yesterday I didn't have much time to cook, so I wanted to make something fast and easy, but at the same time delicious. When I was looking through my recipes I came across "chicken piccata",  and thought maybe it was going to take too long to make, but I love how they make it at "Bertucci's" and decided to try to make it like there. 20 mins later( that's how long it took me to make chicken, the sauce and spaghetti!!!),  my husband and I were eating homemade dinner not even a little bit worse than at "Bertucci's".

Ingredients:

2 skinless and boneless chicken breast, thinly sliced 

Salt and ground pepper

All-purpose flour, for dredging

6 tbsp butter

2 tbsp olive oil

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/4 cup capers, drained and rinsed

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour, shaking off any excess.

2. Melt 2 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet.

3. When butter start to sizzle add chicken and cook for 3 mins until chicken is browned. Flip, and cook for another 3 mins. 

4. Place chicken in the plate. To the same skillet where chicken was, add lemon juice, chicken stock and capers. Bring to boil, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the skillet. Check for salt and pepper.

5. Return all the chicken back to the skillet, simmer for 5 mins. Take chicken out to the plate.

6. Add remaining butter to sauce, whisk. Simmer for 1 minute.

7. Pour sauce over chicken. Serve with spaghetti or pasta of your choice.