Turkey Parmesan

This works well with pasta and also makes a good hot sub or a wrap.

CUTLETS

1 # Turkey Cutlets
1 Cup Flour
½ Egg Beaters – beat in 1 T. water
1 Cup Seasoned Dry Bread Crumbs (Progresso)

If cutlets are thick pound out slightly, season w/ salt & pepper.
Season flour w/ ½ t. salt, ½ t. pepper, ½ t granulated garlic, & pinch of cayenne.
Set up counter with 3 bowls for the breading procedure.

Dredge a seasoned cutlet in flour, shake off excess, dip in egg, shake off excess, coat with bread crumbs (press the crumbs into the cutlets for a good coating). Repeat to bread all cutlets. Set aside while making sauce.

SAUCE

1 Medium Onion, chopped
5 oz. mushrooms, sliced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 28 oz. can San Marzano whole tomatoes (any brand, I look for low sodium content)
1 jar Francesco Rinaldi ‘no salt added’ tomato sauce
Dry basil, oregano, red pepper flakes

Saute onion in 1 T. olive oil for 1 minute. Add mushrooms, cook 4 minutes. Add garlic, 1 t. each oregano, basil, and pepper flakes. Cook 1 minute. Add the juice from the canned tomatoes (careful that the steam does not burn you). Crush the tomatoes in your hand into the sauce. Cover and simmer for 7 minutes. Add jarred sauce, simmer for 10 minutes.

FRYING THE CUTLETS
Heat ½ inch of vegetable oil in sauté pan until hot (drop a small bit of bread crumbs in to see if it begins to fry). Fry cutlets for 2-3 minutes on each side until brown. Do this in batches, do not crowd pan. When done, move to plate lined w/ paper towel.

FINAL ASSEMBLY
Coat bottom of casserole pan w/ tomato sauce, arrange cutlets in a single layer, top each cutlet with sauce (no need to drown cutlets in sauce, save left over sauce to serve along side) Bake uncovered at 350 for 20 minutes (or until bubbly). Sprinkle w/ low fat shredded mozzarella mixed with a bit of grated parmesan. Serve w/ Whole wheat pasta.

Split Pea Soup

Being a rainy Sunday in late September I wanted to put the crockpot back into action. I like to make recipes that freeze well and this is one of my favorites.

Using a 7 quart crockpot (the big one):

Dice 1 onion and 3 carrots - put into crockpot
Sort through 2 lbs of green split peas (look for and discard any rocks)
Rinse peas several times
Add peas to crockpot
Add 1 large can (48 ounces) low sodium chicken broth
Fill same can with water and add to crockpot
Add 3-4 small smoked hamhocks (or 1 smoked turkey leg) to crock pot
Add 3 bay leaves
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours
Soup is done when split peas have turned to mush
Remove hamhocks and dice meat, add back to soup

Enjoy!

Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore

I made this Friday morning and served it over Gnocci. Let me know what you think.

A few of you asked for this:

I use a 7 quart crockpot
Slice a large onion into bottom of Crockpot
Lay 16 skinless bone-in chicken thighs on top of onions (trim all visable fat)
Season w/ pepper, 1 T. oregano, 1 T. basil, 4 cloves minced garlic
Slice a large red pepper and 8 mushrooms and layer on chicken
Pour 2 28ounce cans of whole plum tomatoes on top (I prefer san marzano (any brand))
Rinse cans out with 1/2 cup red wine & 1/2 cup water, pour over top
Add 4 more cloves of minced garlic & 3 bay leaves, stir into tomatoes
Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours
When done genlty remove chicken thighs (try to keep together) & keep warm
Turn Crockpot up to high and cook sauce for up to 1 hour longer
Add chicken back in & serve w/ pasta, rice, gnocci, etc

Welcome to Jim's Cooking

A friend suggested that I start a blog for things that I like to cook (thanks Kathy). I am going to try to keep this up and post recipes for dishes I make and restaurants we go to.

If you have a questions about cooking or the culinary arts, let me know and I will try to help you out.

Enjoy!