Italian food, bachelor style

This holiday season I travelled to Japan to spend some time with my significant other.  It's always a challenge to cook while I'm there, for several reasons....

1) Foreign ingredients are hard to come by, and are expensive when you can find them.

2) My boyfriend has exactly two pots (one large, one small) and one frying pan.

3) No oven.

My boyfriend's kitchen...two burners, a microwave, and a broiler.

The third is probably my biggest challenge, since I love to bake and roast things.  But, as Barney Stinson would say, challenge accepted!!

Since we found ourselves in possession of some beautiful red wine, Italian seemed the way to go. But rather than go for the obvious pasta and sauce, we opted for chicken parmesan.  This is (mostly) a stovetop recipe, and only requires the chicken to be broiled for 2-3 minutes in order to toast the breadcrumbs and melt the cheese.

Required Ingredients
-boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 per person)
-1/4 cup bread crumbs
-1/4 cup grated parmesan
-1/2 tsp dried basil (or 1.5 tsp fresh)
-salt and pepper
-olive oil
-tomato sauce (about 1/4 cup per chicken breast)
-grated mozzarella cheese (1/4 cup per chicken breast)

First, lightly toast the bread crumbs in a skillet.  Transfer to a bowl and let cool; then stir in parmesan cheese and basil.  Set aside.

Then, prepare the chicken.  Cover the breasts with plastic or wax paper, and pound until they are of even thickness.  Season with salt and pepper.  Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat, then add chicken and cook 3-4 minutes per side (until cooked through).

Once chicken is cooked, remove it from the skillet.  Top with tomato sauce and bread crumb mixture, then broil for 1 minute (until bread crumbs are toasted).  Sprinkle with mozzarella, then return to broiler until the cheese is golden and bubbling.

Then....enjoy!  Great with pasta, salad, garlic toast....or all of the above!!

Making it work

My holiday dinners usually end with pie, but this year I decided to mix things up a bit.

My decision was, of course, influenced by the things I had around me.  I was at my parents, and I know that they don't have all of the same things that I might keep on hand for baking, and that their small town supermarket is not as well stocked as I would like.  So I looked at what they had and came up with a plan: caramel apple upside down cake.

Seriously.  Easiest dessert ever.

You will need:
-1/2 cup butter (or margarine)
-1 cup packed brown sugar
-1 tsp ground cinnamon
-3-4 medium apples, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch wedges
-1 box of cake mix (as well as the requisite egg and oil)

First, make the caramel by melting the butter in a saucepan.  Stir in the brown sugar and heat to boiling, then add the cinnamon (I also added one cup of crushed pecans for crunch).  Pour the caramel into a greased 9x13 pan (or two 9 inch round pans).  Arrange the apple slices over the brown sugar mixture.

Then, make the cake according to the package directions.  Pour over the apples, and bake until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean (about 30 minutes in a 9x13 pan).  Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then flip onto a plate to serve.

Delicious with vanilla ice cream :)

Caroline & Julia

Whenever I'm having a down day, I like to go to Chapters and peruse the cookbook section of the store.  Don't judge me...it's where I find inspiration, and every so often I find a really good deal.  Like this one:

Since this is another kitchen bible, it was an offer too good to pass up.  The big question then became, with so many great recipes which would I make first?

I decided that since I had a holiday party to attend I would use Julia's knowledge to create a delicious appetizer and settled on Petits Choux au Fromage.  More colloquially...cheese puffs.

I chose to go with cheese because I wasn't quite ready to take on the task of making large dessert puffs (also, I had parmesan cheese in the fridge that needed to be used up before going on holiday)...but the basic process is still the same.  The batter is identical, with the exception of an extra teaspoon of sugar and a less salt in the case of dessert puffs.  According to Ms. Child, puffs are a wonderfully useful invention.  They can be either appetizer, entree, or dessert; and once you get the hang of the process you can have them in the oven within 30 minutes of starting to make the batter.

Also, who doesn't want to be known as "the person who brings cheese puffs to the party"?

After reading the recipe thoroughly (a very important step whenever you're trying something for the first time) I was ready to go.  Here's what you'll need to do to make your own:

Step 0: Preheat your oven to 425 F.

Step 1: Combine 1 cup water, 6 Tbsp butter (3/4 stick), 1 Tsp salt, 1/8 Tsp pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg in a medium sized pot.  Slowly bring to a boil, and boil until the butter is melted.

Step 2: Remove from heat and pour in 3/4 cup flour.  Beat vigorously to blend thoroughly.  Then beat over moderately high heat for 1-2 minutes until the mixture forms a mass and begins to film the bottom of the pan.

Step 3: Remove from heat and make a well in the center of the paste.  Break 1 egg into the centre of the well and beat into the paste until it has absorbed.  Do the same with 3 more eggs (4 eggs total); adding one at a time.  After all the eggs are added, beat a moment more to be sure it is well blended.

Step 4: Add 1 cup grated cheese (I used parmesan).

Step 5: Either squeeze (using a pastry bag) or spoon batter onto a greased cookie sheet.  Mounds should be about 1 inch in diameter.

Step 6: Bake in the upper and lower thirds of the oven for 20 minutes (until they are golden brown and are firm and crusty to the touch).

Step 7: Remove from oven and pierce the side of each puff with a sharp knife.  Set the puffs back in the turned off oven and leave the door ajar for 10 minutes.

Final step....enjoy!

I hope these are a hit at my party......

A 15 Minute Meal

...that I bet you've never thought of.

When you want food fast it's easy to turn to takeout, but this is not your only option.  There are plenty of delicious meals out there that take very little time to cook.

The secret: frozen shrimp.

A staple in my freezer.

These sweet frozen morsels can be thawed in less than 5 minutes, and fully cooked in under 10.  Tonight, I used them to make Roasted Shrimp and Broccoli.

I've made this recipe several times, and have thus taken the time to improve upon the original online offering.  The quantities I give here make one plate for one person...be sure to adjust accordingly if you're cooking for more.

1) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

2) Put the frozen shrimp in a colander under cold running water so that they can thaw.

3) While the shrimp thaw, pre-cook the broccoli.  Put the broccoli in a microwave safe container, and add enough water to cover.  Microwave on high for 3-4 minutes (until broccoli is slightly tender), then drain and spread on a cookie sheet.

Tip: buy pre-cut broccoli florets to save on prep time.

4) By now your shrimp should be thawed.  Toss in 1/2 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tbsp lemon juice, 1/8 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp pepper, and whatever other herbs/spices tickle your fancy (I usually add some Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes).  Add shrimp to cookie sheet.  Drizzle the rest of the oil/spice mixture over the broccoli.

5) Bake for 8 minutes, then enjoy!  I like to enjoy my shrimp with garlic bread and white wine........ 

Seriously delicious, and seriously little work.