Delicious and Quick Chicken and Eggplant Parmesan

A delicious dinner that can be put together in no time at all. It is one of our all time favorites. Although chicken Parmesan is delicious, we especially love the addition of the eggplant.

It takes no time at all to prepare this dish, and all the ingredients can be prepped in advance, including the chicken. You can build the final dish shortly before dinner and serve it hot and fresh even if the components had been prepared earlier in the week. You will get just as many compliments for this dish as you would for a much more complex dinner. It is good enough for family as well as company.

This is also a great way to use left over spaghetti sauce and fried chicken patties.

Ingredients:

• 1 chicken breast per 2 people
  
• 2 tsp of fresh minced garlic
  
• 1/2 tsp of salt
  
• 1 tsp of paprika
  
• black pepper
  
• Italian flavored bread crumbs
  
• 1 eggplant
  
• salt
  
• olive oil
  
• canola oil
  
• 1 cup of Lizabetti's Bolognese or Vegetarian Marinara Sauce sauce
  
• 1/2 cup of shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
  
• 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
  
• 1 pinch of minced Italian parsley

• 

Directions:

1. Set the oven on 400 F.
   
2. Warm the Bolognese/marinara sauce on medium.
   
3. Thinly slice each chicken breast into about 4 slices. Place your palm on top of the chicken breast and run a very sharp knife through the entire chicken breast.
   
4. Season with the garlic, salt, paprika and pepper. Set aside for about 30 minutes.
   
5. 
   
   
   Thinly slice the eggplant on a diagonal. This will give you slices that will be about the size of each chicken breast slice.
6. Salt the eggplant to release some of its water. Set it aside for about 5 minutes
   
7. Blot the eggplant. Drizzle it with olive oil.
   
8. Set eggplant on a cookie sheet with a wire rack. Bake until the eggplant starts to wilt, about 15-20 minutes. Turn oven off.
   
9. Coat the chicken with a thin layer of the Italian bread crumbs.
   
10. Fry until golden brown. Set aside on paper towels.
    
11. On a cookie sheet, set the chicken breasts.
    
12. Sprinkle with a bit of the grated Parmesan.
    
13. Coat with a tablespoon or so of sauce.
    
14. Lay a slice of eggplant. Sprinkle with Parmesan and mozzarella.
    
15. Add a layer of sauce and sprinkle with final layer of mozzarella.
    
16. Place under the broiler, until the cheese begins to bubble, approximately 5 minutes.
    
17. Sprinkle with a pinch of fresh chopped parsley.
    
18. Serve it with a side of pasta and a nice salad.

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Copyright © 2007, 2008 Lizabetti.com, All Rights Reserved

Heart Healthy Italian Meatballs - Wild Turkey Strikes Again

In keeping with eating healthier and trying to eat less red meat, we decided to make turkey balls with tomato sauce. These turkey balls have taken a definite Italian twist with the change up in the seasoning. I have included a touch of fennel seeds which gives your tastebuds the sensation of eating Italian sausage. I have added the traditional herbs associated with Italian cooking such as basil, dried oregano and parsley. In addition, the tomato sauce is infused with lots of herbs and mushrooms which make this meal a light and delicious entree which even your cardiologist would approve. Stella who is a hardy lover of spaghetti, absolutely loved these turkey balls and spaghetti.

As an alternative you may want to try the Swedish meatball version in our Original Wild Turkey Ball Recipe.

Ingredients:

For the turkey balls (the steps for preparing italian turkey balls are similar to the wild turkey balls recipe)

• 1 lb of ground turkey breast
• 1-2 portabello mushrooms
• 1 medium size carrot
• 2 stalk of celery, including leaves
• 1 small yellow onion
• 1/4 cup of flat leave parsley
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 1/2-1 tsp of onion powder NOT SALT
• 1/2-1 tsp of garlic powder NOT SALT
• 1/2 tsp of fennel seeds
• 1 tbsp of dried oregano
• 1 tbsp of minced fresh oregano
• 1 tbsp of minced fresh basil
• 1 cup of flavored bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup of finely ground cornmeal

For the sauce

• 3 portabello mushrooms (stems removed and added to the turkey balls)
• 1/2 package of crimini or white mushrooms
• 1/4 tsp of onion powder
• 1/4 tsp of garlic powder
• 1 onion, coarsley chopped
• 1/4 cup of flat leave parsley, finely chopped
• 1/2-1 tsp of fennel seeds
• 1tbsp of minced fresh basil
• 1tbsp of minced fresh oregano
• 2 tbsps of dried oregano
• 1 tbsp of fresh minced garlic
• 2 bay leaves, if they are large, you will need just one
• 1 cup of red wine or white zinfandel wine
• 1 can of tomato sauce (28 oz.)
• 2 cans of whole peeled tomatoes (28 oz each)( or you can use 3 cans of tomato sauce)
• 1/4 cup of grated parmesan or pecorino romano cheese
• 1tsp of salt (more if needed to suit your palate)
• pinch of sugar

INSTRUCTIONS:

For turkey balls

1. Wipe the portabellos clean with a papertowel.
2. Drizzle olive oil over the entire portabellos, top and bottom.
3. Season them with onion and garlic powder.
4. Salt and pepper and set aside to marinade for about 15 minutes.
5. Clean, peel and coarsely chop the carrot. Put it in the food processor.
6. Clean and coarsley chop the celery. Add it to the food processor.
7. Wash the parsley and add it to the food processor.
8. Coarsely chop the yellow onion and add it to the food processor.
9. Add the stems from all the portabellos.

   
10. Now, process the ingredients in the food processor until they are finely chopped, the consistency will be that of almost a paste.
11. Place the entire mixture into a fine sieve and let the juice drain out for a few minutes. Be sure to place a bowl under the sieve to catch the juices which will be added to the sauce later.
12. Using a nonstick heavy bottom large pan, coat the bottom with olive oil. Heat it on medium high and when the oil begins to shimmer, set the portabellos with gills down and saute for a few minutes. Flip the mushrooms up and continue to saute until the juices begin to escape. Remove from the pan and cut them into strips and put them in the food processor. Grind them down until it is like a coarse puree. Let it cool a bit.
13. Save any juices that may have escaped from the mushrooms and add to the bowl with the other collected juices.
14. In a large mixing bowl, incorporated the cooled pureed portabellos in with the ground turkey.
15. Add the chopped vegetable mixture and incorporated into the turkey mixture.
16. Add the bread crumbs and thoroughly mix it in. This is important because any excess liquid will be absorbed by the crumbs and will make the meatballs tender and juicy.

    
17. Add the salt, garlic and onion powder. Mix them in.
18. Put the cornmeal in a shallow dish.
19. To form the meatballs, I like to use a small metal ice cream scoop which has about 1 inch diameter. The scoop is great because the turkey balls will be fairly uniform in size so they will cook at the same rate. If you like big meatballs, then use a larger scoop or just form into bigger balls. Scoop the mixture with the scoop and roll it to form a nice ball.
20. Roll the ball in the cornmeal and set aside on a dish. It will yield about 50 meatballs.

To cook meatballs and sauce

1. I have used the combination of whole tomatoes and tomato sauce forever. I find that it gives the sauce a nice texture that the entire family likes. Of, course this is a personal preference. It is easier to use tomato sauce. The sauce will be more dense and less chunky than my combination. If you use the whole tomatoes, they will need to be "broken" up a bit. I use a hand blender and chopped them up this way.
   
2. Slice all the mushrooms into thick slices, about 1/4 in thick.
3. Sprinkle the onion and garlic powder on the mushrooms.
4. Using the same pan that the portabellos were cooked in, coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil. Heat on medium. When it starts to shimmer.
5. Add the mushrooms and saute until they are wilted and start to release some juice.
6. Add the onions and saute until they are translucent. Remove mixture from the pan and set aside.
7. Add a generous coating of olive oil to the pan. Make sure that the entire bottom is well coated with the olive oil. Heat the oil on medium/high. When the oil is hot, start to add the turkey balls. Brown the turkey balls until they are brown all around. During this process, lift the pan off the burner and give it a gently shake to ensure that the balls are not sticking to the pan. You might need to drizzle a bit more oil if they start to stick. However, if you started with enough oil, that shouldn't be a problem. If necessary, brown the meatballs in batches.
8. When you are done browning all the meatballs, return them all to the pan.
9. Add the mushroom/onion mixture and cook them for a few minutes together. The best way to mix the whole thing is to lift the pan and give it a few gently shakes to keep the whole moving around the pan.
10. Turn the heat down to low.
    
11. Add the garlic and cook it into the mixture.
12. Add about half of the of the basil, parsley and oregano. Mix them in.
13. Add all the fennel seeds and and mix in.
14. Add the bay leaves.
15. Add the wine. The pan will still be hot enough that most of the wine will cook off quite quickly. There should be just a little bit of liquid left.
16. Add the tomato sauce and the other 2 cans. Mix each can in before adding the next.
17. The heat should be low enough that the sauce should be simmering and not bubbling.
18. Let the sauce simmer for about 3 hours which will bring all the flavors out of the sauce.
19. About an hour into the simmering, add the grated cheese and mix it. You can also add the additional herbs and continue to simmer.
20. This recipe makes a generous quantity of meatballs and sauce. It can be served with any type of pasta, polenta or gnocchi. We also make meatball heros and any extra sauce is used to make chicken/eggplant Parmesan for another meal. You can easily get 4 generous meals out of this batch.
21. The sauce can also be frozen to be used when you are tired, but want a quick, home cooked meal.
    

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Copyright © 2007, 2008 Lizabetti.com, All Rights Reserved

Sausage Pepper and Onion Stromboli

Sausage Pepper and Onion Stromboli

This dish captures the traditional taste of Italian sausage with peppers and onions, but adds a that delicious taste of a fresh baked crust with sesame seeds. The crust really amplifies the flavor of the sausage and makes a nice portable container for on-the-go families. It has many of the benefits of Lizabetti's Ham and Cheese Stromboli, but also has a more sophisticated combination of tastes. I actually like it better, but my kids prefer the ham and cheese version.

Like our other Italian Dishes, this dish is just plain fun to eat. You can serve it with a spinach salad for a light dinner, or take it to work for lunch.
This also makes great game time munchies when you are watching your beloved Celtics or Patriots.

Ingredients:

• 2-4 Sweet or garlic Italian sausage
  
• 1 ball of pizza dough, I get mine at a local pizza joint. Allow the dough to rise before using.
  
• 6-8 oz Mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 portabello mushroom cap
• 2 tablespoons pickled pepper rings
• 1/2 onion, coarsely chopped
  
• 1 handful of corn meal
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of milk
• 2 table spoons of sesame seeds
• 1-2 teaspoons garlic, chopped
  

Directions:

1. Brush the mushroom cap with garlic and olive oil. .
   
2. Grill for 8 minutes per side over medium high heat. If you do not have a grill, you can use a non-stick pan.
3. Slice the mushroom and let stand for a few minutes.
   
4. Grill sausages slowly over medium heat, allow the grease to drain. You can cut the sausage in half length-wise after it is browned to help speed the cooking process. I grilled the sausage and mushrooms at the same time, though the sausages take at least 30 minutes.
   
5. slice the sausage into disk shaped pieces about 1/4 inch thick.
   
6. Roll out the dough, using the corn meal to prevent sticking to your board.
7. Lay out the dough on a cookie sheet.
8. Spread the sausage on the dough, top with onions, peppers, and mushrooms.
   
9. Spread the shredded cheese over top.
10. Roll up the dough around the ingredients.
11. Press down the ends with a fork to seal, this is important so that you do not lose your cheese.
12. Poke holes with a tooth pick all along the top. The holes should be spaced at least 1 inch apart. This is important so that your pie does not explode in the oven.
13. Brush the surface of the dough with milk, this will help the sesame seed stick to the dough.
14. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
15. Bake at 375^o for 30 minutes.
16. Let stand at room temperature for at least 10 minutes before cutting.
    

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Copyright © 2007, 2008 Lizabetti.com, All Rights Reserved