I need to learn how to be creative when naming recipes I come up with.

Is there like, a class for that or something? Some things already have names, even though you can make them differently and customize them (like steak and cheese or certain kinds of cookies), but there are some dishes that need a new name. Dishes that are created by just throwing a bunch of stuff together, and having it come out great, thus deserving a great name. Something I am terrible at. Anyway, this dinner came out of me having a couple chicken breasts in the fridge and not knowing what to do with them. Also, stale bread. I hate when it gets so stale that it's practically inedible and you either have to find a use for it or throw it out.

Semi Chicken Parmesan (that's a temporary name, because frankly, it's awful)

• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• stale bread, about 4 slices, depending on the type of bread (or pre-made breadcrumbs)
• salt
• pepper
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• about 1/2 cup flour
• 2 eggs
• pasta of your choice (I used penne)
• tomato sauce
• roughly 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
• fresh basil (optional; to garnish)

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Take your stale bread and smash it up into crumbs (I put the bread in a ziploc bag and then repeatedly bashed it with a rolling pin until it resembled crumbs of a reasonable size). Place crumbs in bowl. Add flour to bowl, then add about 3/4 of the basil and oregano. Mix until combined. Take your eggs and scramble them up with a fork in another bowl to make an eggwash. Salt and pepper your chicken breasts, then dip them in the eggwash, followed by the breadcrumb mixture and transfer to a greased skillet. Add the rest of the dried spices to the chicken while searing. Cook just enough so that the outside of the chicken is browned and none of it is pink. Transfer chicken to a sheet pan and sprinkle a bit of mozzarella on top.

Place in oven for about 20-25 minutes.

While the chicken is finishing off in the oven, bring some water to a boil. Follow the instructions on your pasta, then drain and coat in about 1 tbsp of olive oil. Plate your pasta, adding as much sauce as you would like. When the chicken is done, remove it from the oven and let it sit for about five minutes so it retains its juices. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces and stir into the plated pasta. Cover with more mozzarella cheese, then place back in the oven for about 5-8 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Remove plates from oven (remember that they're hot and don't burn yourself accidentally like I did) and garnish with fresh basil.

Faux Chicken Parmesan

This isn’t exactly traditional chicken parmigiana, more of my own makeshift version. I tend to like the taste of the chicken more when it’s not breaded (and being so hungry at the time, I didn’t feel like digging around for breadcrumbs). Also, next time I make this pan sauce, I think I’d leave out the cherry tomatoes. They didn’t really add anything. Leaving them whole just made them hard to eat and they got all over the place (I didn’t cook them enough before putting the crushed tomatoes in the pan). I like the sweet taste, so if I had crushed them beforehand, it might have been better, but I think just the crushed tomatoes is fine.

Faux Chicken Parmesan

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 4 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp dry oregano (or 3 tsp fresh)
• 1 tsp paprika
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• about 4 oz mozzarella cheese
• chopped parsley for garnish

For the homemade tomato pan sauce:

• 2 Tbsp of previously made butter mixture 
• half of a 12oz can of crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes

In a small bowl, mix together the butter, garlic, oregano, and paprika. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside. Preheat oven to 400* F. Season both sides of chicken breast with salt and pepper. Put the flour onto a plate and then, working with one breast at a time, press both sides into the flour. Shake until excess flour is removed and repeat with each remaining chicken breast.

Melt 2 tbsp of the butter mixture with the olive oil into a heavy skillet on high heat. Reduce to medium high when butter stops foaming. Add chicken breasts and sauté until browned on one side, about 5-7 minutes (depending on how large the chicken breast is). Flip and continue cooking another 3-4 minutes. Once chicken is cooked, transfer to an oven safe dish (I used a casserole dish), prepared with a very thin layer of crushed tomatoes and a small amount of butter mixture (less than 1/8 of a tbsp). Lay the chicken on top of the tomatoes and add mozzarella cheese on top. Place into the oven while the tomato sauce is prepared.

To prepare pan sauce: Add the 2 remaining tbsp of the previously made butter mixture to the pan you just used to sauté your chicken. Once butter is melted, add 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes and cook until the skins of the tomatoes have the appearance of wrinkled paper. Add 1/2 a 12oz can of crushed tomatoes and stir. Add salt and ground black pepper to taste, and mix until the crushed tomatoes and butter have completely blended (the tomatoes should be a darker red than they started out). Keep mixing the sauce until it comes to a simmer.

Serve chicken with pan sauce, a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, and a garnish of chopped parsley.

Fettuccine Caprese

I make pasta a lot. Mostly because it’s so versatile. I never really measure when I make savory dishes, so all of this is just estimated. Keep in mind I made this for one person (and I am a very tiny 19 year old girl who barely ever finishes her portions) so the amounts are easily adjustable.

Fettuccine Caprese

• 3oz fettuccine (I use Buitoni brand fresh pasta, which comes in 9oz packages, and use about 1/3 of a package when I’m making it for myself)
• about 1/4 cup cherry tomatoes
• about 2 Tbsp fresh basil, roughly chopped
• a handful of fresh mozzarella, torn into pieces
• olive oil
• salt and pepper, to taste

Put a pot of salted water on to boil. While the water is boiling, cut the cherry tomatoes in half, and place in a skillet over medium heat with some olive oil and freshly ground black pepper. Saute until the tomatoes are heated through and the skins appear slightly “crumpled.” When your water is boiling, cook pasta according to package instructions (usually about 2-3 minutes for fresh, 9-11 I believe for dried). After pasta is cooked, add 1-2 Tbsp of olive oil to pasta, dump it back in the pot along with the tomatoes, chopped basil, and torn mozzarella. Stir together until everything is incorporated, and the cheese is slightly melted from the heat of the pasta.

Baked Potato Eggs

When there’s nothing to make for dinner in the house, I come up with some weird concoctions. I looked at the eggs and mozzarella cheese in the fridge and instantly wanted to make baked eggs of some sort. I had read a lot of recipes about putting the baked eggs in bread bowls, and I saw a recipe once with eggs in a potato bowl, so I looked at our sad potato supply and figured — why not?
As delicious as this was, I think it would have tasted a lot better with some basil. And sour cream. But we had none of either. Maybe next time.


Baked Potato Eggs

• 2 large potatoes (russett works best)
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 2 eggs
• 2 strips bacon, cooked and diced
• 2 Tbsp. shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 tomato, diced
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

First, bake your potatoes. If you’re doing this in the oven, preheat it to 350 F. Wash and dry your potatoes first, then poke some holes around them with a fork. I always coat my potatoes with salt and butter (or oil). Then bake them in the oven for 1 hour, or until the skin is crisp and when you poke a fork through them it comes out without resisting, it’s done.

Or you can microwave them: wash and prepare the potatoes the same way, but instead, throw them in the microwave for 5-8 minutes.

Once you have your baked potato, lay the potato on its side, and use a knife to carefully cut off the top third of the potato. With a spoon, hollow out the middle of the potato to make a “bowl”, leaving it as thick or thin as you’d like. Place 1/2 tablespoon of butter in the middle of the bowl. Then gently break an egg into each bowl, careful not to break the yolk. Top with bacon, tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and then season with salt and pepper.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, or until the egg whites are set. Serve immediately.

Buttermilk Cornbread

I had been wanting to make cornbread for a while, and I decided to make something other than plain cornbread to surprise him. Besides, I was always taught the more bacon grease and/or butter you add to something, the better it tastes. Even if it’s not that good for you, but the tastiest foods don’t tend to be.

Buttermilk Cornbread

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup sharp cheddar cheese (optional)
• about 6 strips bacon, pan fried and chopped (optional)
• about 1/4 cup bacon drippings (optional)
• 1/4 cup chives (optional)
• * You can also feel free to add jalapeno, onion, and other toppings of your choice. 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (175 degrees C). Foil and grease an 8 inch square pan. Melt butter (I put it in the microwave for about 30 seconds) and pour into mixing bowl. Stir in sugar. Quickly add eggs and beat until well blended. Combine buttermilk with baking soda and stir into mixture. Stir in cornmeal, flour, and salt until well blended and few lumps remain. Add in the toppings of your choice during this period of time (cheese, bacon, chives, bacon drippings - the drippings in my opinion add a really good flavor to the corn bread). Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

(recipe adapted from Michelle's Story)

Easy Fettuccine Alfredo

Fettuccine Alfredoserves 2-3 as a main course

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup half and half
• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 9 ounces fresh fettuccine
• 1 1/2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 3/4 cup)
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Bring 4 1/2 quarts of water to a boil.
As water is coming to a boil, heat 1 cup of heavy cream and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat and gently simmer until the mixture has reduced to about 2/3 cup, 12-15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in half and half, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
Add 1 Tablespoon of salt to the boiling water and add pasta. Cook until just shy of al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup cooking water and drain pasta.
Return cream to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low again and add the pasta, Parmesan, and nutmeg. Toss gently with tongs to coat the pasta, and cook an additional 1-2 minutes. Stir in the reserved pasta water. At this point the sauce might seem to thin, but it will thicken as it begins to cool and is served.