week of April 2, 2017

Sun - Pork Milanese
Mon - Chicken Strips
Tue - Fajitas
Wed - Kielbasa and Perogies
Thur - Chicken Puttanesca and Spaghetti
Fri - Salisbury "Steaks"

Pork Milanese
2 lbs boneless thin sliced pork loin or chops
3/4 plus 1/4 cup milk
1 egg
Oil to coat the bottom of the pan (veg or canola)

1 lemon (zest and juice)
flour coating:
1 cup AP flour
1 tbsp seasoning salt (such as Johnny's)
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic salt
breading coating
1 cup bread crumbs (I use Progresso Italian)
1/4 cup Kraft Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp lemon zest
.
To bread the meat you will need: 2 bowls, 2 paper plates, 1 non-stick cooling rack covered with parchment paper, a fork. Set up the assembly line: bowl with milk, paper plate with flour coating, bowl with 1 egg and 1/4 cup milk beaten together, paper plate with crumb coating, and last the cooling rack. One piece at a time, dip in milk, place on the flour and coat. Dip in the egg mix. the place on the crumb mix and coat. Lay on the cooling rack until all chops are breaded.
To cook the chops, heat the oil in a large skillet on med-high heat. Add peices one at a time, being careful not to splatter yourself. Cover, and cook for 5-10 minutes or until the bottom side is golden brown and top is starting to turn from pink to white. Turn and cook until done. Middle of meat should reach 160F. Let rest 5 minutes on the cooling rack (without parchment) to drain oil. Squeeze fresh lemon juice on top when serving.
Serving with Spaghetti with olive oil (prepared according to box, dressed with olive oil after draining).


homemade "Shake and Bake" Chicken Strips
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast cut into strips
1/2 cup flour

1 12 cup plain bread crumbs
2 tbsp seasoning salt
1 tbsp garlic powder
Milk
Soak chicken in a bowl of milk, enough milk to cover all the chicken. Put flour, seasoning salt, garlic, bread crumbs, into plastic freezer bag (gallon size) and shake to mix. Put in a few chicken strips at a time and shake until coated. Use olive oil to coat the cookie sheet. Lay coated strips on the sheet in single layer (no over lapping). Bake at 350F in the oven (or toaster oven) until done and golden brown - about 20 minutes. Turning chicken over once.
Serve with roasted potato wedges.

Chicken Fajitas
3 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
3 tablespoons lime juice
Zest of 1 lime
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, pressed
Salt and pepper
6-8 Fajita size Flour tortillas
Toppings if desired: sour cream, guacamole, cheese, Pico De Gallo, extra lime juice
Sprinkle meat with cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp veggie oil over medium-high heat. Cook meat, peppers, onion, and garlic until chicken is cooked through. Add lime juice and zest. Serve with warmed tortillas and toppings.

One Pot Puttanesca
2 lbs chicken breast strips

4 cups chicken broth
2 cans (14.5 oz each) Italian-style diced tomatoes
1/2 medium onion
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 cup sliced olives
7 oz artichoke hearts, drained
2 tbsp capers
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
12 oz (350 g) uncooked linguine or spaghetti pasta
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup loosely packed fresh parsley, divided
Parmesan cheese, grated
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1.  In a large skillet, over medium heat, brown chicken in oil , remove. Then cook the onion, add more oil if needed, cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.

2. Carefully add broth, tomatoes, pasta, olives, capers, and pepper flakes, if desired. Put chicken on top. Simmer, covered, 10-12 minutes or until pasta is al dente and chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally.
3. Finely chop parsley; reserve 1 tbsp for garnish. Let stand, covered, 5 minutes or until pasta is tender and sauce is thickened. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese and reserved parsley.

Salisbury Steak
1 lb ground beef
2 eggs
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp each Salt and Pepper
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp onion salt
4 tbsp butter
3-4 tbsp AP flour
1 (14 oz) can beef broth
Mix beef, eggs, milk, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, garlic, onion, Worcestershire suace together. Form into patties ("steaks"). Brown on each side on high heat in 2 tbsp butter - no need to cook through yet. About 2 minutes each side. Remove set on plate.
Add drippings remaining butter to a pan. On high heat, using a whisk, add the flour to the pan. Stir until incorporated, then turn down the heat to low and stir for 1-2 minutes or until it smells nutty. Turn the heat back up to high and slowly add the broth constantly whisking until completely incorporated. Turn heat down to low, add the patties back to the pan. Cover and simmer until the patties are cooked through and the gravy is thickened, about 20 minutes.
Serve with mashed potatoes.