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Chicken Parm Roll-Ups

Posted on: Monday, January 9th, 2012
Comments: 1

Chicken parm is a recipe that has intimidated me for years. I enjoy eating it at restaurants or when someone else makes it but I have avoided making it myself…probably because the stakes are so high. I was afraid that I would make it for someone in my family then seriously mess it up and never live it down (this is a legitimate concern, I’m Italian).

A few months back Kevin’s Mom gave me a bunch of cooking magazines. In one of the magazines I found a recipe for chicken parm roll-ups. (side note – preparing food in roll form intimidates me less …exception being sushi). This happens to also be true for lasagna….see my recipe for lasagna rolls with spinach. Finally I faced my fears and fiddled around with the recipe ultimately to arrive at this one (which we really enjoy). I am now convinced that both chicken parm and lasagna are tastier in roll form. Hope that you enjoy it too!

Recipe: Chicken Parm Roll-Ups

This recipe has been adapted from a recipe by Cook’s Country

Ingredients

1 lb of thinly sliced boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (anywhere between 2-4 chicken breasts depending on thickness)
1.5 cups of tomato sauce (Simple Italian Tomato Sauce)
2 tablespoons of fresh basil – chopped
2 tablespoons of fresh parsley – chopped
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
salt and pepper
Garlic powder
Served with steamed green beans and side of whole wheat linguini

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, combine the Parmesan cheese, 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese, basil, parsley, and a few pinches of salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Set bowl aside.
In a 9×9 baking dish pour the tomato sauce into the bottom and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Rinse the chicken breasts and pat dry with a clean paper towel.
Place chicken breasts into a plastic Ziploc bag and cover with clean kitchen towel. Using a meat tenderizer or rolling pin, beat chicken breasts until they flatten out/become thinner.
Place clean paper towel on flat surface and lay out each chicken breast.
Top each chicken breast with some of the basil/cheese mixture.
Roll up each chicken breast tightly and arrange in the baking dish seam side down.
Cover the chicken parm rolls with the remaining mozzarella cheese and panko bread crumbs.
Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 35-40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Is there a recipe that you are intimidated to make?

Simple Chicken Chili

Posted on: Wednesday, December 1st, 2010
Comments: 2

Holy smokes, today is December 1st!

I had planned to cook and photograph 4 different recipes today, but plans changed. I decided to do nothing instead. Sometimes you have to stop and do nothing. I’m not talking about being lazy, just taking time to rest.

Today, instead of cooking, I rested and listened to a message by Rob Bell about Advent. You may be thinking, “what could Advent possibly have to do with a recipe for chili?”. As it turns out, very little. Nevertheless, the message was hopeful and encouraging, and let’s be honest, who couldn’t use a side of hope and encouragement with their chili?

Sometimes the month of December is stressful, chaotic, and basically the exact opposite of what Advent is intended to be. It is easy to lose the anticipation and excitement that children have because we load ourselves with responsibility and never take time to rest.

Mini Confession #1: I don’t take enough time to rest and as a result, I can get easily discouraged.

If you are at all like me in that you feel tired and discouraged because you have unfulfilled dreams and desires that you are barely hanging onto…hang on! I am saying this mostly to myself because it’s easy to forget that those dreams and desires are there for a reason – a very good reason.

Mini Confession #2: Sometimes I make chili just so I can eat lots of toppings…especially the avocado and fresh cilantro.

I’ve heard some people say “cilantro tastes like soap”, but the way I see it, there are really only two kinds of people in this world – those who like cilantro and those who should.

If I could encourage you to do two things today it would be these two:

Take 30 minutes to really rest and listen to this message by Rob Bell. You won’t regret it.
Make this chili.

Simple Chicken Chili

Ingredients

1 medium onion (diced)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 pound of ground chicken
Salt and pepper (about ½ teaspoon each used to season the onions)
1 cup of corn kernels
1 can (15 oz) of organic kidney beans
1 can (15 oz) of organic garbanzo beans
1 (15 oz) can of diced tomatoes (no added seasonings)
1 small can (6 oz) of tomato paste (optional)
1 can (28 oz) of crushed tomatoes
½ teaspoon of salt or to taste
½ teaspoon of freshly cracker black pepper or to taste
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon of chili powder
Toppings (scallions, avocado, diced tomatoes, diced cilantro, diced red onion, shredded cheddar cheese, low-fat sour cream, etc.)

Directions

In a large saucepan with a lid, cook the onions in the olive oil (about 5 minutes until slightly translucent and brown around the edges), and then add the salt and pepper.
Add the ground chicken and then cook on medium-high heat until fully cooked (meat will be white-ish and opaque in color).
Add the beans and corn.
Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste along with the spices.
Allow the soup to come to a complete boil and then turn the temperature to low-medium heat and continue to cook for 20 minutes.
Serve the soup topped with shredded cheddar cheese, avocado, scallions, diced cilantro, diced tomatoes, diced red onion, and sour cream.
This recipe make a bunch of chili….maybe 8-10 (8 oz) servings. It is perfect for freezing in individual containers.