Zucchini au Gratin

This is a recipe I've tweaked over the years, and it works every time.

It's dead easy and quick and can be a whole meal if you add some protein to it.

Preheat your oven to about 450 F.

Start with a medium zucchini, a whatever cheese you have on hand (I have a nice 5 year old white cheddar), some nuts, garlic and pepper.

Slice your zucchini into roughly 1/2 cm thick disks

Top with a handful of nuts. Here I have slivered almonds. I've used pecans, and pine nuts. I really wanted pine nuts, but I don't trust to have them in the house, as dear Hubby burned a CUP of them...bye bye $20.

Chop a clove of garlic or two.

Sprinkle on the zucchini, and add pepper to taste. Note that I didn't add salt, as the cheese has more than enough. 

You can use a box grater, but here I chose to take a vegetable peeler to my brick 'o cheese to get nice long strips.

Add as little or lot as you want.

Bake for roughly 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the nuts are toasting.

I chose to have it alongside 1/2 of a smothered pork chop and baked potato. 

ENJOY!

Chicken Parmesan Spaghetti Squash

Now that you have had a chance to make the chicken fingers and tomato sauce, time to create awesomeness!

Shout out to the amazing Tasty blog on Facebook for the brilliant idea!

Grab your chicken strips and sauce from the last post, as well as a small spaghetti squash and some Parmesan cheese. (no picture of the cheese because I'm an airhead)

Use a sharp chef's knife, cleaver, battle axe to hack open the squash length-wise and gut the thing. If you're super thrifty you can save the seeds for roasting or for planting next year, or just toss the whole lot in the compost (so that your psychotic kitten doesn't try to eat it.... -_-;)

 Cook the squash however you like. Microwave, oven, toaster oven, upside down or right side up. Doesn't matter to me as long as it is cooked. I chose to nuke it for 10 minutes.

Fast forward 10 minutes and your squash should be just below fork tender. See the below fork.

Grab your tomato sauce and spread a nice layer over the squash.

Top with three to four chicken fingers.

Add another layer of tomato sauce and top with a little or a lot of Parmesan cheese.

Option A: Bake in the oven at 350 F until the cheese is bubbly and you are starving. (I chose A)

 Option B: Nuke in the microwave until the cheese is bubble and you are starving.

 

Go with whatever floats your boat, but serve with a glass of local red wine. 

Makes roughly four servings, depending on the size of the squash.

NB: You can also take the spaghetti out of the squash, place in a greased casserole dish, and follow the steps after (tomato, chicken, tomato and cheese) and cook until the cheese is bubbly.

Chicken Strips and Marinara Sauce

Today's post will also be used for the next post (if that makes any sense at all please raise your hand)

First up to bat is a roasted tomato marinara sauce.

I used 6 Romas for this but I could have easily used double or triple that .

Crank your oven up to about 375 F and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Grab a few cloves of garlic, smash, peel and chop.

Tip of the day; grind some salt and pepper right on to the garlic while you are chopping it.

 Cut each tomato in half length wise and place on the cookie sheet at even intervals.

 Baste the tomatoes with roughly one tablespoon of olive oil, and place the garlic bits on top.

Once your oven is up to temperature (if you have my oven, you might as well go watch a 20 minute tv show...) toss the tomatoes in for about 30-45 minutes until they look like this.

Proceed to pick off the garlic and eat it (all in the name of quality control of course!)

 Flip one over and marvel at the caramelized glory.

Next grab your handy dandy food processor or blender and blend until pureed.

Realize that you don't have enough so you add a can of tomato paste and a can-full of water and blend some more.

Ta-daah!

Part Two: Chicken Strips

This is the second time I've made these so I've got these pretty down pat.

Here I have three large chicken breasts, GF corn flakes (sweetened w/ fruit juice), Italian seasonings bled, Parmesan cheese, two eggs and some garlic salt.

I used two cups of corn flakes, one cup of cheese, a good tablespoon of the Italian blend and maybe a 1/2 teaspoon of garlic salt.

Blend in a food processor, blender, zip-top baggie with a rolling pin and some kids, just make it look like Shake 'N Bake size bits.

Crack two eggs in a bowl and beat to combined. 

Cut your chicken into your preferred size. I used chunks.

Place in the egg mixture and coat. You can dump them all in at once if you have a big enough bowl. 

Place the eggy-chicken bits in the crumb mixture and dredge. I find dropping the chicken in with a fork and using a spoon to spoon the crumbs (all the while pressing the crumbs on) is the easiest method and the least messy. Or get the kids to do it, since all kids love slimy textures.

Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes at 375 F. Cry as you realized that the sheet on the pan was the last on the roll and now you have to go to Costco to get more....

 The edges should be brown-ish, the chicken juice just starting to bubble out, and it should smell divine.

Bon Apetit!