Chicken Parmesan With Oven Roasted Tomato Sauce And Smoked Mozz Recipes

CHICKEN PARMESAN WITH OVEN ROASTED TOMATO SAUCE AND SMOKED MOZZ

Steps:

• Position rack in upper third of oven and preheat over to 400 degrees.
• Season each chicken breast with 1/2 teaspoon of Italian seasoning and 1/8 teaspoon of salt.
• Place the flour into a small bowl. Place the egg and milk into a second small bowl. Place the bread crumbs into a third small bowl. Dip each chicken breast into the flour, then the beaten egg mixture, and finally into the bread crumbs, shaking to rid of excess between each step. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining breasts. When all of the breasts are breaded, heat half of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place the chicken, smooth side down, into the skillet and cook for 4 minutes. Turn the chicken breasts to the other side, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and cook for 2 minutes longer. Remove the skillet from the heat.
• Spoon 1/4 cup of the tomato sauce over each breast and divide the mozzarella slices evenly among the chicken pieces. Sprinkle with the Parmigiano-Reggiano, and transfer the skillet to the oven. Cook until the chicken is just cooked through and the cheese melts, about 8 minutes. Adjust the oven setting to broil and continue to cook until the cheese bubbles and is lightly golden, about 1 to 2 minutes longer.
• While the chicken is baking, reheat the pasta sauce if necessary. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the pasta and toss until warmed through. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add enough of the pasta sauce to just coat the pasta and divide between 4 large serving plates.
• When the chicken is ready, top each plate of pasta with a little more sauce and top each serving with a chicken breast. Garnish with the fresh basil and serve immediately.
• Note: Regular smoked mozzarella works better in this recipe than fresh smoked mozzarella.
• Oven-Roasted Tomato Sauce: In a large, 14-inch, oven proof frying pan, combine all the ingredients. Stir to blend then transfer to the oven and cook until the tomatoes begin to caramelize, about 30 minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven and stir well. Return to the oven and continue to cook until further caramelized and much of the liquid has evaporated, about 30 minutes longer. Remove from the oven, cool slightly, and transfer to a blender, in batches if necessary, and process sauce until coarsely pureed. If the sauce seems too thick, thin with a bit of water or chicken broth. Use immediately or cool completely and refrigerate for up to 4 days in a non-reactive, airtight container.
• The sauce is great on pasta as well as pizza and even makes a great dipping sauce for hors d'oeuvres. If you prefer a less rustic sauce, puree completely as described above and strain.
• Yield: about 4 cups sauce.
• * If Romanita tomatoes are unavailable, use a combination of Roma and grape tomatoes to approximate the sweetness of Romanitas, or use another type of sweet tomato, such as Amorosa.

CLASSIC CHICKEN PARMESAN

Steps:

• Slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally to make 4 thin cutlets. Put between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet or heavy skillet until 1/4 inch thick. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until the garlic softens, about 1 minute. Add the tomato puree, then rinse out the can with 1 cup water and add to the pot. Simmer until the sauce just thickens, about 10 minutes. Whisk in 1/4 cup parmesan and the basil. Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce in a 3-quart flameproof baking dish. Preheat the broiler. Meanwhile, combine the flour and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Beat the eggs with 1/4 cup parmesan in another shallow dish. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge 2 chicken cutlets in the flour, tapping off the excess, then dip in the egg mixture. Carefully lay in the skillet and fry until golden brown and just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to the baking dish. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to the skillet and repeat with the remaining 2 chicken cutlets. Add to the baking dish. Combine the mozzarella and the remaining 2 tablespoons parmesan in a bowl. Sprinkle half of the cheese mixture on the chicken, then top with the remaining sauce and the remaining cheese mixture. Broil until the cheese melts, about 2 minutes.

FIRE ROASTED TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Saute garlic and onion lightly in olive oil.
• Remove from pan and place in blender with tomatoes; blend and set aside.
• In same pan as onion mixture was cooked, crumble and saute Italian sausage til browned.
• Add tomato mixture and 8oz can of sauce and water to pan.
• Salt and pepper to taste and add chopped basil.
• Simmer for 30 minutes; add to pasta and enjoy!
• Note: Be careful how much salt you add - the sausage is salty also.

OVEN-ROASTED TOMATO PASTE OR PUREE

Steps:

• Peel tomatoes. The easiest way to do this is to drop them into a container of boiling-hot water, leave for 1 minute, then drop them into a container of ice-water - the skin slips right off). Halve them and put into a baking pan large enough to hold them in one layer.
• Dribble with olive oil (the amount is arbitrary - I imagine that's about what I use), sprinkle with minced garlic, generously season with salt, pepper, basil and oregano. Give everything a stir to distribute.
• Pop into 350F oven and roast for about 3 hours (this is approximate - it all depends on how thick you want your puree or paste).
• When they're done, I like to mash the tomatoes into a paste because I like a more rustic texture. If you want smoother, use a processor.
• I keep the puree/paste in a tupperware container, in the refrigerator, covered by a thin film of olive oil to prevent oxidization. I dig into it almost daily to provide a burst of flavour into many, many dishes like soups, stews, sauces, gravies, omelettes, etc.
• This freezes well, too.

LIGHTER CHICKEN PARMESAN WITH SIMPLE TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 475°F.
• Combine the bread crumbs and oil in a 12-inch skillet and toast over medium heat, stirring often, until golden, about 20 minutes. Spread the bread crumbs in a shallow dish and cool slightly; when cool, stir in the parmesan.
• In a second shallow dish, combine the flour, garlic powder, 1 tablespoon salt and 1/2 teaspoons pepper together. In a third shallow dish, whisk the egg whites and water together.
• Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, place a wire rack on top and spray the rack with vegetable oil spray. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge the cutlets in the flour, shaking off the excess, then dip in the egg whites, and finally coat with the bread crumbs. Press on the bread crumbs to make sure they adhere. Lay the chicken on the wire rack.
• Spray the tops of the chicken with the vegetable oil spray. Bake until the meat is no longer pink in the center and feel firm when pressed with a finger, about 15 minutes.
• Remove the chicken from the oven. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the sauce onto the center of each cutlet; top the sauce with 2 tablespoons of the mozzarella. Return the chicken to the oven and continue to bake until the cheese has melted, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the basil and serve, passing the remaining sauce and parmesan separately.
• FOR SIMPLE TOMATO SAUCE: Pulse the tomatoes in a food processor until mostly smooth, about ten one second pulses; set aside.
• Cook the garlic, tomato paste, oil and pepper flakes in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the tomato paste begins to brown, about 2 minutes.
• Stir in the puréed tomatoes and cook until the sauce is thickened and measures 2 cups, about 20 minutes.
• Off the heat, stir in the basil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and set aside until needed.

CHICKEN PARMESAN WITH ROASTED TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler.
• For the roasted tomato sauce: Put the tomatoes and garlic in a cast-iron skillet, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Broil until starting to char, 12 to 15 minutes depending on your broiler. Remove from the oven and keep the broiler on.
• Meanwhile, pound each chicken breast between 2 sheets of plastic wrap until it is about 1/4 inch thick.
• Put the roasted tomatoes and garlic in a food processor with the red pepper flakes, oregano, tomato paste, basil and sugar. Season well with salt and pepper. Puree until mostly smooth. If the sauce seems too thin, put it in a saucepan on the stove to reduce and thicken for 10 minutes while you make the chicken.
• For the chicken: Pour 1 inch of canola oil into a large cast-iron skillet or heavy-bottomed pan with high sides. Heat to 375 degrees F.
• Set up your breading station. Put the flour in a shallow bowl and season well with salt and pepper. Put the eggs in another shallow bowl. Put the panko and Parmesan in a third shallow bowl.
• Dredge each chicken breast in the seasoned flour, dip in the beaten egg and then dredge in the breadcrumb-cheese mixture. Working with one piece at a time, fry the chicken breasts until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side.
• Put both chicken breasts on a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack. Smear each chicken breast with 2 tablespoons of the ricotta. Top each with about 1/4 cup tomato sauce, reserving the rest for serving. Cover with the mozzarella cheese.
• Broil until the cheese is starting to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add a few tablespoons of tomato sauce to each serving plate. Top with chicken Parmesan and garnish with fresh basil. Serve immediately.

SPICY OVEN ROASTED TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400.
• Add tomato, onion, bacon and garlic to roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil, stir to coat, and spread evenly in pan. Roast for 15 minutes.
• Carefully remove pan from oven and add vinegar and Italian seasoning. Stir well and return pan to oven for 15 more minutes.
• Remove from oven and let cool. Transfered cool vegetable to blender, food processor, or Sauce pan if using hand blender. Puree until smooth. If using blender or food processor, transfer to saucepan once blended and smooth.
• Over medium heat, add tomato paste, salt and two peppers to the pureed vegetables. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
• Serve over your favorite pasta with salad and bread.

TOMATO CHICKEN PARMESAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Pour beaten eggs into a shallow dish or bowl. In another shallow dish or bowl, mix together the grated Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs. Dip chicken breasts into beaten egg, then into bread crumb mixture to coat.
• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Add coated chicken and saute for about 8 to 10 minutes each side, or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.
• Pour tomato sauce into a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Add chicken, then place a slice of Monterey Jack cheese over each breast, and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until cheese is completely melted.