I want to make a great meal for tonight.... any ideas?!
ps!. I want to tell my fiance that i'm prego!.!. he loves Italian food!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Answers:
Congrats! Do a meat lasagna!.!.!.!.this is always the recipe i use and it's great!. Make it in half though since it's just the two of you!.!.!.!.cut everything in half!. Have a Caesar salad, warm crusty bread and then call up the bakery to get some fresh homemade canolli for desert! Yum!
http://allrecipes!.com/Recipe/Worlds-Best!.!.!.
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http://allrecipes!.com/Recipe/Worlds-Best!.!.!.
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This should be perfect and it's really good, enjoy! Make sure you tell him after the dinner!.
Quick Chicken Parmesan
4 Boneless Chicken Breasts, pounded flat
1 jar Spaghetti Sauce (I use Prego mushroom and garlic)
3 oz!. Mozzarella Cheese, grated
2 cups Italian Bread Crumbs
2 oz!. Parmesan Cheese
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 egg, plus 1 tbs water, slightly beaten
Mix Italian breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and garlic salt together in bowl!. Beat 1 egg in another bowl, 1 tbs water and a dash of garlic salt!. Dip chicken in egg, then in crumbs and fry in oil until brown on each side (10 – 15 min each side)!. Pour spaghetti sauce over chicken and sprinkle with cheese, cover so cheese melts and serve!. Makes 4 servings!.
Serving Suggestions:
I serve this with Fettuccini Alfredo and garlic bread!.
Creamy Fettuccini Alfredo
1 – 8 oz!. Package Philly Cream Cheese (I use the light version – 1/3 less fat), cubed
? cup (3 oz!.) fresh grated Parmesan cheese (I like De Giorno, don’t use Kraft)
? cup margarine (I use I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Light)
? cup milk or half and half (I use 1% or 2% low fat)
8 oz!. fettuccini, cooked, drained (I use the fresh Contadina low fat one)
In large saucepan, combine cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, margarine and milk!.
Stir over low heat until smooth!. Add to drained fettuccini and toss lightly!. Sprinkle with fresh Parmesan cheese if desired!. Makes 4 servings!.
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Quick Chicken Parmesan
4 Boneless Chicken Breasts, pounded flat
1 jar Spaghetti Sauce (I use Prego mushroom and garlic)
3 oz!. Mozzarella Cheese, grated
2 cups Italian Bread Crumbs
2 oz!. Parmesan Cheese
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 egg, plus 1 tbs water, slightly beaten
Mix Italian breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and garlic salt together in bowl!. Beat 1 egg in another bowl, 1 tbs water and a dash of garlic salt!. Dip chicken in egg, then in crumbs and fry in oil until brown on each side (10 – 15 min each side)!. Pour spaghetti sauce over chicken and sprinkle with cheese, cover so cheese melts and serve!. Makes 4 servings!.
Serving Suggestions:
I serve this with Fettuccini Alfredo and garlic bread!.
Creamy Fettuccini Alfredo
1 – 8 oz!. Package Philly Cream Cheese (I use the light version – 1/3 less fat), cubed
? cup (3 oz!.) fresh grated Parmesan cheese (I like De Giorno, don’t use Kraft)
? cup margarine (I use I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Light)
? cup milk or half and half (I use 1% or 2% low fat)
8 oz!. fettuccini, cooked, drained (I use the fresh Contadina low fat one)
In large saucepan, combine cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, margarine and milk!.
Stir over low heat until smooth!. Add to drained fettuccini and toss lightly!. Sprinkle with fresh Parmesan cheese if desired!. Makes 4 servings!.
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Ricotta Gnocchi
with Roasted Wild Mushrooms
Serves 6-8
MUSHROOMS
1 1/2 pounds wild mushrooms, such as cepes, morels, or chanterelles
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
2 sprigs fresh thyme (or herbs of your choice)
2-4 tablespoons juice from roasted chicken or game bird (optional)
GNOCCHI
1/2 pound ricotta cheese, drained
2 large eggs
Scant pinch freshly ground nutmeg
1-2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
Salt &freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter
1-3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
To make mushrooms: Preheat oven to 375° F!.
If mushrooms are dry and not gritty, brush or wipe them clean!. If they are very wet, hard to brush, or gritty, fill a deep bowl with water, plunge the mushrooms into the water and agitate them with your hands!. Lift the mushrooms out of the water and drain!. Repeat the process with clean water until the mushrooms are clean!. (You should never have to do this with cepes!.)
Cut mushrooms into half-inch wedges or chunks!. Place in a baking pan, season with salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle with olive oil, wine, thyme sprigs or other herbs, and bird juices, if using!. Cover and roast 30-40 minutes!.
When a good deal of juice has rendered, pour the juice into a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until reduced by one-third!. Set aside!.
Increase the heat to 425° F!. Uncover and brown the mushrooms slightly!. Pour a little of the reduced and well-seasoned mushroom juice over the cooked mushrooms and set aside!.
To make gnocchi: In a medium-sized bowl, stir ricotta with a wooden spoon, until the cheese reaches a uniform consistency!. Add eggs, nutmeg, Parmesan, salt and pepper to taste, and stir vigorously!. Add butter, then flour in two batches!. Stir in gently—gnocchi will toughen if stirred too much!. (The dough will keep, refrigerated, for 2-3 days!.)
On a floured work surface, roll dough into a cylinder shape!. Cut into approximately 32 pieces and roll each piece into an oval dumpling shape with thumb!.
To form and store the formed gnocchi for up to a couple of hours before serving, you can lay them out on sheet pans covered with floured parchment paper!. Group a serving amount together!. When ready to poach, cut off a section of the paper that has the number of gnocchi you want to serve, hold it over the pot of simmering water and scoot them into the water!.
To serve: In a large pot of just-boiling salted water, simmer gnocchi gently until set in the center, not runny, about 3-4 minutes depending on the size!. Remove the gnocchi from the water with a slotted spoon and gently place in shallow soup plates!. Spoon roasted mushrooms into soup plates and drizzle with the reduced mushroom juices!.
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with Roasted Wild Mushrooms
Serves 6-8
MUSHROOMS
1 1/2 pounds wild mushrooms, such as cepes, morels, or chanterelles
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
2 sprigs fresh thyme (or herbs of your choice)
2-4 tablespoons juice from roasted chicken or game bird (optional)
GNOCCHI
1/2 pound ricotta cheese, drained
2 large eggs
Scant pinch freshly ground nutmeg
1-2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
Salt &freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter
1-3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
To make mushrooms: Preheat oven to 375° F!.
If mushrooms are dry and not gritty, brush or wipe them clean!. If they are very wet, hard to brush, or gritty, fill a deep bowl with water, plunge the mushrooms into the water and agitate them with your hands!. Lift the mushrooms out of the water and drain!. Repeat the process with clean water until the mushrooms are clean!. (You should never have to do this with cepes!.)
Cut mushrooms into half-inch wedges or chunks!. Place in a baking pan, season with salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle with olive oil, wine, thyme sprigs or other herbs, and bird juices, if using!. Cover and roast 30-40 minutes!.
When a good deal of juice has rendered, pour the juice into a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until reduced by one-third!. Set aside!.
Increase the heat to 425° F!. Uncover and brown the mushrooms slightly!. Pour a little of the reduced and well-seasoned mushroom juice over the cooked mushrooms and set aside!.
To make gnocchi: In a medium-sized bowl, stir ricotta with a wooden spoon, until the cheese reaches a uniform consistency!. Add eggs, nutmeg, Parmesan, salt and pepper to taste, and stir vigorously!. Add butter, then flour in two batches!. Stir in gently—gnocchi will toughen if stirred too much!. (The dough will keep, refrigerated, for 2-3 days!.)
On a floured work surface, roll dough into a cylinder shape!. Cut into approximately 32 pieces and roll each piece into an oval dumpling shape with thumb!.
To form and store the formed gnocchi for up to a couple of hours before serving, you can lay them out on sheet pans covered with floured parchment paper!. Group a serving amount together!. When ready to poach, cut off a section of the paper that has the number of gnocchi you want to serve, hold it over the pot of simmering water and scoot them into the water!.
To serve: In a large pot of just-boiling salted water, simmer gnocchi gently until set in the center, not runny, about 3-4 minutes depending on the size!. Remove the gnocchi from the water with a slotted spoon and gently place in shallow soup plates!. Spoon roasted mushrooms into soup plates and drizzle with the reduced mushroom juices!.
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