Because I (and I'm sure others, too) have been over indulging in rich food and tasty sweet treats thus far this holiday season, I decided a Christmas Eve meal with a nod to the flavors of Italy would be a perfect change of pace. After all, Christmas day will be all the rich and creamy crab dip appetizer followed by my very favorite savory standing rib roast. This easy and delicious taste of Italy was a great way to kick off our family's Christmas celebration.
Chicken Parmesan
chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
flour
1 egg, beaten
panko bread crumbs
parmesan cheese
fresh mozzarella cheese
marinara sauce
olive oil
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place each chicken breast between 2 pieces of parchment paper and pound out to 1/4 inch thickness. Set up a breading station with a plate of flour, a shallow dish with beaten egg and a little water, and a plate of bread crumbs seasoned with parmesan cheese and salt and pepper. Dredge each chicken breast through the flour, coat with the egg and dredge in the bread crumbs. Saute in a olive oil in a large preheated skillet. Brown each side of the chicken for about 3-4 minutes, then top with marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Place skillet in the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve atop a serving of spaghetti.
Marinara Sauce
1/3 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 large cans of San Marzano tomatoes
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
large bunch of fresh basil, torn
In a large sauce pot, place cold olive oil and garlic. Turn heat on and gently bring up to temperature. When garlic begins to sizzle add the tomatoes, salt and sugar. Mash the tomatoes with a potato masher, your hands, or the back of a spoon until the sauce is a nice chunky consistency. Bring to a boil, reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off heat and add fresh torn basil. Stir to combine.
Tuscan White Bean Dip
1 can cannellini or great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon meyer lemon zest
juice of half a meyer lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
Place all ingredients into a food processor and process until smooth. Taste for seasoning and adjust of necessary. Place in decorative serving bowl and garnish with meyer lemon slice, a sprig of fresh rosemary and a drizzle of best quality olive oil.
I saw Ina Garten make a version of these sticky buns on her show "Barefoot Contessa". I love the idea of using buttery, flaky puff pastry as an alternative to the more traditional yeast dough. In this version, I changed up the ingredients a bit to make them more of a dessert than a breakfast item.
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed but still very cold
1/4 cup orange marmalade
1/2 large Giardelli dark chocolate bar, roughly chopped
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
Preheat oven to 375 degrees (400 if you are not using a convection oven). In a mixing bowl, beat together 3 tablespoons of room temperature butter with the brown sugar until smooth. Place a small spoonful of the butter in each of six cups of a muffin pan. Top the spoonfuls of butter with hazelnut pieces. Unroll the puff pastry sheet on a floured work surface. Brush lightly with melted butter. Spread the orange marmalade over the pastry leaving a 1 inch border all the way around. Sprinkle over chopped dark chocolate and any remaining hazelnut pieces. Gently roll in the form of a jelly roll, finishing with the seam on the bottom. Trim off 1/2 inch piece from each end. Cut the roll in half and then cut each half into thirds. You will have 6 equal sized buns. Place each bun with the spiral side up on top of the spoonfuls of butter in the muffin pan. Gently press down so they fit snuggly in the cup. Place the muffin pan on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for approximately 30 minutes or until pastry is puffed and firm to the touch. Remove from oven and let cool for just 5 minutes. Turn buns out onto parchment paper and evenly distribute sticky topping. Enjoy!
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