recipe

Irish Coffee

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irishcoffee

I recently had a cup of Irish coffee with some friends after we enjoyed a great lunch. I don’t know why I never had it before, but it’s a real favorite now. Thank God whiskey does not go bad. I’ve have this bottle for over 15 years (it was a gift).  I do not add the  sugar and  I used Reddi-Whipped  Cream because I always have a can in the house, you know for the grandkids 🙂

Irish Coffee

  • 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 jigger Irish whiskey (1 1/2 ounces or 3 tablespoons)
  • Heavy cream, slightly whipped

 

Fill footed glass mug  with hot water to preheat it, then empty. Pour piping hot coffee into warmed glass until it is about 3/4 full. Add the brown sugar and stir until completely dissolved. Blend in Irish whiskey. Top with a collar of the whipped heavy cream by pouring gently over back of spoon. Serve hot.

ls

recipe

Parmesan or Parmigiana it’s Still Chicken

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chicken parm

Chicken Parmigiana or Chicken Parmesan, is not an unusual dish.  However, it is a dish I have not made for many, many, many( I would write ,many again ,but do not want to be repetitious) years.

Not sure why I thought of making this long ago favorite dish…Oh!   I remember!  My son’s birthday was Sunday, so I had to make dinner and have a birthday cake for him…traditionally the birthday person gets to choose what they would like to have for dinner.  My son, of course, is no real help, he could not make up his mind and for some reason did not ask for hamburgers, or pizza.  Whatever, chicken parmigiana was not his choice, it was mine.

I knew he liked chicken cutlets, and I thought, I have  not made CP for many, many( OK, won’t go into that again).

Of course I must have been somewhat delusional when I made the choice to make this dish.  I forgot how much work chicken Parm would be.  Parm is not exactly a dish that you can just throw together in one pot and serve.

Now we are a total of 14 people, and I was not sure how much chicken breasts for the cutlets I needed to purchase, so I bought 5 lbs , or two large packets of breast which happen to be on sale at Stop ‘n Shop, so I lucked out.  Now slicing the breasts into cutlets that is where I did not luck out…what a job!

I really thought I was ahead of the game, I bought what I needed on Friday and was going to start preparing the dish on Friday, for Saturday evening, so I would not be overworked on the event day.

Now why did I not remember that when you make plans life decides to have other plans.  I forgot that I had my grand kids on Friday.  The grand kids were also sleeping over because my son and his wife decided they needed to get away.

Believe me baby sitting is never a problem, but when you have to prepare a dish that takes time and effort to create with two children running rampant, well let’s just say it does not fry easily.

As I prepared the dish my grand kids took on a life of their own.  All I kept thinking was this dish is not going to come out right.   However I struggled on.

I started at around 6 am and finally finished with my CP creation by 11 am…Holy, I could not believe that it was over when it was over.  Slicing and frying 5 lbs of cutlets, preparing a large pot of sauce, and cutting up  a block of mozzarella was in short a lot of work.  On top of all that I had to keep 4 pairs of eyes on the grand kids…so 4 hours of prep time, not so bad.  My only concern after it was all prepared was, “How will it taste?”

Happy to report the Parm got a thumbs up…even I gave it a thumb up…the Chicken Parmigiana was worth all the work and work it was.

I am sure the everyone pretty much knows how to make Chicken Parm, but here is how I made it.    You will need the following:

Chickenbreast (cutlets), bread crumbs, eggs, frying oil, mozzarella and let us not forget the red sauce ( you can prepare fresh red sauce or purchase a jar of Barilla marinara) I did make a pot of fresh red sauce..

Rinse the cutlets with water, then dip cutlets into a bowl with a beaten egg.

Then quickly place cutlet in a dish of bread crumbs…cover with crumbs on both sides.

I used oil to fry the cutlets…just a few minutes on each side…lightly browning.

Fry all the cutlets up and as they are ready pile on a plate…once all cutlets are fried you can then begin to prepare layering the dish with your cutlets.

Put some red sauce on the bottom of your dish, then begin to add the cutlets, depending how large the dish, your number of cutlets can vary…after you have one layer cover cutlets with red sauce and sprinkle with sliced mozzarella.

Begin to add more chicken on top of chicken, add sauce, more mozzarella.  Sprinkle with grated cheese…

Cover with aluminum foil and bake in oven, temperature of oven at least 375 degrees and cook until mozzarella is melted…usually takes about 40 – 45 minutes…Chicken parm is usually served over spaghetti, so get the water boiling.

Once ready cut up some garlic bread.

If you have not made Chicken Parmigiana in a very long time, like me, go ahead try it and don’t cut corners, or should I say calories…ENJOY!!

 

 

 

 

Family, recipe

Baked Stuffed Eggplant

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egglantMy dad worked 6 days a week, many nights coming home after we already had dinner.  He was a cabinet maker and had his own shop, he did not work by the clock.  As a kid,  I loved going to the shop because there was that  wonderful scent  of freshly sawed wood, and I remember looking at the sawdust that covered my dads’  beautiful long eyelashes.   Sundays were special.  Sundays my dad was always cleaned up and my mom would make a special lunch, a roasted chicken or baked macaroni, once in a while a roast beef.  Then sometimes she would make baked stuffed eggplant and roasted potato  – Maltese Style – the way her mom taught her.  I remember not eating the eggplant, just the stuffing.  Today I eat it all and it is one of my favorite dishes.  Here is my moms’ recipe:

Baked Stuffed Eggplant – Maltese Style

oven 400
1 large eggplant
Olive Oil
1 lb ground beef
Salt/Pepper
1 small onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
1/2c freshly chopped parsley
1 1/4 c grated cheese
1 large egg

Cut the eggplant in half and scoop out and diced up the center, leaving enough meat inside the skin to hold its shape. In a large frying pan,  crumble , saute and lightly brown the ground beef in olive oil, season with S/P to taste. Drain beef and put in large bowl.   Saute garlic and onions and chopped eggplant . S/P in fresh olive oil  until soft.  Mix with cooked beef in the large bowl.  Add parsley, cheese and beaten egg and mix together.

Fill the scooped-out eggplant halves with mixture evenly.

My mom always  lined a baking pan with sliced potatoes  , oiled and seasoned  and placed the eggplant halves on top  – Bake for 50-60  minutes.  Slice . Serves 4-6.

ls

 

 

 

Family

Happy Valentine’s Day

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Saint Valentine's Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Every year on February 14th, we all celebrate Valentine’s Day.

I have always thought it was an over rated day.  Yes, over rated.

I mean why wait till the 14th of February to tell the ones you love, you love them.  It seems to me that telling them at least once a day is better than once a year.

OK, I know that it is a money making day.  Look at all the candy that is sold, and what about the cards.  Boy!  Hallmark really makes a fortune on that.

I cannot believe the price of cards…why would you spend $5.99-$7.99 a card only to have it thrown away?  I really don’t understand that.   Am I being to practical?    I waddled over to the discount card store, now paying half price for a throw away card works so much better for me.

So today is Valentine’s day and I did buy my husband a card and of course he bought me one.  We will open the cards and read  the loving words that someone wrote for us and then move on with the day.

I guess when you have been married 40 years the romance is just not top priority.  I remember when I use to get a very large heart boxed candy.  Until one day I told my husband I just cannot do this candy thing any longer.  Now a boxed heart filled with candy never enters my home. NEVER!  Don’t have to tell my husband twice about not giving me candy.

But I don’t mind, truly.  For like I said I really believe that this day is overrated with all the candy, cards, flowers, and romantic dinners that you feel you have to have.   I truly believe that love is an everyday experience.  We need to say it often, we don’t need to give flowers, candy, cards or even go out for a romantic dinner…for it is not what you do on Valentine’s Day that shows a person you love them, it is what you do everyday…for you see everyday should be valentine’s Day with the person you love.

 HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!!!