TODAY! Skillet Chicken Cutlets

 We saw this recipe (my sister and I) and tried it.  

Everyone on the show claimed it was hands-down the best cutlet recipe they had ever had.  I normally dismiss this as television advertising crap, but they were so earnest and believable that we decided to try it on the Bauernfeind and Muens taste buds.  It's not that difficult at all but start with quality chicken breasts that help with flavor and moistness of the cooked breast.  If you go cheap charlie the breast may not be the best.  Anyway, it may seem like an absurd amount of fennel and mustard powder, but believe me, it is not only good but necessary.

Watch the How-To Video Here!

Ingredients: 

The amount you use of these ingredients depends on whether you use 2 or 3 breasts.

2 or 3 boneless skinless (dykless 😏) chicken breasts

1 or 1.5 cups of Panko

1/2 to 1 cup crushed Corn Flakes

1 tablespoon of cornstarch

1/2 to 3/4 cups of milk (real milk not that grey water crap)

1 to 2 eggs

2 to 3 teaspoons of Dijon mustard

1/2 to 3/4 all-purpose flour

1/4 to 1/2 cup dry mustard

salt and pepper

Canola oil for frying

Moldon Salt (Order it off Amazon)

1/2 teaspoon of Fennel Pollen per prepared cutlet ( so for 2 cutlets you'll need 4 1/2 teaspoons of fennel pollen) (See the Video)

Preparation:

• IMPORTANT:  Let the breasts come to room temperature before beginning, about one (Remember when using numbers, spell out whole numbers below ten in a sentence unless there are other numbers in the sentence) hour.

• Cut the chicken cutlets HORIZONTALLY: across the belly button from side to side.

• Place the individual cutlets between parchment or plastic wrap and one at a time flatten with a roller or a food hammer.  No thinner than 1/4 (see not a whole number) inch. 

• In a shallow bowl combine the Panko, Corn Flakes, and cornstarch and mix.  Whisk together the milk, egg, and Dijon in a second bowl.  In a third bowl mix the flour and dry mustard.

• Season each cutlet on both sides with salt and pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of fennel pollen, pressing the spices into the chicken with your hands on each side.

• Starting with the bowl with the flour and mustard mixture, dredge the cutlet in the mixture, then to the bowl with milk and egg, followed last by the cornflakes and Panko mixture.

• In a large shallow skillet with at least 1/4 inch of oil heated to 375 degrees (oil is shimmering) medium heat, lay the cutlets in batches and cook turning once until golden brown (about 3 minutes per side). Transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper towels and sprinkle with Molden salt and Fennel Pollen while still warm

Serving Suggestion:

Serve with lemon wedges and shaved Parmesan

Lasagna a la Sandy Creek

 (Here's a link to the "How To" video Pat and Jim made: https://youtu.be/uczvvWh170I)

Everyone makes pasta of one form or fashion.  Many claim to be Italian or have authentic passed down recipes from Italian grandparents but most if any have ever lived in Italy.  I have, as have my family. Interestingly, Lasagna was rarely on any menu we ever saw and we lived in Naples (Napoli) where, according to the history of Lasagna, tomato sauce was introduced into Lasagna, a meal copied from the Greeks.  Anyway, this recipe is as accurate as any Lasagna recipe can be when it has changed so much over the years.  I hope you enjoy it.

Ingredients

• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage

• ¾ pound lean ground beef

• ½ cup minced onion

• 2 cloves garlic, crushed

• 1 (28-ounce) can of crushed tomatoes

• 2 (6.5 ounces) cans of canned tomato sauce

• 2 (6-ounce) cans of tomato paste

• ½ cup water

• 
  
  2 tablespoons white sugar

• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided

• 1 ½ teaspoons dried basil leaves

• 1 ½ teaspoons salt, divided, or to taste

• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

• ½ teaspoon fennel seeds

• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

• 12 lasagna noodles

• 16 ounces of ricotta cheese

• 1 egg

• 1 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced

• ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese

  
  

  Cook:

  
  

  1.  Gather all ingredients

  2. Cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic in a Dutch oven over medium heat until well browned.

  3. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and water. Season with sugar, 2 tablespoons parsley, the basil, 1 teaspoon salt, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, and pepper. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

  4. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water.

  5. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg (we doubled the ricotta cheese and added a second egg as recommended in comments about this recipe), add the remaining 2 tablespoons parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

  6. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. To assemble, spread some meat sauce on the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish, a thin layer. Arrange 4 noodles lengthwise 1 noodle cut in half and lay it horizontally over meat sauce. Spread with 1/2 of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

  7. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.

  8. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 25 minutes. Once out of the oven let the lasagna rest for 20 minutes

  
  

Cheese and Sausage Breakfast Casserole Version Two

 This version of the cheese and sausage casserole is, I believe, easier to make, has fewer calories, is very moist, and is definitely a meal you make the day before.  Just refrigerate overnight letting all the ingredients meld together before baking the next morning.

Ingredients:

1 lb breakfast sausage. (Here are several options to include mild, medium, or hot sausage depending on your taste.  You can also substitute turkey sausage to reduce the fat content)

2 8oz bags of shredded Colby-Jack Cheese.  (Here too you can substitute or mix and match cheese types like a coly-jack and a swiss)

12 eggs

1 small carton of heavy whipping cream

1/2 a small yellow onion (Optional as is a small green or red bell pepper chopped up)

Preparation:

Cook sausage chopping it up as it cooks.  When it is still pink add the onion and peppers if you are using them and continue cooking until everything is cooked,

Coat a 9 x 13-inch baking dish (I use glass) with PAM

Take the first bag of cheese and spread it across the bottom of the baking dish.  Crack the eggs on top of the cheese as evenly as you can across the dish then when done break each of the yokes but do not stir.  Next, move the crumbled sausage (and onions/peppers) into the dish again distributing them as evenly as possible. Take the second bag of cheese and spread it over the top.  Drizzle the carton of heavy whipping cream over the entire dish.  Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight.

Next morning place the covered dish in the oven and set the oven to 350.  Cook for 40 minutes covered, then remove the foil, rotate the dish,
and continue cooking for another 30 minutes.  Let stand for ten minutes before serving.  

Monica's Tallerini

As my sister tells this story, this is the first meal Monica ever cooked for the Bauernfeind Family in New York when we were first married without any children, and it was a hit.  I hope you enjoy this as much as we did every year she made it.

 Ingredients:

2 pounds of ground beef

2 onions, chopped (large)

1 bell pepper 

1 clove garlic 

1/2 lb. Velveeta cheese, cubed

2 cans chopped black olives

salt and pepper

1 can cream of mushroom soup (or celery)

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can whole kernel corn, drained(original Monica's recipe called for a can of creamed corn - I liked the full kernel so I modified her recipe a dot))

1 can Rotel tomatoes

1 12 ounce pkg medium egg noodles (large)

Package egg noodles we used to use medium-sized, but the new "Large" egg noodles are equivalent to the old medium we used to use.  Don't cook the noodles all the way, say just 8 minutes.  They will finish cooking when they are mixed and baked in the finished product.

Prepare:

Fry: In a large pot with a lid:

2 lb. ground meat

When the ground beef is almost cooked then add the following

2 chopped onions

1 chopped green pepper

1 chopped clove of garlic

Once the above is cooked and thoroughly mixed then add to the fried mixture:

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can tomato sauce

1 can chopped olives

1 can cream style corn

1/2 lb. Velveeta cheese, cubed

Mix all these ingredients and after the cheese has melted and is mixed thoroughly throughout the Tallerini then add the noodles.

1 (10 oz.) pkg. egg noodles, cooked

Once mixed put the mixture into a serving dish that is ovenproof, make sure you Pam the dish so the Tallerini will not stick, and place in the oven, covered for 40 minutes.  Uncover and leave in the oven for another 15 minutes.  If you are topping the mixture with Mexican or Cheddar cheese now is the time to do it during these last 15 minutes.

Optional:  Top with graded cheese

Frikadellen/Frikadeller

While there are many variables to this recipe, this is relatively close to my father's recipe, with small changes sometimes noted.  Here's a link to a video my brother-in-law Warren and sisters Pat and Mary Ellen put together and cooked.  

Here are the ingredients:

1. 1.5 pounds of ground beef and select the 85/15 percent fat ground beef for better flavor
2. 5 cloves of garlic, chopped/chunked
3. 2 eggs
4. Salt and pepper
5. 1 medium onion chopped
6. .5 tbs of Worcestershire sauce
7. 1.5 cups of Italian-flavored bread crumbs
8. 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
9. Real whole milk or half-and-half approx. 3oz

Mix together in a large bowl the ground beef, eggs, garlic, salt and pepper, and the milk together with your hands in a kneading fashion.  After thoroughly mixed add the bread crumbs and continue to knead until the mixture is relatively smooth.  Form into oval hamburger-sized patties and place them in an aluminum cooking pan that the bottom has been coated in olive oil.   There are several methods to cook these; we cooked them on the grill in the pan at approximately 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes.  Once cooked transfer the frikadellen to the grill to sear and grill for a few minutes.  Serve with mayo tomato and lettuce and Bob's your uncle.

Caventini 

(Monica's Hand San Antonio, Texas 1978/1980)

1 lb ground beef

1 lb mild sausage

1 medium onion

12 oz egg noodles

1 large jar Prego

1/2 pkg of pepperoni

2 cups of mozzarella cheese

1 small jar of sliced mushrooms

Brown the sausage, ground beef, and onions together in a large skillet.  Drain.  While meat is browning cook the noodles and drain.  In a large casserole dish mix the meats, Prego, and mushrooms together.  Top the mixture with the mozzarella cheese and pepperoni  Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

 

Sauerbraten

First, let me introduce this Sauerbraten as a combined recipe of my father's (James Bauernfeind) my sister's (Mary Ellen Katilus and Patricia Muens) with a tiny bit of adjustments by myself to ensure clarity and flexibility.  The bottom line is this is a tried and true sauerbraten used many times over the years.

1 Top Round or Bottom Round

Vinegar

6 whole cloves

Bay Leaves

1 Large onion

Sugar

Pickling spice

Ginger snaps

Butter

Flour

Shortening

Salt

Pepper

Assemble the Marinate:  Vinegar, 6 whole cloves, 2 bay leaves, 1 large onion cut up, 1 tbsp salt, 1 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp pickling spice, 1 tsp pepper.  The amount of vinegar to use will depend on the container in which you will put the meat in to marinate; so, after putting the meat in the container and adding the ingredients above, you add vinegar until the meat is immersed in liquid halfway.  Then you add water to cover the meat completely.  Covering meat with 1/2 brine and 1/2 water.  Marinate for two/three days turning the meat over every day.

Once you've sufficiently marinated the meat, drain the liquid through a strainer, retaining the liquid and discarding the remaining ingredients left in the strainer.  Using a large frying pan or pot add 3 tablespoons of oil and brown the meat on all sides.  Then add the captured liquid, but don't cover the meat completely.  Add most of a small box of crushed ginger snaps (about 10 or 12) saving 1/4 (about 6 to 8) for later.  Cook slowly on the stove for approximately four to five hours.

Once cooked, remove the meat to make this gravy:  Remove the liquid from the pan or pot and keep it in a large container for immediate use in making the gravy   In the pot/pan melt a half stick of good butter, adding 1 tablespoon of sugar and 5 tablespoons of flour.  Mix this slowly but continuously on medium heat until the mixture starts to turn brown then add the liquid from the meat.  Crush and add the remaining Ginger Snaps. Increase heat until this now gravy begins to boil and thicken. Turn down heat to keep warm.

Serve this with potato pancakes, red cabbage, and green beans.