After our day at the beach, Slip and I had long-awaited plans with Amy and Craig.  I decided to cook rather than go out, and what’s easier after a long day than chicken parmesan?  I can never turn down something with tomatoes and melted cheese, so this was an easy choice.  I made a side of angel hair pasta tossed with spinach sauteed in olive oil and garlic, and A&C brought a delicious salad.  Portions below are approximate, go with what feels right…

Chicken Parmesan

• 4-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup flour
• 2-3 eggs
• 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• Salt and pepper
• Parmesan cheese
• Mozzarella cheese
• Olive oil
• Marinara sauce
• Italian parsley, for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  I would recommend pounding chicken breasts until slightly flattened (I didn’t do this but would in the future).  Make your breading station— one shallow bowl filled with flour, salt and pepper, second bowl with eggs, slightly beaten, third shallow bowl with Panko, italian seasonings, salt and pepper, and a dash of Parmesan.

2. Heat some olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Once it is hot, bread your chicken— first dip in flour, then eggwash, finally breadcrumbs.  Cook chicken in pan until both sides are golden and crispy (about 4-6 minutes per side).

3. In a 9x13 baking dish, pour about 1 cup of marinara sauce and spread over bottom of dish.  I added in a few grape tomatoes for extra flavor.  Add chicken to dish and spoon some marinara over each piece.

Top each piece with lots of mozzarella and parmesan cheese (yum!)

4. Bake in the oven until chicken is cooked through and cheese has melted, about 20-25 minutes.  Top with parsley and serve with a little pasta and extra sauce on the side (I am definitely an extra sauce person).

Brown rice is a staple in my household— we have a rice maker and many weeks will just make a pot of rice at the beginning of the week and use it throughout. I love our rice maker because it is so easy to use— just throw in some rice, water, and seasonings (i.e. salt, pepper, cumin, garlic powder, sauteed onions, etc.) and plug it in. Then I can go about getting some other things done while the rice cooks (like… cleaning up, prepping other foods, throwing some laundry in, working out… always so much to do!) And I can use brown rice with so many different recipes!

I came across this recipe last week and gave it a try and it is definitely a winner. Super easy and flavorful, and makes enough for leftovers, too. I used boca crumbles in this, but if you prefer you can use some kind of chicken sausage. And add in any vegetables you want! I think this could also be tasty if you wanted something more Italian and topped it with tomato sauce.

Brown Rice Casserole

Adapted from Kalyn’s Kitchen

• 1 Large Yellow Onion, chopped
• 1 Bell Pepper, seeded and diced
• 1/2 Cup Chopped Button Mushrooms
• 3 Cloves Garlic, minced
• Olive oil
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. crushed fennel seed
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
• 1/4 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp. dried basil
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• Boca Crumbles (about 1/2-1 cup) 
• 1 1/2-2 Cups Cooked Brown Rice
• 1/4-1/2 Cup Low-Sodium Vegetable Stock
• 3/4 Cup Shredded Cheese (I used low-fat Mozzarella and Parmesan)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat ~1 tbsp. olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add pepper and mushrooms and cook until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes longer. Add garlic.

2. Add boca crumbles to the pan and cook until heated through. Add fennel, red pepper, oregano, basil, and salt and pepper to the pan and toss. Add brown rice to the pan. Slowly add in vegetable broth and bring to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes longer until broth reduces.

3. Pour rice mixture into a baking dish (the one I used was about 7x9”. Top with cheese mixture. Bake until cheese is melted, about 20 minutes. Turn broiler on high and brown the top, about 1-2 minutes longer.

Last month something magical took place. Slip discovered on uwishunu.com (Philadelphians— check this out!) that the original DiBruno Bros. store down on 9th Street offers private tastings after hours. It costs $100 for eight people, and $20 for each additional guest. And trust me, it is worth if. You will find yourself privy to the full antipasto bar, some of the world’s best cheeses and meats, specialty desserts, crackers, and nuts. It’s BYOB, so you can bring your favorite wine and beer pairings. And, at the end of the night, anything you want to purchase is 10% off. What’s the catch? There isn’t any.

We began our night with a warm welcome from our two hosts, Matt and Mark. They poured us water, gave us a run-down of the entire antipasto and olive bar, and encouraged us to ask to try whatever our hearts desired (except for dried pasta, unless we brought our own pot of boiling water, in which case we were welcome to give it a go). M and M we’re so wonderful, friendly, and knowledgable, repeatedly telling us that this was our night, and we were welcome to request anything, even music. As we each took our small plates we started sampling the many kinds of olives (some stuffed with the likes of garlic, anchovies, and blue cheese), several different kinds of artichokes, fire roasted tomatoes, seafood salad, gigante beans, stuffed grape leaves, hot peppers stuffed with prosciutto and provolone, peppadew peppers, fire roasted marinated peppers… just to name a few.

While we sampled these antipasto delights, our connoisseurs put out some fresh, house-made Mozzarella (buy this!!), drizzled it with rich olive oil, and sprinkled with Maldon sea salt. It was served with fresh bread and pesto, imported from Italy. It was incredible. Next was onto the meats and cheeses…

We had the opportunity to walk throughout the cozy store, asking questions and asking for samples. We tried a variety of different cheeses, each one accompanied by a detailed story of where exactly in the world the cheese came from, the farmers who made the cheese, and the fact that many of these tasty bites were exclusively marketed in DiBruno Bros. before any other store in the US.

We also got to try a bunch of tasty treats that Matt and Mark had created. I loved the famed duck pastrami, but the creation of New York Flatbread everything crackers topped with dulce de leche and Serrano style smoked Virginia ham (sounds odd? It was amazing) was my favorite. Another treat was small crostini topped with foie gras wrapped in guanicale (really fatty Italian bacon), topped with a cherry sauce.

For dessert we had another tray of dessert cheeses, including a tasty goat cheese and a cabrales style blue. We also had some pieces of Italian Torrone (a favorite), chocolate dipped figs, and a variety of Squirrel Brand nuts, including creme brulee almonds.

At the end of the night we all lined up to purchase some of our favorite tastes of the night, like specialty olive oils, cheese, and crackers. The event was just in time for Thanksgiving, for which we purchased a bunch of antipasto. DiBruno Bros. closes down this private tasting venture during the busy holiday season, but they’ll be up and running again in January. I’ve been brainstorming my reason for our next tasting— I can’t wait!