February, 2015

Feb 4, 2015

Oven-baked Chicken Parmesan

Easy Baked Chicken Parmesan

There’s almost no cleanup with my easy chicken parmesan recipe. The prep is all done on wax paper and if you line your baking sheet with foil like I do,  you won’t have to wash it. This recipe will convince you that frying is not necessary to make a fabulous chicken parmesan. First I pound the chicken to an even thickness of 1/2-inch. That’s to make sure it cooks evenly. Then I dip each piece in flour, beaten egg, and finally coat it with (homemade) bread crumbs that I season myself.

I start with plain breadcrumbs and season them with a store-bought Italian seasoning mix. Then I add parmesan cheese and it makes an delicious breading for these chicken cutlets. They bake for 20 minutes… oh hey… that’s just how long it takes to make my quick and easy marinara sauce, start-to-finish. After 20 minutes, top it with some sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese, bake a few more minutes and… yummm!  I always shred my own cheese because  packaged pre-shredded cheese does not melt as well.

The last time I made this I baked it at 425 for 17 minutes and it was a bit more crispy but it’s not much of a difference. This photo above was baked at 425. Let me know if you try the higher temperature.

Who doesn’t like chicken parmesan? Now you can make a healthier chicken parm topped with part skim mozarella to keep it low fat and light. This is truly Italian comfort food. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

Feb 3, 2015

The Best Way to Make Whole Wheat No Knead Bread

No Knead Whole Wheat Bread

Make it overnight. I finally figured out the best way to make whole wheat no knead bread. Start the dough the night before using cold water instead of using the faster method with hot water. The faster method works well with regular bread made with bread flour or all-purpose flour but the faster method using 100% whole wheat flour makes a loaf that was too dense for a lot of people. I happen to love a dense, heavy bread, even those thin-sliced pumpernickel breads that they sell but I think most people will be more satisfied with the overnight method.

But know this: any bread that’s 100% whole wheat, no matter how it’s made, will never be as soft and light as a white bread version. But if you want a healthy, high fiber, nutritious bread, this one takes more time but there’s still nothing to do but wait. There’s no kneading and no shaping. Just start your dough the night before, let it stand at room temperature for 12 hours or more, then continue in the morning.

Here’s the truth about no knead 100% whole wheat bread. It won’t rise as much as the white version. I even took a picture of one I made this morning (started the dough last night) and used a tape measure. The middle of the loaf is no more than 2 1/2 to 3 inches tall but you can see the inside has lots of holes and it has a wonderful crust and soft interior. For anyone trying to avoid white flour, this is still the easiest and best 100% whole wheat bread you can make. You just need a little more time but it’s so worth it. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

Feb 2, 2015

Salmon Sandwich

Healthy Salmon Sandwich

A recipe for a simple sandwich? Yes, and I’ll tell you why. This salmon sandwich is healthy enough to have for dinner! Think about it. You have an excellent protein in the fish, whole grains in the bread, and a vegetable in the lettuce. Then there’s the long list of red salmon health benefits from benefiting your heart to your bones. I grew up in Canada. We do salmon sandwiches. I never had a tuna sandwich until I was 25. I always have canned salmon at home so I  often have a salmon sandwich for lunch and when time was short I’ve had one for dinner.

I never expected to be posting a sandwich recipe but I think I have to. I had some friends over recently and wanted to offer something different so I made salmon sandwiches… really simple salmon sandwiches. Salmon & mayo. I wondered if anyone would even want them but was shocked at the reaction. They devoured all my sandwiches (I should have made more) but not only that, they asked for the recipe. I had no recipe. I just mashed the salmon with my light mayo and that was it. I couldn’t even tell them how much mayo – I just eyeballed it.

Then the following week two people told me they couldn’t find the salmon sandwich recipe on my website. If they liked it that much, then I need to share it with everybody. So I measured the amount of mayo and now I have a recipe. It’s the easiest recipe I have ever posted, but one you will probably love just like my friends did. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones