Tomato Sauce

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
4 to 6 basil leaves
2 dried bay leaves
4 T unsalted butter

In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, and bay leaves and simmer covered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.

Add half the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.

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Chicken Parmigiana, Another Way

3 T olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 (3-ounces each) chicken cutlets
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
16 teaspoons grated Parmesan
2 T unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Stir the oil and herbs in a small bowl to blend. Season with salt and pepper. Brush both sides of the cutlets with the herb oil. Heat a heavy large oven-proof skillet over high heat. Add the cutlets and cook just until brown, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the skillet from the heat.

Spoon the marinara sauce over and around the cutlets. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of mozzarella over each cutlet, then sprinkle 2 teaspoons of Parmesan over each. Sprinkle the butter pieces atop the cutlets. Bake until the cheese melts and the chicken is cooked through, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Tomato Sauce:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
4 to 6 basil leaves
2 dried bay leaves
4 T unsalted butter

In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, and bay leaves and simmer covered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.

Add half the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.

Serves 4

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Chicken Nuggets with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

For the chicken nuggets:
2 cups crushed sour-cream-and-onion-flavored potato chips
1 egg
2 T milk
6 chicken breast fillets, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1/3 cup butter, melted

For the honey mustard:
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3 T honey
2 T yellow mustard
1 T lemon juice or juice from 1/2 lemon
horseradish, to taste
2 T orange juice (more or less as needed)


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Spread the crushed potato chips in a shallow dish. Beat together the egg and milk in a shallow bowl. Dip the chicken cubes into the egg mixture and then dredge them in the chips. Place the chicken nuggets on a baking sheet and drizzle with melted butter. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown. The chicken nuggets can be frozen after baking. Serve with your favorite sauce, such as honey mustard or ranch dressing.

Prepare the Honey Mustard:
Combine all ingredients except orange juice; stir well. Thin to pouring consistency for dressing or dipping consistency for dips with orange juice. Cover and chill for 2 or 3 hours.

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Chicken and Green Chile Chilaquiles

1 3/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 lime, juiced
4 garlic cloves, 2 smashed and 2 minced, divided
salt
3/4 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano, divided
1 bay leaf
2 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 to 4 jalapenos or serrano chiles, seeded and minced
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, crushed, with juices
3 poblano peppers, roasted, seeded and peeled, cut into thin strips
1/3 cup heavy cream
vegetable oil, for frying
12 corn tortillas, cut into 1/2-inch strips
sour cream, for serving
crumbled queso fresco, queso anejo, or Parmesan, for garnish

In a large saucepan combine the chicken, chicken broth, wine, lime juice, smashed garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon of salt, half of the oregano, and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or until chicken is just cooked through. Remove from the heat and let chicken cool in the broth, then remove and shred chicken into bite size pieces. Strain broth and reserve separately.

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and, when hot, add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the jalapenos and minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, remaining oregano, and 1 1/2 cups of the reserved chicken cooking liquid, and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and flavors have come together, about 30 minutes. Add the poblano strips and heavy cream and season, to taste, with salt. Cook until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 5 to 10 minutes longer. Set aside.

Heat 2 inches of oil in a saucepan or deep-fryer and fry the tortilla strips, in batches, until light golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels and season lightly with salt. Repeat with remaining tortilla strips.

Lightly grease an 8 by 11 1/2-inch casserole and lay half of the tortilla strips on the bottom of the casserole. Arrange half of the chicken over the tortilla strips, then spoon half of the tomato-poblano sauce over the chicken. Top with the remaining tortilla strips, remaining chicken and remaining tomato-poblano sauce, then sprinkle the top with the cheese and bake until bubbly and lightly browned on top, about 30 minutes. Serve while hot, with dollops of sour cream on top and garnished with some of the queso fresco.

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Chicken Chili with Cheddar Hushpuppy Crust

1 T olive oil
1 1/4 cups finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 T chili powder
2 T fresh lime juice
1 (19-ounce) can cannellini beans
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
1 (14-ounce) can chicken broth
1 (4 1/2-ounce) can mild green chiles, drained
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
3 T butter or margarine, melted
1 (6-ounce) package cornbread mix
1 cup shredded cheddar

Garnishes: sour cream, salsa, chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Prepare the Chili:
In a 10 1/2-inch cast iron skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add 1 cup onion, garlic, green pepper, cumin, and chili powder, and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Add the lime juice, cannellini beans, chicken, broth, and green chiles, and stir until just combined. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Prepare the Crust:
In a medium mixing bowl, beat the egg. Add the milk, butter, and cornbread mix, and blend well. Stir in 1/4 cup onion and the cheese. Pour over the chicken chili in the skillet. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cornbread is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes.

Top with sour cream, salsa, and cilantro before serving.

Serves 6

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Chicken Parmigiana

Tomato sauce:
1 T olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 T balsamic vinegar
salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Chicken:
Cooking spray
4 thin chicken cutlets (about 1 1/4 pounds total)
salt to taste
2 large egg whites
6 T dry Italian bread crumbs
2 T grated Parmesan
3 T all-purpose flour
4 to 5 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese

Tomato Sauce:
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, vinegar, salt, and red pepper flakes; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the flavors are blended and the sauce begins to thicken slightly, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in the basil.

Chicken:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Sprinkle the cutlets with the salt. Lightly beat the egg whites in a medium bowl. Combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan on a sheet of waxed paper. Spread the flour on another sheet of waxed paper. Working with 1 piece of chicken at a time, dip both sides into the flour, shaking off excess. Dip each piece into the egg whites, shaking off excess, and then press both sides into the breading to coat.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken (in batches, if necessary) and cook until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the chicken, in 1 layer, to the baking dish. Spoon the sauce over the chicken then sprinkle with the cheese. Bake, covered loosely with a tent of foil, until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Serves 4

Nutritonal analysis per serving: 1 cutlet with 3/4 cup sauce and 2 tablespoons cheese.

Calories 435; Total Fat 14 g; (Sat Fat 4 g, Mono Fat 7 g, Poly Fat 1g) ; Protein 44 g; Carb 31 g; Fiber 4 g; Cholesterol 90 mg; Sodium 1435 mg

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Veal Marsala with Egg Fettuccini

1 1/2 lbs. veal cutlets for scaloppini
salt and pepper
1/2 cup flour, a couple of scoops
4 T butter
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 4 turns of the pan total
1 large or 2 small shallots, chopped
24 crimini (baby portobello) mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 cup Marsala
1/2 cup beef stock
1 box, 12 to 14 ounces, egg fettuccini, cooked to al dente
finely chopped flat leaf parsley, for garnish

Season veal with salt and pepper. Place a large piece of plastic food wrap on a cutting board or work surface. Arrange veal between cutlets on the plastic wrap. Cover veal with additional plastic wrap and a sheet of waxed paper. Gently pound out veal with meat mallet or a small, heavy frying pan. Fold veal up in its plastic and waxed paper wrapper and set aside.

Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Build an assembly line between the veal and the hot pan: veal, shallow dish with flour, butter and olive oil, pile of shallots and sliced mushrooms, Marsala and beef stock. Place a large platter over low heat on the burner adjacent to your veal pan. Warm it, then turn off the heat.

Begin cooking the veal Marsala just before your egg fettucini goes into cooking water; the veal will take 12 minutes, the pasta 7 or 8. If you are serving the suggested side dishes or a salad, these dishes should be assembled before the veal.

Dredge the veal lightly in flour. Saute cutlets in a single layer 2 minutes on each side. For each batch of veal, use 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan, and 1 tablespoon butter. Transfer cooked cutlets to the warm serving platter. If you have a 12 to 14-inch skillet, you should be able to make just 2 batches. Add another tablespoon extra-virgin oil and 1 tablespoon butter to the skillet. Add half of the chopped shallots and all of the sliced mushrooms to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Saute the shallots and mushrooms for 5 minutes. Add Marsala to the pan and bring up pan drippings. Add 1/4 cup beef stock and when it bubbles, add 1 tablespoon butter to the pan to gloss your sauce. Spoon mushrooms and Marsala down over the veal. Return the pan to the stove. Add remaining extra-virgin oil, butter and remaining shallots to the skillet. Cook shallots 1 to 2 minutes. Add remaining 1/4 cup beef stock to the shallots and add the egg fettucini to the pan. Toss fettuccini with broth and butter and season with salt and chopped parsley. Transfer pasta to a serving dish and serve with warm veal Marsala.

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New York Cioppino with Anchovy Butter Croutons

6 T olive oil, divided
1 large onion, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup dry white wine
5 cups fish stock
1 (16-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 bay leaf
4 sprigs fresh thyme leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds bass fillets, cut into 2-inch squares
16 large shrimp, shelled and deveined
32 littleneck clams
24 mussels, scrubbed and debearded
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley leaves
3 T chopped fresh tarragon leaves
2 T honey
few dashes hot sauce

Sour Dough Croutons:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 heaping tablespoon anchovy paste
8 (1/2-inch) thick slices sourdough bread
olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Fish Cioppino:
In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half. Add the fish stock, drained tomatoes, bay and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and cook until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes

While the broth is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over high heat in separate large saute pan. Season the bass on both sides with salt and pepper and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Remove to a plate.

To the same pan, add another 2 tablespoons of oil, season the shrimp and saute until lightly golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Remove to the plate with the bass.

Add the clams, mussels, bass and shrimp to the reduced broth and cook until the clams and mussels open, discarding any that do not open, about 3 minutes. Stir in the parsley and tarragon and season with honey, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add hot sauce, to taste.

For the Sourdough Croutons:
Preheat grill pan to medium-high heat.

Stir together butter and anchovy paste in a small bowl. Set aside.

Brush bread with oil on 1 side and season with salt and pepper. Grill, oil side down on preheated grill pan until lightly golden brown, turn over and continue grilling until lightly golden brown on both sides.

Remove bread to a platter and spread some of the butter-anchovy mixture on the seasoned side. Cut each slice in half, crosswise.

Place 1/2 slice of the bread in each bowl, ladle some of the mixture on top and top with the remaining 1/2 slice of bread. Garnish with parsley leaves, if desired.

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Sephardic Chicken Soup with Sofrito and Herbed Matzo Balls

Saffron matzo balls:
8 large eggs
2 teaspoons canola oil
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chicken fat, melted (schmaltz), plus 2 tablespoons, for optional garnish
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup freshly chopped parsley leaves
2 T kosher salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups matzo meal
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

Soup:
1 (3 1/2 to 4-pound) chicken
4 quarts chicken stock

Sofrito:
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/2 cup quartered cherry or grape tomatoes
1/2 cup diced (1/4-inch) red bell pepper
1/2 cup diced (1/4-inch) green bell pepper
2 T freshly chopped cilantro leaves
4 garlic cloves, minced
small pinch saffron
1 teaspoon hot red pepper sauce, optional

To make the matzo balls, bring a large pot of salted water or chicken broth to a boil over high heat. Whisk the eggs, oils, chicken fat, water, parsley, salt, garlic powder, and pepper in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, add the matzo meal and sift in the baking powder. Mix together, then fold into the eggs. Cover with plastic wrap, pressed tightly against the batter and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight.

Moisten your hands lightly with water and form the matzo mixture into 24 walnut-sized balls. Carefully drop the matzo balls into the water or broth. Reduce the heat to medium and partially cover. Simmer gently until the matzo balls are cooked through, about 40 minutes. Using a skimmer or slotted spoon, transfer the matzo balls to a large bowl of cold water.

Meanwhile, make the soup. Bring the chicken pieces and stock to a boil in a large pot over medium-high heat, skimming off the foam that rises to the surface. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer, partially covered, until the chicken is tender, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the chicken from the soup. Remove and discard the skin, shred the meat into bite-sized pieces, and reserve the meat until service. Return the remaining bones back to the broth and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes more to further develop the soup's flavor.

While the soup is simmering, heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, tomatoes, red and green peppers, cilantro, garlic and saffron. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables in the sofrito are tender, but not browned, about 8 minutes. Add the hot sauce, if using. Set the sofrito aside.

When ready to serve, strain the soup and discard the bones. Return the soup to the pot and stir in the sofrito and chicken pieces. Add the matzo balls and simmer until the matzo balls are heated through, about 5 minutes. (The soup and matzo balls can be prepared up to 2 days ahead, cooled, covered, and refrigerated. Reheat before serving.)

Ladle the soup, along with sofrito, chicken and matzo balls into bowls and serve hot, with an optional drizzle of the additional melted chicken fat (schmaltz).

Serves 10-12

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Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup smooth or crunch peanut butter (use any good, organic peanut butter, either salted or unsalted. If using unsalted peanut butter, you may want to increase the salt to 1 teaspoon)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 T pure vanilla extract
2 T light corn syrup
1 1/4 cups unbleached white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 to 2 teaspoons water, as needed

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or two.

Cream together the brown sugar, peanut butter, oil, egg, vanilla, and corn syrup. On a piece of wax paper or in a separate bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and blend thoroughly. The dough will be stiff and crumbly. If it won't hold together, add a teaspoon or so of water.

With your hands, shape and roll the dough into 1-inch balls. Place them on the baking sheet and, with the bottom of a glass, press them into flat circles. Smooth the cracked edges a little with your fingers. If you like, press the tops with the tines of a fork to give them the mark of classic peanut butter cookies. If you like them brown and crisp on top, spray a light coat of oil on the tops of the unbaked cookies.

Bake for about 10 minutes, until golden brown. Cool on a rack and store in a cookie jar.

Yields about 30 cookies
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 10 minutes

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