Foodie Feature

Due to a CRAZY busy Sunday, I am just now getting around to posting. Weekly meal planning is very important to me. It allows me to do my grocery shopping all at once and make sure my family is eating well balanced meals. I also enjoy trying out new recipes. I try to cook three new recipes each week. One tip I have for trying out new recipes is to have a binder to store all the recipes you want to try. When you are reading through a magazine or online and see a recipe you would like to try you can simply store it in your "Recipe Binder". Then, when it is time to make your weekly meal plan you can flip through all your new recipes. Some will be good and some as I have found will be BAD!

Weekly Meal Plan for October 26 - November 1

10/26 - *Work Night* Leftovers/Sandwiches

10/27 - Family Dinner at my Grandmother's

10/28 - Cavatappi with Roasted Tomatoes, Tossed Salad (I was supposed to make this last week but realized when it was too late that the tomatoes had to roast for 3 hours - oops)

10/29 - Rosemary Grilled Chicken Breasts, Caramelized Onion-Potato Gratin, Roasted Green Beans

10/30 - Dinner with Friends

10/31 - Trick or Treat Dinner with Family

11/1 - Corn and Bacon Chowder, Cheddar Biscuits, Apple Slices

Featured Recipe:

Oven Fried Chicken Parmesan

This is a recipe that comes from Cooking Light. It is quick and absolutely delicious. Mark and Belle ate a full plate of this and the leftovers were fantastic as well.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large egg whites, lightly beaten

3/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

4 (6-oz) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (if your chicken breasts are thick pound them to 1/4 inch thickness)

2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

Cooking spray

1/2 cup jarred tomato-basil pasta sauce

1/2 cup (2 oz) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

3/4 cup (3 oz) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 450.

2. Combine first 3 ingredients in a shallow dish; place egg whites in a bowl. Place panko in a shallow dish. Dredge one breast half in flour mixture. Dip in egg whites; dredge in panko. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken, flour mixture, egg and panko.

3. Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; cook 2 minutes. Add remaining 1 Tablespoon oil. Turn chicken over; cook 2 minutes. Coat chicken with cooking spray; place pan in oven. Bake at 450 for 5 minutes. Turn chicken over; top each breast half with 2 Tablespoons sauce; 2 Tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano, and 3 Tablespoons mozzarella. Bake 6 minutes or until chicken is done.

(Yields 4 servings)

Be very careful when you are working with the chicken after the pan has been in the oven -- I burned myself twice.

I served this over whole-wheat spaghetti and a tossed light Caesar salad. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family did. Leave me comments if there are any recipes you want me to try out or feature.

Now go... and cook!