Parma Rosa Chicken

Some kids go through a mac 'n' cheese phase (it's something they can cook themselves), and some kids go through a cereal phase (doesn't require cooking at all). Me? Knorr Instant Parma Rosa Sauce was a childhood fave. It’s embarrassing but true.

To this day, I'm not sure what is even in those packs of instant pasta sauce. And frankly? I don't want to know. What I do know is that it's addicting. Back then I called it "pink sauce." 

Even though I ate many (many!) packets of pink sauce as a kid, it's not what I was thinking about when I started working on this recipe. Nope, I just thought I was making a creamy chicken parmesan. It wasn't until my first bite that my memory sprang into action: 

I know this flavor! This tastes like pink sauce! 

What was that called? Parma Rosa, a Google search told me.

And it does taste just like Parma Rosa -- a bigger, bolder, fresher, real parma rosa. A grown up pink sauce. And instead of a soft creamy pink color, it's a rich creamy orange-red, evidence of real tomatoes in there. 

You can eat this dish as-is (that's what I did, with a side salad), or you could serve it over pasta. It goes great with a glass of white wine, and the leftovers are just as good the next day. 

Between this recipe and this lasagna, I've been on quite the Italian kick lately! (Is pink sauce Italian? I don't think so, but it seems Italian). 

Parma Rosa Chicken

Published July 26, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Serves: 4   |    Active Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients:

4 small chicken breasts (or 2 large cut in half)

1-2 tablespoons coconut oil

1/2 yellow onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

16 ounce can tomato sauce (Note: this is in the canned tomato aisle; it is puréed tomato -- not a pre-made pizza or pasta sauce, which will already have herbs, garlic, etc)

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced

1 tablespoon fresh basil, minced, plus more for garnish

3/4 cup half-and-half

1/2 cup grated parmesan

Directions:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 10-inch oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil glistens, place the chicken in the skillet. Cook on each side for 5 minutes, until browned. Move to a plate and set aside.
2. If pan is dry, add additional tablespoon of coconut oil. Add onions and garlic, and sauté until transparent. Reduce heat to low. Pour in tomato sauce and stir.
3. Add thyme, rosemary, and basil to sauce, and then stir in the cream. Place chicken back in pan, immersing it in the sauce. Allow sauce to simmer lightly for 1-2 minutes, and then top each piece of chicken with parmesan. Place skillet in oven and turn to broil. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes — until cheese is bubbling. Remove from oven, top with additional basil for garnish, and serve hot.

Almond Flour Zucchini Bread Pancakes

It’s that season! Yes, the time of year when zucchini are the size of baseball bats, big enough to serve a crowd. Perhaps you’re swimming in zucchini, or maybe you found a really good deal on some oversized zukes at the farmers market — either way, zucchini bread pancakes are the way to go! 

I’ve never heard anyone complain about pancakes for breakfast, and these pancakes are extra special. Just like zucchini bread, these pancakes are spiced with nutmeg and cinnamon, making them feel extra cozy, especially when slathered with butter and drizzled with maple syrup. 

There are thousands of recipes for zucchini bread on the internet. Some call for walnuts, while others call for chocolate chips. But why choose? This recipe is absolutely delicious with both, bites of nutty crunch and melty chocolate. And yeah, it feels a little bit like dessert for breakfast but there is zucchini in there.

This recipe uses for almond flour, which makes for a satisfying pancake but is also the reason why I highly recommend using a non-stick pan. I tried a few in a enameled cast iron (Le Creuset) because we own very few non-stick pans, and the results was no good. So, avoid frustration, and use a true non-stick pan! You'll be flipping pancakes like a pro. 

Almond Flour Zucchini Bread Pancakes

Published July 19, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Serves: 4   |    Active Time: 90 minutes

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Ingredients:

9 ounces shredded zucchini

1-1/2 cups almond flour

1/4 cup arrowroot starch (tapioca flour can also be used)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

2 tablespoons melted butter, plus more for cooking and serving

2 tablespoons maple syrup plus more for serving

3/4 cup milk

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup chocolate chips or finely diced walnuts (feel free to do half chocolate chips and half walnuts, too!)

Directions:

1. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine: almond flour, arrowroot starch, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk to combine. In a separate bowl, combine: 2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 3/4 cup milk, 2 eggs, and vanilla. Whisk until frothy, and then fold in the shredded zucchini.
2. Add half of the dry mixture to the wet mixture, stirring to combine, and then add in the other half of the dry mixture to create a loose batter. Fold in walnuts/chocolate chips.
3. Heat a non-stick skillet or griddle on the stove over medium heat with 1 tablespoon of butter.
4. Spoon batter into hot pan, making pancakes that are 4-5 inches wide. Cook on one side until you start to see bubbles on the top and edges begin to turn golden brown. Flip pancake to second side, and cook until golden. Move pancake to plate. Repeat until all of batter has been used.
5. Serve hot with butter and maple syrup. Optionally, add additional walnuts on top for garnish.

Savory Oatmeal

At 7:30 PM, two hours into a bouldering session at the gym, pretty much anything sounds delicious. Like oatmeal. I’ve never liked oatmeal. Oatmeal cookies are great and baked oatmeal is amazing, but sloppy gluey oatmeal in a bowl? Ugh. Yet last week, there we were: It was 7:30 and we were still at the gym, starting to feel our stomachs rumble. And somehow, we started talking about oatmeal -- savory oatmeal. And it sounded good. Better than good, it sounded amazing. 

This was the dream-state I was in when I first started thinking about this recipe.

Obviously the dream stuck, Because the next day, at 7AM, I was making savory oatmeal. At 8AM my bowl was clean. I had never eaten a bowl of oatmeal so good. It wasn't until 8:03 that I realized I was running really late for a meeting. Not just a meeting, a breakfast meeting. 😯

I hurried out the door and made it to the meeting on time (ok, five minutes late) but I was full. So, I didn't get to eat out for breakfast that day (breakfast is one of my favorite meals to eat out for!) But you know what? That bowl of oats was worth it. 

What’s in the bowl:

• A savory blend of oats, fresh thyme, butter, and even a bit of nutritional yeast (you can skip the nutritional yeast if you can’t find it in stores, but I love the cheesy flavor it adds).

• Sautéd veggies. This recipes calls for leeks and kale, but use what’s in season: roasted red peppers and bacon bits topped with fresh avocado? In! Grilled zucchini with onions? Yes!

• Fried egg. Yes, with an extra gooey yolk, because I love that. Cook to your preferences.

• Cheese! Goat cheese, but really, any time of cheese is fine.

This recipe is easy to mix up with different veggies and different types of cheese. And I’ve discovered the real secret to why this is so good, which is that I love eggs and cheese and butter. Yes, I admit it. This bowl would be just as good to me if it was served over warm quinoa instead of oatmeal. So, if you, like me, don’t really love oatmeal you might want to try quinoa in this recipe instead. Or, if you've always be on the edge with oatmeal, give this a shot -- it's something different and just might win you over. Just don't make it the same morning as a breakfast meeting, because it will keep you full! 

Savory Oatmeal

Published May 29, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Serves: 2   |    Total Time: 20 minutes

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Ingredients:

For the oatmeal:
• 1-1/2 cup water
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon nutritional yeast
• 1 pat butter

For the toppings:
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 leek, sliced into half-circles
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup kale, roughly chopped
• 2 fried eggs
• 1/4 cup goat cheese crumbles
• Additional salt & pepper for serving, and/or hot sauce

Directions:

1. Start the oatmeal: Heat the water in a sauce pan until it simmers. Add the oats, salt, pepper, nutritional yeast, and thyme and cook uncovered for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the pat of butter, and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring in the butter. Remove springs of thyme and discard. Turn off the heat.
2. While the oats are cooking, heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a skillet. When the oil glistens, sauté the leeks and garlic until soft & fragrant. Add the kale, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until bright green.
3. Using a wooden spatula, push the greens to the side of the skillet, making room for the eggs. Heat the last remaining tablespoon of coconut oil in the pan, and when it’s hot, crack both eggs into the pan. Cook to desired doneness — leaving the yolk runny if you prefer (the runny yolk and oatmeal are a great combo!) or cooking until the yolk is hard.
4. Assemble: divide the oatmeal between two bowls. Top bowls equally with kale mixture, and add a fried egg to each. Sprinkle half of the cheese over each bowl. Add additional salt & pepper to taste. Serve with hot sauce if desired.