Date Night--Monday, February 25, 2014--Home Again, Home Again

Firstly, I had a nice visit with my family last week.  I can't say it was exactly relaxing...I did the same amount of cooking that I do at home, and for a whole crowd of people.  But we don't have to get into that now.

Highlights?  I made my Chicken Parm Meatballs and 4 little boys all under 8 ate them up and came back for more.  My Brownie Bites were a big hit with the little boys and the big ones, too.  And, finally, I "created" an oatmeal cookie recipe for my mom.  She remembered eating an apricot almond oatmeal cookie and I was able to successfully modify a  recipe (using Splenda) that met Mom's memory.

But now I'm home and I'm cooking for the person I love most in the world.  Here is my meal plan for this evening:

Appetizer

Crudite Shooters.  I've taken some bar ware and filled with cut up veggies.  I'll add our favorite dipping sauces before serving them.

Crudite "Shooter"

Cocktails

Martinis.  You can't get more classic than that.

Dinner

Baked Chicken Parmesan



Ingredients

• 4 (about 8 oz each) chicken breast, fat trimmed, sliced in half to make 8
• 3/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs (I used whole wheat)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp butter, melted (or olive oil)
• 3/4 cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese (I used Polly-o)
• 1 cup marinara or Filetto di Pomodoro
• cooking spray

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 450°. Spray a large baking sheet lightly with spray.

Combine breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese in a bowl. Melt the butter in another bowl. Lightly brush the butter onto the chicken, then dip into breadcrumb mixture.  Place on baking sheet and repeat with the remaining chicken.

Lightly spray a little more oil on top and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Turn chicken over, bake another 5 minutes.  

Remove from oven, spoon 1 tbsp sauce over each piece of chicken and top each with 1 1/2 tbsp of shredded mozzarella cheese. 

Bake 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted.

I'll be serving the chicken with pasta for my baby and roasted  broccoli with garlic and red paper flakes for both of us.  I will drink white wine.  Possibly this one:

It's hard to say whether we'll open this  tonight...there's an open bottle in the fridge, but I'd like to.  Josh has his choice of white or red.

Dessert

Lemon Cheesecake Yogurt Cups

Lemon  Cheesecake Yogurt Cups

Ingredients: 

• 12 reduced fat vanilla wafers
• 8 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 6 oz fat-free vanilla Greek yogurt (I used Chobani)
• 2 large egg whites
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 1 tbsp all purpose flour
• 24 blackberries

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°.

Line cupcake tin with liners. Place a vanilla wafer at the bottom of each liner.

Gently beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth using an electric mixer. Gradually beat in fat free yogurt, egg whites, lemon juice, lemon zest and flour. Do not over beat. Pour into cupcake liners filling half way.

Bake 25 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool to room temperature. Chill a few hours in the refrigerator. 

Top with fresh berries and powdered sugar if desired

The original recipe was topped with blackberries, but these strawberries were begging to come home with me.  So the jumped in my cart, my car, and eventually my mouth.  YUMMMM!

So this is my plan for tonight.  How 'bout you?

happy cooking