| One of the questions I'm asked, is how I come | | | | imagination run wild.CHICKEN ALL'ARRABIATA4 |
| up with my recipes. The truth is, I get my | | | | boneless skinless chicken breast halves |
| inspiration for my recipes from various | | | | |
| sources.Restaurant Menus: | | | | 1 egg |
| | | | |
| This is one source for my inspiration. How | | | | 1 Tbsp water or milk |
| many times have you been into a restaurant, | | | | |
| and had a dish that was just so good, you had | | | | 1 cup flour |
| to try making it for yourself at home? I know | | | | |
| I have. At least one of my better recipes was | | | | 1 cup bread crumbs |
| inspired by a dinner I had on my first | | | | |
| anniversary at a local Italian restaurant. | | | | 1 cup grated parmesan cheese |
| It's a simple matter to translate the main | | | | |
| ingredients from the restaurant dish to your | | | | salt and pepper to season |
| own kitchen. But to get the subtle flavors, | | | | |
| you'll have to experiment a bit with herbs | | | | 2 Tbsp margarine |
| and spices to get it to taste the same. I | | | | |
| often settle for something similar instead of | | | | 2 cloves of garlic, chopped. |
| exactly the same.Contents of the Cupboard | | | | |
| Refrigerator: | | | | 1 14 oz. can of tomatoes |
| | | | |
| Some of my best recipes have come from | | | | 1/4 cup wine (red or white, whatever you |
| simply experimenting. I'll start with | | | | prefer) |
| whatever I've taken out of the freezer to | | | | |
| thaw... steak, chicken, or whatever, and then | | | | 2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes |
| look through the cupboard and refrigerator to | | | | |
| get some ideas on how to cook the meal. | | | | 1 dash worcestershire sauce |
| There's almost always something around your | | | | |
| kitchen that you can use for a marinade or a | | | | 1 tsp. dried oreganoPreaheat your oven to |
| sauce. You just need to have a good idea of | | | | 425 degrees F.In a shallow bowl, beat |
| what flavors will go well together. Just use | | | | together the egg and the milk or water.Put |
| your imagination.Cookbook/Magazine Recipes: | | | | the flour on a plate, and combine the bread |
| | | | crumbs and parmesan cheese on another plate. |
| You've probably seen several recipes in | | | | Season the flour with salt and pepper.Dredge |
| cookbooks or magazines that you'd like to | | | | the chicken in the flour, and then dip it |
| try, or have tried. I find cookbooks, | | | | into the egg. Dip the chicken in the bread |
| magazines, and the food section of my local | | | | crumbs and parmesan, making sure to coat the |
| newspaper to be an excellent source for | | | | chicken.Place the chicken into a baking dish, |
| recipe inspiration. If I find a recipe that I | | | | with 1 Tbsp of the margarine, and bake for |
| like, I'll either take the recipe, change | | | | 20-25 minutes in the oven, or until the |
| some things a bit, and add my own touches to | | | | chicken is no longer pink in the center.In a |
| make it my own. Or, I may take various | | | | large skillet, melt the butter over med. high |
| elements from several recipes, and combine | | | | heat. When the butter has melted, add the |
| them to create a new recipe. Another | | | | chopped garlic, and cook until garlic is |
| possiblity is taking a recipe, written for | | | | golden... DO NOT OVERCOOK!Add the tomatoes, |
| one main ingredient, and adapting it to use | | | | breaking them up with the side of a spoon or |
| another main ingredient. Take the recipe | | | | spatula.Add the wine, red pepper flakes, |
| below, for example. Pasta all'arrabiata is a | | | | worcestershire sauce, and oregano. When the |
| common Italian recipe, in this case, instead | | | | mixture comes to a boil, turn the heat down |
| of using arrabiata sauce for pasta, I've put | | | | to medium, and let simmer for 15-20 minutes, |
| it on chicken.Don't settle for the same old | | | | until thickened.When the chicken is done, |
| meal. It's easy to find inspiration to jazz | | | | remove it from the oven, and pour the sauce |
| your dinners up a bit. Just look through your | | | | over it. Sprinkle with some parmesan cheese, |
| cookbooks or cupboards, and let your | | | | if desired, and serve immediately. |