Chicken Parmigiana

Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups all-purpose flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
4 large eggs, beaten with 2 tablespoons water and seasoned with salt and pepper
2 cups panko bread crumbs
1 cup vegetable oil or pure olive oil
Tomato Sauce, recipe follows
1 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Fresh basil or parsley leaves, for garnish

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Dredge each breast in the flour and tap off excess, then dip in the egg and let excess drip off, then dredge on both sides in the bread crumbs.

Divide the oil between 2 large saute pans and heat over high heat until almost smoking. Add 2 chicken breasts to each pan and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a baking sheet and top each breast with some tomato sauce, a few slices of the mozzarella, salt and pepper, and a tablespoon of Parmesan. Bake in the oven until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese is melted, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and garnish with basil or parsley leaves.

Tomato Sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large Spanish onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, smashed with some kosher salt to make a paste
2 (28-ounce) cans plum tomatoes and their juices, pureed in a blender
1 (16-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 small bunch Italian parsley
1 Cubano chile pepper, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add pureed tomatoes with their juices, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, 1 cup water, bay leaf, parsley, Cubano pepper, and bring to a boil. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Reduce heat and cook until slightly thickened, about 30 minutes.

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Grilled Eggplant Caponata Bruschetta with Ricotta Salata

Ingredients

• 4 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• 2 medium globe eggplants, cut into 3/4-inch-thick slices
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 large stalk celery, diced
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 1/2 cup Sicilian green olives, pitted and chopped
• 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• Pinch red chile flakes
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 loaf Italian bread, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 8 ounces ricotta salata, crumbled

Directions

Preheat a grill to medium-high heat.

Brush the tomatoes and eggplant with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill the eggplant until golden brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes each side. Grill the tomatoes until charred all over, about 8 minutes. Remove the eggplant and tomatoes from the heat and cut into dice.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the canola oil in a large saute pan. Add the celery and onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the eggplant and tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes. Add the olives, vinegar, raisins, capers, sugar, chile flakes, a big splash olive oil, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the basil and parsley and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Transfer the caponata to a bowl and keep at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving. The caponata can be made 1 day in advance, covered and refrigerated. Bring the caponata to room temperature before serving.

Meanwhile, grill the bread on both sides until slightly charred, about 30 seconds each side. Remove the bread from the grill and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top each slice of bread with some of the caponata and sprinkle with the ricotta salata. Drizzle the top of each slice of bread with more olive oil and scatter basil on top.

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Gigantes

Ingredients

• 1 pound gigantes (or big lima beans), soaked for 12 hours, drained
• 1/4 cup Greek olive oil
• 1 large Spanish onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (15-ounce) can chopped plum tomatoes plus their liquid
• 2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Add the beans to a pot with enough cold water to cover well. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover, and simmer until just soft throughout but not quite cooked, approximately 50 to 80 minutes, depending on the beans. Drain and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven. Add onion and cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and their liquid, 2 cups water, honey, cloves, salt, and pepper and boil gently for 20 to 30 minutes or until it begins to thicken. Stir in the parsley and remove from heat.

Place the beans in an oven-proof dish, pour tomato mixture on top, stir and spread mixture out evenly. Bake 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until beans are soft. (Check the dish during cooking and if needed, add a small amount of boiling water.) The dish will look crispy on top. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Serve hot or at room temperature.

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Lima Bean

Red Beef Chili

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 pounds bottom round beef, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 (12 ounce) bottle dark beer
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate
• 1 large red onion, finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 poblano, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon seeded and chopped habanero
• 1 Thai bird chile, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
• 1 tablespoon chipotle pepper puree
• 1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
• 1 tablespoon pasilla chile powder
• 1 tablespoon cascabel chile powder
• 1 teaspoon New Mexican chile powder
• 5 cups homemade chicken stock, or canned low-sodium or water
• 1 (16-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained and pureed
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup, or more, to taste
• Toasted Cumin Crema, recipe follows

Directions

Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Season the beef with salt and pepper, and saute until browned on all sides. Sprinkle with the cumin and stir well. Deglaze the pan with the beer and bring to a boil. Stir in the chocolate and cook until beer is almost completely reduced.

In a separate pot, add 1 tablespoon of the oil and add the onions to the pan and cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the poblano, habanero, Thai bird, jand alapeno peppers and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chipotle puree, ancho powder, pasilla powder, cascabel and New Mexican chile powders and cook an additional 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock and tomatoes and bring to a boil and boil for 15 to 20 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender. Puree with an immersion blender. Add the beef mixture back to the pan, reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan, and simmer for 1 hour, or until thick and beef is tender. Remove from the heat, add the maple syrup, and adjust seasonings.

Serve with a dollop of Toasted Cumin Crema.

Toasted Cumin Crema:

1 tablespoon cumin seed

1 cup Mexican crema or creme fraiche

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the cumin in a small saute pan over medium heat. Toast until lightly golden brown. Place in a small bowl. Stir in the crema and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Place in a squeeze bottle.

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Chili Powder

Deep-Dish Pizza with Italian Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

Ingredients

Italian Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Filling:

• 1 large bunch broccoli rabe, washed and coarsely chopped
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 pound hot Italian sausage links, casings removed

Tomato Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 (32-ounce) can plum tomatoes coarsely chopped, no juice
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh oregano leaves
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Dough:

• 2 packages quick-rise dry yeast
• 2 cups warm water (90 degrees F)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more to oil the pans
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
• 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, slightly softened

Assembly:

• 1/2 pound aged provolone, coarsely grated
• 1/2 pound fontina cheese, coarsely grated
• Sausage and Broccoli Rabe filling
• Tomato Sauce
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

For the filling:

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the broccoli rabe and blanch for 2 minutes. Drain in a colander and run cold water over.Drain well again and squeeze out excess liquid.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil, chili flakes and garlic in a large saute pan over medium heat and cook for 1 minute. Add the broccoli rabe, salt and pepper and cook until slightly tender, about 5 minutes.

In a separate large saute pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over high heat until the oil begins to shimmer. Add the sausage links and using a wooden spoon, gently break up the meat into coarse pieces. Cook until deep golden brown. (You do not need to cook all the way because it will continue to cook in the oven.) Combine the sausage and the broccoli rabe and let cool slightly.

For the tomato sauce:

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and oregano, bring to a boil and cook until the mixture thickens, about 15 minutes. Stir in the basil and season with salt and pepper. Let cool slightly.

For the dough:

Dissolve the yeast and water in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the oils and mix for 30 seconds. Add the cornmeal, 3 cups of the flour and salt and

beat for 5 minutes. Switch to the dough hook and mix in the remaining 2 1/2 cups of flour and knead, using the dough hook for 2 minutes. Add the butter and knead until incorporated. The dough is a very moist dough so do not add more flour unless absolutely needed.

Place the dough in a large bowl lightly oiled with vegetable oil, cover with plastic wrap or clean kitchen towels and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Punch down the dough and allow to double in size again.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place 2 pizza stones into the oven to preheat as well. Generously oil 2 (9 or 10-inch) deep dish pie pans with olive oil (about 2 tablespoons for each pan).

Divide the dough in half and press the dough out slightly on the counter top. Place the dough in the prepared pans and push out to cover the bottom and up the side of the pans. (If using the 9-inch pans, pinch a 2-inch ball off each dough to make a better fit.)

For assembly:

Combine the cheese in a bowl. Place half of the cheese of the bottom of each pie crust. Divide the sausage filling over the cheese and then top with the remaining cheese, patting the cheese firmly down over the filling. Spoon some of the sauce over the top of the cheese to cover completely. Place the pans into the oven on the pizza stones and bake in the oven until golden brown, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the top with Parmesan. Let the pizza rest on a baking sheet for 5 minutes before slicing.

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Pizza