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

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.

Roasted Zucchini, Corn & Basil Salad

This salad is made of three quintessential mid-summer crops: corn, zucchini, and basil.

Zucchini is one of my all-time favorite veggies, because it’s so versatile. It’s good sautéd, raw, zoodled, or in this case, roasted (any grill masters out there? You can do the roasting over an open flame if that’s more your style!). Use young zucchini in this recipe. They are more tender, have smaller seeds, and you can simply cut them in half (the long way) rather than into strips. Yellow summer squash would work well too! 

There’s a saying, “things that grow together go together,” and it’s certainly the case here. Roasted zucchini needs little in terms of seasoning, but a little fresh basil brightens this dish up. Good warm or cold, this salad is the perfect backyard grill out side dish! To turn this recipe into a heartier salad, one you could eat for lunch, try adding shredded parmesan and diced avocado. 

Roasted Zucchini, Corn & Basil Salad

Published July 24, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 4   |    Active Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients:

4 small zucchini

3 cobs of corn

1/2 cup fresh basil

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

For the vinaigrette:

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon honey or maple syrup

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Slice the zucchini into long strips, about 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch thick. Brush zucchini and corn with olive oil and place on sheet pan. Bake for 20 minutes, until softened. Turn oven to high broil, and cook for 3-5 more minutes, just to get the corn and zucchini really roasted. (Note: You can also do this step on your grill, and skip the oven!)
2. Allow zucchini and corn to cool so that you can handle them with out burning yourself. Arrange zucchini in a salad bowl, and then use a knife to cut the kernels from each corn cob. Add kernels to the bowl. Cut basil chiffonade style, reserving a few whole leaves for garnish, and add to the bowl. Toss everything to combine.
3. Combine all ingredients for the dressing in a jar and shake. Pour over salad, top with reserved basil leaves, and serve.

Raspberry Pistachio Fool (Sweetened with honey!)

A simple dessert such as this one hardly needs a full blog post to go with it — soft folds of whipped cream, fresh raspberries accentuated with just a touch of honey and lemon, bits of slightly salty pistachio. That ingredients list alone will do. 🤤

A “fool” is a British dessert where puréed fruit is layered with custard or whipped cream. This version used whipped cream, which is lighter and pairs well with fresh raspberry, which are sweet and delicate at their peak.

The raspberry bush I planted last year is producing it’s first round of berries right now (a miracle really, because the backyard is basically a jungle of weeds). There are only a few berries and they’re not quite ripe yet, so I used store bought for this recipe. In a pinch, frozen berries would work — just thaw the berries before macerating.

And — I’m all for dessert-for-breakfast, so if you're looking for something you could eat in the morning, you could swamp the whipped cream in this recipe for your favorite Greek yogurt and make a parfait.

Pistachios add a nice crunch to this fool, which is otherwise all fluff and fruit. You could really use any type of nut, but I like the flavor of pistachio with raspberry and whipped cream, and also love the way the color pops!

And now, onwards, because there’s really nothing better than tasting this one for yourself. 

Raspberry Pistachio Fool (Sweetened with honey!)

Published July 3, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 3   |    Active Time: 20 minutes

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Ingredients:

10 ounces fresh raspberries

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2-3 teaspoons honey, divided

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup crushed pistachios

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine 8 ounces of raspberries with lemon juice and 1 teaspoon honey. Set remaining raspberries aside. Using a fork, mash the 8 ounces of raspberries with the lemon and honey. The mixture should resemble a jam or compote. Set aside.
2. In a second mixing bowl, whip cream to soft peaks using an electric mixer. Add in vanilla and 1-2 teaspoons of honey, depending on your tastes, and continue to whip cream for another minute to incorporate.
3. In three serving glasses or bowls make alternating layers of whipped cream and the raspberry mixture. Place reserved fresh raspberries on top, and sprinkle with crusted pistachios. Serve immediately.