"Life is too short, and I'm Italian. I'd much rather eat pasta & drink wine than be a size 0."- Sofia Bush
Yesterday was National Fettuccine Alfredo Day, I planned to wear my special Fettuccine costume but I guess I ate too much pasta and drank too much wine because it doesn't fit any more. So instead to celebrate naturally I had to prepare one of (Professional Picky Eater #1) my daughter's favorite dishes. Penne Pasta with chicken and Alfredo. I know that Fettuccine isn’t Penne- Fettuccine is a flat thick noodle made of flour and egg pieces it literally means "little ribbons" in Italian. But my 2 kids don’t care for it-yet. Penne however is a type of pasta with cylinder-shaped pieces that the younger one can more easily manage and comes at my local store in whole wheat. So we celebrated in our own style.
Yesterday was National Fettuccine Alfredo Day, I planned to wear my special Fettuccine costume but I guess I ate too much pasta and drank too much wine because it doesn't fit any more. So instead to celebrate naturally I had to prepare one of (Professional Picky Eater #1) my daughter's favorite dishes. Penne Pasta with chicken and Alfredo. I know that Fettuccine isn’t Penne- Fettuccine is a flat thick noodle made of flour and egg pieces it literally means "little ribbons" in Italian. But my 2 kids don’t care for it-yet. Penne however is a type of pasta with cylinder-shaped pieces that the younger one can more easily manage and comes at my local store in whole wheat. So we celebrated in our own style.
And I didn’t see the Fettuccine police at Disney World when Professional Picky Eater #1 ate this new and foreign dish with a cooked chicken patty covered in gloppy manufactured style mass production sauce but I leapt ahead. She was eating it. For me, it was just as exciting as her first roller coaster ride.
So once home I worked to improve it-
BAKED CHICKEN BREASTS
4 chicken breast halves
2 eggs (whites only if you prefer but add 1 extra tsp. spoon water)
1 tablespoon pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup of whole wheat bread crumbs
1 tablespoon water
BAKED CHICKEN BREASTS
4 chicken breast halves
2 eggs (whites only if you prefer but add 1 extra tsp. spoon water)
1 tablespoon pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup of whole wheat bread crumbs
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons of butter
Preheat oven to 400°F. Cover a cookie sheet or large glass dish with a THIN layer of olive oil or spray.
Place egg and water in a medium sized bowl. Add 1/2 tablespoon pepper, 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder, and 1/4 cup of bread crumbs in a bowl. Place the rest of the spices and the flour in a Ziploc bag.
Shake each piece of chicken in the Ziploc bag then dip in the bowl of egg mixture then sprinkle the bread crumb mixture on each side of each piece of chicken. Place the chicken on the cookie sheet/glass pan and put 1/2 tablespoon of butter on each piece of chicken.
Place the cookie sheet/glass pan in the preheated oven and in 9 minutes turn the chicken over. Then wait another check to see if it’s done in approximately another 9 minutes.
Place egg and water in a medium sized bowl. Add 1/2 tablespoon pepper, 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder, and 1/4 cup of bread crumbs in a bowl. Place the rest of the spices and the flour in a Ziploc bag.
Shake each piece of chicken in the Ziploc bag then dip in the bowl of egg mixture then sprinkle the bread crumb mixture on each side of each piece of chicken. Place the chicken on the cookie sheet/glass pan and put 1/2 tablespoon of butter on each piece of chicken.
Place the cookie sheet/glass pan in the preheated oven and in 9 minutes turn the chicken over. Then wait another check to see if it’s done in approximately another 9 minutes.
HOMEMADE ALFREDO SAUCE
1/2 cup spinach torn or run through the food processor (better to trick Professional Picky Eater #2)
1/2 cup butter
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese
1 cup skim milk
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 cup butter
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese
1 cup skim milk
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon garlic powder
Pepper, to taste
1. In a medium saucepan, melt butter.
2. Once butter is almost melted, add the package of cream cheese. To help speed up an even melting time, cut it into about 4 pieces.
3. Once butter and cream cheese are mixed well together, add the cup of milk, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and then add pepper. Stir all together until well mixed. Gently fold in the spinach, God forbid you make the sauce too green. Professional Picky Eater #2 would faint at the sight.
4. Once it's mixed well, remove from the burner and set aside and allow to thicken to your preference. Stir every few minutes and if it gets too thick add more milk to thin it.
1. In a medium saucepan, melt butter.
2. Once butter is almost melted, add the package of cream cheese. To help speed up an even melting time, cut it into about 4 pieces.
3. Once butter and cream cheese are mixed well together, add the cup of milk, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and then add pepper. Stir all together until well mixed. Gently fold in the spinach, God forbid you make the sauce too green. Professional Picky Eater #2 would faint at the sight.
4. Once it's mixed well, remove from the burner and set aside and allow to thicken to your preference. Stir every few minutes and if it gets too thick add more milk to thin it.
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