Chicken Parmesan Rollups

One of my roommates has been making this recipe for about a year now, but I just recently got around to trying it. It really is a great recipe. It's a little bit time consuming, but it is very good tasting, hands off for a large part of the time, would become really easy with some practice of dipping the rolls in the eggs/crumbs and, my favorite part, got the boy to eat spinach!! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the boy ate TWO or THREE servings of vegetables in this meal. He at spinach, he ate a side of broccoli AND he had the tomato sauce. Behold, the power of cheese.

Because of the chicken, the cheese and the spinach in this meal, I'm submitting it to Eat Healthy: Protein Rich. It has about 22 g of protein per serving.

Chicken Parmesan Bundles
Adapted from Kraft
6 Servings

4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) Cream Cheese, softened

1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained (would use less unless you LOVE spinach) (I would also like to try it with chopped frozen broccoli)

1-1/4 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided

6 Tbsp Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided

6 chicken cutlets, pounded to 1/4-inch thickness

1 egg

10 RITZ Crackers, crushed (about 1/2 cup)

1-1/2 cups spaghetti sauce, heated

PREHEAT oven to 375ºF. Mix cream cheese, spinach/broccoli, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese and 3 Tbsp. of the Parmesan cheese until well blended; spread evenly onto chicken breasts. Starting at one of the short ends of each breast, roll up chicken tightly. Secure with wooden toothpicks, if desired. Set aside.

BEAT egg in shallow bowl or pie plate. Mix remaining 3 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese and the cracker crumbs in separate shallow bowl or pie plate. Dip chicken bundles in egg, then roll in crumb mixture. Place, seam-sides down, in 13x9-inch baking dish covered with aluminum foil and sprayed with cooking spray.

BAKE 30 min. or until chicken is cooked through. Remove and discard toothpicks, if using. Serve topped with the spaghetti sauce and remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese.

6 Word memoir

A LONG time ago I was tagged by Katie at CupcakeRN for a 6 word memoir. I had to come up with 6 words that describe me. Should NOT have taken so long. Katie, I am VERY sorry I delayed so long. All you do is list 6 words to describe yourself and then tag 6 others.

I am:
emotional
giggly
type-A
overly-thoughtful
stubborn
overdressed

I think that covers a lot about me!
I am tagging, oh this is hard cuz I hate sending these to people who don't want them. If you don't want to do it, don't feel bad, just think of it as a shout out:
Sweetnicks
Taste and tell
All Things Edible
Run-Girl-Run
Gigi Cakes
Picky Palate

Nice Try

I interrupt our regularly scheduled protein fest to bring you some legal musings. As sweetnicks notes, Alosha’s Kitchen has gotten into a wee bit of trouble with the big brass over at Cook’s Country for posting an edited version of one of their recipes on her blog. Well shame on you Cook’s Country, for you do not have any legal ground on which to complain about bloggers posting your recipes, ESPECIALLY if said blogger changed the recipe, as we all tend to do to fit our own tastes.

Since being really perturbed by the idea that a publisher tried to bully a fellow blogger into submission, I have put together a quick reference guide for “Why Food Bloggers Can Write about Published Recipes.” Note that I say “Published recipes, because they are not copyrighted recipes, only part of a copyrighted book or magazine. These cases should explain.

Barbour v. Head states that in this particular case of one cookbook stealing recipes from another, there may have been copyright infringement for the copying of light-hearted or helpful commentary, not for the copying of just the recipes themselves. The court found that the recipes were nothing more than mere recitations of facts and thus could not be copyrighted because they were procedures or processes. The only reason the case was allowed was because the books were filled with “light-hearted or helpful commentary.” For example, the Cowboy Chow recipe for "Cherokee Chicken" states: "Heat oil in heavy skillet. Add sugar and let it brown and bubble. (This is the secret to the unique taste!)" and in License to Cook Texas Style it’s identical minus the exclamation point: "Heat oil in heavy skillet. Add sugar and let it brown and bubble (this is the secret to the unique taste)." The court found that recipes may warrant copyright protection where the recipe includes "suggestions for presentation, advice on wines to go with the meal, or hints on place settings with appropriate music” or when it has history or ethnic information.

Summary: Leave out all the emotive little notes/history lessons/tips from sidebars and there is no copyright infringement.

The court in Publications Int'l v. Meredith Corp holds that a “compilation copyright” (the copyright on a book) does not cover the individual recipes contained within a publication, but only covered the way they were presented in the book/magazine.

Lambing v. Godiva Chocolatier ‘s court noted that recipes were not copyrightable. Recipes are just directions and are excluded from copyright protection under 17 U.S.C.S. § 102(b).

17 USCS § 102 (b) states that “In no case does copyright protection for an original work of authorship extend to any idea, procedure, process, system, method of operation, concept, principle, or discovery, regardless of the form in which it is described, explained, illustrated, or embodied in such work.”

Thus, while many works can be protected, procedures, like “preheat oven to 350” or “mix until light and fluffy” cannot be copyrighted, no matter how it is explained. Even copying directions word for word into your blog is legal so long as you do not include the bits that could be considered “personal” or “unique” (my best example would be anything that starts with “in my experience” or “did you know”).

Hmmmm….now, I am just a 1L, but it seems to me like all the cases say YOU CANNOT COPYRIGHT A RECIPE. Cook’s Country cannot say that a directions only version of their recipe cannot be put on a blog, let alone a modified version of their directions. This is not to say that the law won’t change, so keep an eye out, you may at some point have to take down your recipes, but for now, the courts have ruled that recipes are not literature, theses or pictures and are not subject to copyright protection.

**in addition to the links, I got background information from legal sources I have access to at the office, but that I have no way of showing you, so just try lexis nexis or westlaw if you have access, or a legal library if not, and if you want to look into this further**

Lemon Chicken

Oh me, oh my I liked this one. I even liked it for lunch the next day, so lemony and refreshing. It’s a takeoff of chicken piccatta, minus the capers. The chicken itself isn’t lemony (though you could certainly add lemon zest to the breadcrumbs if you wanted) but, in my version, the vegetables and pasta that the chicken is served with are delightfully lemony.

A few words of advice though:

1. I used chicken breasts cut in half to make cutlets and still had to pound them thinner to get them to cook through. Make sure they are reallllly thin.

2. Do not skimp on the oil. The 1st batch of oil is needed for browning and to avoid chicken sticking to the pan. The 2nd is so the pasta doesn’t clump and has a sort of sauce. You really need it.

3. Use whatever veggie you like. The recipe says greenbeans, I used broccoli and I could even imagine using carrots! Have fun and tweak to your taste.

Because chicken is a healthy source of protein (12g) and this is a quick and easy meal, I am entering it in Eat Healthy: Protein Rich.

Lemon Chicken

Adapted From Better Homes and Gardens

Makes 4 servings.
4 chicken cutlets
1 Tbsp. Dijon-style mustard

salt and pepper
1/4 cup seasoned fine dry bread crumbs

4 TBSP olive oil, divided
8 oz. green beans (or broccoli or other vegetable)
2 lemons, 1 sliced and 1 juiced
1 Tbsp. capers (optional)

Cooked Pasta of choice

Directions
1. Place one chicken breast half between sheets of plastic wrap. Lightly pound with flat side of meat mallet to even thickness. Repeat.

2. Brush chicken with mustard; sprinkle evenly with salt, pepper, and bread crumbs to coat.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add chicken. Cook 4 minutes per side or until no pink remains. Transfer to plates.

4. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to skillet. Cook green beans/other veggie in oil 2-4 minutes or until crisp-tender; add lemon slices. Add juice and capers (if using)to skillet; heat through. Add pasta and toss. Serve chicken on top of the pasta and vegetables.

Shrimp and Macaroni Salad

I must confess something. I have lied to you all. My sidebar may say I'm from DC, but it lies to you. I'm from Maryland. Pretty soon I will actually live in DC, but I think I will always consider myself a Marylander. Why? Is it because of my Terps? Yes, but not just that. The fact that I know that Jada Pinket Smith, David Hasselhoff and Edward Norton were from the Old Line State? Again, yes, but not exactly. Is it cuz I LOVE me some Old Bay...ya, that's gotta be it.

I LOVE Old Bay. I love it in crab soup and crabcakes, on spicy shrimp and even on chicken. Now I found that I like it in my shrimp and macaroni salad. I tried making this without the old bay and the lemon juice but something was just missing, it was flat. A sprinkle of old bay and some lemon juice later and the seafood really stands out, along with all the well-meshing flavors.

I am submitting this recipe to Eat Healthy:Protein Rich because of its 10grams of protein per serving.

Shrimp and Macaroni Salad
about 5 servings
2 cups macaroni
1/2 pound shrimp (cooked and peeled, then cut into large, bite sized pieces)
3 TBSP chopped onion
1/3 of a cucumber, chopped
1/3 to 1/2 cup mayo, to taste
1/4 cup chopped carrots
squirt of lemon juice
Old Bay seasoning to taste

Cook pasta according to package. Drain pasta and run under cool water until room temp. Combine all ingredients. Serve immediately or refrigerate before serving.

Roasted Red Pepper Chicken

I think this is another miracle recipe where you can do anything you want to butcher it, yet it still tastes great! This meal was from, or at based off of A Piquillo Pepper Chicken with Spanish Rice from the Everyday with Rachael Ray mag. I say "based off of" because I did not make the spanish rice, I used roasted red peppers, I used white wine instead of sherry, I all but eliminated the butter, AND I used dried parsley. Yet, we loved it. Like a lot of R.R. recipes, this one works great as is, or as an idea to work with to your preferences and availability. I am going to just list the recipe as we had it below.

I am entering this in Eat Healthy: Protein Rich for its 14.5 g or protein per serving.

Roasted Red Pepper Chicken
4 servings
* 2 cups rice
*4 cups water
* 2 TBSP Olive Oil
*4 boneless, skinless chicken cutletts
* Salt and pepper
* 1 jar roasted red peppers, drained well and sliced
* 1/2 cup white wine
* 1/2 tablespoon butter
* 1TBSP dried parsley, divided
* A handful of sliced almonds, lightly toasted

Preparation

Cook rice with water to package instructions.

While the rice cooks, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken liberally with salt and pepper and cook for about 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Remove the chicken and reserve. Add the peppers to the pan and heat them through. Add the wine to the pan and reduce for a minute or two. Add the butter and half of the parsley to the skillet, then turn off the heat and stir to melt the butter.

Cut chicken into strips and place atop rice. Spoon the peppers and sauce over chicken. Add the remaining parsley and almonds on top.

Shrimp Saganaki

Wow. So considering that I have MANY notes on this recipe about what I had to change and how i potentially butchered it, this dish came out spectacularly. It is shrimp baked with tomatoes and cheese in a Greek style. Yum-O! So good! I served with orzo and grilled, greek spiced squash. All around phenomenal. I am submitting this healthy dish to Eat Healthy: Protein Rich for its 31g of protein.Here's the fun part, the many things I changed. I recommend trying it the original way if you can, but my way (noted in parenthesis) is easier and still great. I used cooked frozen shrimp instead of fresh, uncooked shrimp. I used goat cheese instead of feta. I used canned diced tomatoes instead of chopped tomatoes. Still, this saganaki somehow survived in great shape.
Shrimp Saganaki
serves 6
1/4 cup olive oil plus oil for drizzling
1/2 cup diced onion
salt and pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1tsp oregano plus extra for sprinkling
1 cup diced, peeled, seeded tomatoes (instructions below)
1/4 cup white wine
1 28oz can chopped (used diced) tomatoes with juice
parsley
1 1/2 lbs shrimp, peeled, deveined (recipe says to keep tail on, but this makes it messier, just take the tail off too) (I used cooked, still frozen shrimp. Just rinse with enough water to seperate, but use still frozen.)
3/4 cup diced feta (used goat cheese)

To Peel Tomatoes
Bring pot of water to boil. Core and lightly score tomato skin in quarters. Place scored tomato in boiling water for 30 sec. Remove and place in ice water. Using a paring knife, carefully pull off skin.

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Heat 1/4 cup oil in large pan over med heat. Add onion and pinch of salt. Cover and cook, stirring occaisoonally for 8 min. Add garlic and saute for another min. Stir in oregano and pinch of salt. Add diced tomatoes and wine and simmer for 3 min.
2. Stir in canned otmatoes and juice, raise heat to medium high and again bring to simmer. Simmer 6 min and then fold in parsley. Season with salt and pepper, noting that cheese will add saltiness.
3. Spoon just enough tomato sauce into an oven safe, round pan or 9x13 baking dish to cover the bottom. Working from outside in, make concentric circles of shrimp (place tail to head, just touching). Spoon remaining sauce over top. Sprinkle cheese on top, drizzle with olive oil and oregano.
4. Bake for 20 min or until hot and bubbling with golden brown cheese.

Greek Squash
1 squash
olive oil
greek seasoning
Combine greek seasoning and oil. Slice squash into rounds. Brush oil onto the squash. Grill squash until tender.

Tzatziki Chicken

I was super impressed with this meal! It was so easy to put together, was really healthy and everyone really enjoyed it and said I should make it again. Sounds like a success to me!

When I say healthy, I mean it! Low fat chicken, low fat yogurt, spinach, and whole wheat pita scream "feel free to eat more! I'm good for you!" I am also entering this recipe in Eat Healthy: Protein rich for its 25g of protein.

Tzatziki Chicken
serves 4

1/2 cucumber, seeded then grated
1/2 tsp salt
4oz plain low fat yogurt
1/4 tsp lemon juice
1tsp dry mint
4 chicken cutlets
pinch of greek seasoning
4 whole wheat pitas
baby spinach

1. Sprinkle the grated cucumber with the salt. Let set for 10 min, drain, mix with yogurt, lemon juice and mint.
2. Season chicken with greek seasoning. Grill until cooked through. Wait a minute and then slice
3. Cut Pitas in half and open each half up. Insert spinach into each 1/2 pita, spread with tzatziki sauce and top with chicken strips.

Harlequin Chicken

I know you all have probably been through this before. You have your dinner (or whatever) planned, and it just falls through. So you reschedule, and it still falls through. And the cycle is repeated for, oh, about 5 more times before you finally say “forget it. I am making this dinner that serves 4 for just myself or else it will NEVER be made cuz it is clearly cursed.”

And so I made a half batch of harlequin chicken, and it really should not have been cursed, because it was great! It was filling, healthy, delightful to smell and just as good to taste. It had a great pan sauce from when you sauté chicken and peppers and then add tomatoes and their juices to the hot pan. The sauce isn’t heavy or creamy, just juicy, tangy and chicken-y. Fabulous.

I would definitely recommend serving this with some whole wheat bread to sop up the juices, and a salad could be nice too. I am entering this dish into Eat Healthy-Protein Rich. It can be on the table in about 35 minutes and has 12g of protein by itself and 17g of protein when served with whole wheat bread. Enjoy.

Harlequin Chicken

Serves 4

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or cutlets depending on how hungry you are)

1 onion, halved

1 each, red, yellow and green bell pepper

1 TBSP vegetable oil

14 oz can diced tomatoes

2 TBSP fresh parsley (or about 2 tsp dried parsley)

Salt and pepper

1. Cut chicken into bite sized pieces. Thinly slice onion. Halve and seed the peppers and cut into small diamond shapes.

2. Heat the oil in a skillet. Add the chicken and onion and stir fry quickly until golden. Add the bell peppers, cook for 2-3 minutes, then stir in the diced tomatoes and parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Cover tightly and simmer for 15 minutes, until the chicken and vegetables are tender.

Mexican Chicken Casserole

Phew- I lucked out on this one. I had to guess on one of the ingredients, but thankfully this guess did not end up like the spicy shrimp incident. I was really confused by what the original recipe meant by “2 cans taco sauce.” Well, I couldn’t find any cans of taco sauce. I did find jars of taco sauce that are slightly bigger than the suggested size, and it worked great. I note the amount you should use for jars below.

Between the chicken, the cheese and the beans, this meal is packed with protein. 29 g of protein per serving actually. That’s why I’m submitting it to Eat Healthy- Protein Rich. Try it out for a super filling, tasty, and kind of impressive looking, weeknight meal.

Mexican Chicken Casserole

Served 4

¾ cup short grain rice (used sushi rice)

10 oz can red kidney beans, drained and thoroughly rinsed

3 ½ TBSP chopped, fresh cilantro

1 TBSP oil

4 chicken cutlets

1 8oz jar taco sauce

2 cups grated cheddar

½ cup sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a 8 ½ inch round (about 2 ¾ inch deep) casserole dish (I used a slightly smaller rectangle for 3). Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add rice and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain

2. In the prepared dish, combine the beans and cilantro, then add the rice and toss together. Lightly press the mixture so that it is flat.

3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Sauté the chicken 2 minutes, then turn and sauté another minute. Add the sauce and cook for a further 2 minutes.

4. To assemble, spread ½ the cheese over the rice. Arrange the chicken and sauce on top in a single layer. Sprinkle with cheese and cover with foil.

5. Bake for 30 minutes and then remove foil and bake for another 5. Cut into 4 servings and carefully scoop out, keeping layers intact. Serve with a dollop of sour cream.