‘Giada De Laurentiis’ Articles at Sweetnicks

Recipe: A Healthier Version of Chicken Parmigiana

July 9, 2012 · Narrative

In her senior year of high school, Taylor (Mystic’s daughter), took a home ec class. Although in this day and age, it’s called Food Nutrition. A class title which made me laugh out loud the first time I heard it, because given some of the items they were making, “nutrition” wasn’t the first word that came to mind.

But anyway.

A few months ago, she called me to ask if the kids like Chicken Parm. She had made a new recipe in class and couldn’t wait to share it with them. Mystic and I planned a movie night and headed out, while she made dinner for the kids.

We came home a few hours later, hoping to score a bite of leftovers.

All.gone.

Disappearing food notwithstanding, the kids loved it. And my kitchen was still intact. A success all around.

This past weekend, Taylor watched Nick so Madeline and I could have some one-on-one time. Knowing how much Nick liked the Chicken Parm, I bought the ingredients so their dinner was taken care of.

Which reminded me … that I hadn’t yet shared the recipe here. Making another round of it tonight after Madeline’s swimming lessons afforded me the perfect opportunity to get a picture or two, and to finally try it myself.

I love that the chicken, while still breaded, is baked in the oven. Thereby making it slightly healthier than its normal counterparts. You don’t miss out on any of the traditional chicken parm flavors, but you can skip some of the guilt. Start to finish, it takes 20 minutes. I served it alongside some tortellini, so once I hit the kitchen, I put the pasta water on to boil while I got to work on the chicken. By the time I put the chicken into the oven, the water was boiling for the pasta. Pasta cooked while the chicken baked for the last 10 minutes, add a side of fresh cut watermelon, and dinner is served. Since Madeline had swimming lessons tonight and we didn’t walk in the door until 7:30, a quick but reasonably healthy dinner was very much appreciated.

If you keep some chicken breasts in your freezer, this is a nice and easy, crowd-pleaser sort of meal that you can whip up in a heartbeat. Or 20 minutes.

July 9, 2012 – Bonus Photo

Hungry for more chicken parm ideas?
This Chicken Parmesan Burger had the kids begging for more.
This non-breaded version of Chicken Parm was quick to table and a thumbs up from everyone.
This 20 minute version from Giada De Laurentiis was the first time Nick had (and loved) Chicken Parm.

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Recipe: Sweet and Spicy Greek Meatballs {Eat. Live. Be.}

April 25, 2012 · Narrative

It seems we’re on a “new meatball recipe” kick in the O’Malley household lately. Purely by happenstance. Last week, it was these Asian-inspired meatballs. Last night? It was a batch of Sweet and Spicy Greek Meatballs.

“Is there cinnamon in the meatballs?” Nick asked me after a few bites.

Um, yes.

I was honestly surprised that he was able to pick out the flavor. You could tell there was a hint of something different, but I don’t think the flavor was so pronounced that you could put your finger on it.

Someone has pretty good taste buds.

I found the recipe in the May 2012 issue of Redbook Magazine (follow them on Twitter right here > @redbookmag). It is from Food Network chef Giada De Laurentiis, and is also featured in her newest cookbook, Giada’s Weeknight Meals. Which coincidentally ended up in my Easter basket last month (thanks, Mom!).

I was intrigued in the recipe, not by a new take on the meatball because we have several that we like already, but by the marinara sauce being paired with the couscous, and the couscous being used as a binder for the meatballs.

And I kind of loved that idea.

It’s something I hadn’t seen before, and it totally worked.

On both counts.

Nick loved the couscous part with the marinara. He didn’t so much love the meatballs, but ate them.

Madeline ate everything.

Now my caveat for the recipe… couscous is used as the binder for the meatballs, and the finished dish is also plated on top of the couscous. Which kind of means that the couscous that you’re using for plating gets a little dry and clumped while you’re busy rolling, making, and cooking the meatballs. Not a huge deal, but worth noting. A little drizzle of olive oil into the couscous fixed that right up.

It wasn’t a wow, but it was a solid weeknight meal that was eaten by all at the table, and made without guilt. So that’s a plus or three.

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Recipe: Kid-Friendly Mini Meatballs

December 21, 2011 · Clean Eating, Eat. Live. Be., Narrative

No sooner did Mystic’s daughter finish the plate of mini meatballs and noodles last week did she ask when we could make it again. We scheduled it for today, which is perfect for this week’s edition of Eat.Live.Be. The “print” edition.

I found this recipe two years ago in an issue of Redbook magazine, from Giada DeLaurentiis. I like her recipes because a lot of them are perfect for easy, weeknight meals for your littlest picky eaters (just noticed she has a new title coming out in a few months with a weeknight theme as well). Although the recipe calls for ground chicken, I alternate between chicken and turkey, and both versions are scoffed up by all the kids. In fact, Madeline who adores most pasta of any kind, actually favors the meatballs more than the pasta, and asked for a meatball only lunch for tomorrow’s school day. A request I’m all too happy to fulfill.

I use a mini cookie scoop when forming the meatballs, which makes it really quick work, and not too fiddly to do after a long workday. The mini size works well for the kids, a nice bite without being too overwhelming, and they are super tender and flavorful, which is why they are so eager to scoff them up. A mostly clean eating, guilt-free recipe that has me just as eager to make them.

I usually serve them with this recipe for Orzo with Herbs, or mini noodles with a little chicken broth as the sauce (along with those wonderful brown bits scraped up from the bottom of the pan of meatballs).

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Review: Tom Douglas’ Lola in Seattle, WA

July 11, 2011 · Narrative, Restaurant Review

When Sarah and I arrived in Seattle for our May trip, we finally got to the hotel around 9 pm. We hadn’t had dinner. We checked in quickly, dumped our luggage in our rooms and headed out in search of a bite to eat. The first thing we learned about Seattle? It’s hard to find a restaurant open at 9 pm on a Sunday night. The city all but rolls up the sidewalks after dark. Something we East Coasters weren’t used to.

Our driver had suggested a few restaurants within walking distance of our hotel, and after we found the third one closed, we ended up back at our hotel, taking our last choice, Lola. A Tom Douglas restaurant, Lola is inside Hotel Andra and let me tell you now … it should never be your last choice.

We took a seat at the bar, ordered our obligatory Diet Cokes and looked over the Greek-inspired menu. Everything looked amazing. One of my favorite things about eating with a fellow foodie is that we order a variety of things and share. Simply the best way to sample the most amount of food for the least amount of money. And hanging out with a fellow foodie (and I know how much Sarah hates that word, so forgive me) who also totes a camera everywhere? I feel way less obvious once the Nikon comes out.

We ended up ordering two different kabobs off the dinner menu. One with Haloumi cheese, figs and a balsamic glaze, and the other had assorted mushrooms and roasted garlic. I have tried figs on two occasions and haven’t grown to like them. All that stopped that night. Something about the combination of the Haloumi cheese (the first time both of us had had it) with the reduced balsamic vinegar, and the sweetness of the fig spelled nirvana.

We also ordered the anchovy cauliflower spread. I will be the first to say that I hate anchovies. The Ex Husband and my dad both love them. No thank you. But I don’t mind them one bit once they’re cooked (or in a caesar salad). Once the anchovies are heated, they melt into nothingness and just leave a wonderful salty flavor behind. Hello Salt, my name is Cate. That anchovy cauliflower spread? To die for. I don’t think we licked the bowl, but we came awfully close (and we also left that night with two recipes). The spread came with the most fabulous warm pillowy soft pitas you’ve ever tasted. Divine.

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Recipe: Giada De Laurentiis’ Nutella Fudge

July 2, 2011 · Narrative, Sweets

One of my co-workers mentioned that she stopped reading my web site months ago when I “started cooking healthy.” Jill, this one’s for you.

Fudgy. Sinfully sweet. Nutella. Giada De Laurentiis. How can you go wrong?

This recipe is super simple to make and will take care of your sweet craving very nicely. Especially if you happen to have a jar of Nutella taking up real estate in your pantry. I was first introduced to Nutella when I was a kid and we lived in England for a few years. To this day, my favorite way to eat it is from the jar with a swipe of my finger a spoon. Which is precisely why I hide the jar in the back of the baking cabinet. So I don’t get tempted by it. If you’re not a purist, after making this fudge, these self-frosting cupcakes are another good way to indulge in your Nutella fantasies.

Surprise Saturday post – happy weekend!

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Me + Giada in Redbook Magazine

February 23, 2011 · Narrative

Taking my fun moments to a national magazine level.

Kids! Gotta love ’em.

Tomorrow? I’ll be sharing the recipe for that delicious dinner that hit the table Sunday night … Five-Spice Shrimp and Rice Bowl. In the meantime, can you help out my friend Sarah and take her quick survey about family mealtime? See ya tomorrow!

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Shrimp Cocktail, Version 2.0

July 7, 2009 · Narrative

Tonight we had a cocktail party with appetizers and Mom Juice being the stars of the show. My biggest problem when entertaining, hands down, is deciding which recipe (or recipes!) to make. I go through a handful of clippings and come away with a good 10-20 that I want to try, and then cull it more from there, but it’s hard! I usually end up making more than I need to just because I can’t decide. For tonight, besides being a good opportunity to try new recipes, I also wanted to focus on using up some things in the freezer. We’re moving in the next few weeks and the freezer overfloweth, no matter how hard I try to empty it out.

I seem to be on a Giada at Home kick lately, but on a recent episode when she made a different version of what she called shrimp cocktail, it fit the bill perfectly for tonight. Easy to make, light and with a 2 lb bag of frozen shrimp in the freezer already, I managed to empty out a whole door slot and use ingredients I had on hand. Now as much as I love Giada, I take exception to calling this shrimp cocktail. The only part that resembles shrimp cocktail is that you’re dipping the shrimp in a sauce, and it ends there. Whatever you call it, it’s delicious nonetheless.

The shrimp are sauteed in a bit of olive oil with herbs de provence, salt and pepper. Easy peasy. The dipping sauce is a mixture that includes maple syrup, mustard and a bit of mayo. Technically it also includes yogurt, but for those of us that forget our grocery list at home when we run out to the store … well, those people would have been subbing the yogurt with sour cream. Just sayin’. Making it again, and purchasing the ingredients actually with a grocery list, I think I would use sour cream again. Yogurt just has that extra little tang that I think I’d like to avoid with this one.

When I sauteed up the pound of shrimp that the recipe called for, it just didn’t look like enough, so I ended up doing the extra pound as well. There was more than enough sauce for doubling the quantity of shrimp, so if you make it and stick with one pound of shrimp, you can safely halve the dipping sauce ingredients.

A delicious tasty alternative when you have a shrimp craving… or a two pound bag of frozen shrimp that you want out of your freezer….

Mozzarella, Raspberry and Brown Sugar Panini

July 6, 2009 · Narrative

“Mmm, Mozzarella, Raspberry and Brown Sugar Panini … doesn’t that sound good?”

[insert dead silence]

“Doesn’t it? No?”

“Um, no,” came the answer.

There are a lot of odd flavor combinations that you would never think to put together but strangely work into something wonderfully delicious. Strawberries Pazzo is one that comes to mind. Strawberries marinated in balsamic vinegar? When I first heard of the combination, I just may have wrinkled my nose a bit. It sounds so … weird. But in a strange and magical way, it just works. So much so that it’s one of my favorite ways to eat strawberries, and it’s back on the menu tomorrow night for a little cocktail party.

A recent episode of Giada at Home introduced another strange flavor combination that I wouldn’t have thought of … Mozzarella, Raspberry and Brown Sugar Paninis. I quickly scribbled down the ingredients and dug out the panini maker. With raspberry preserves already on hand, and fresh mozzarella from a recent trip to the farmer’s market, I only needed the bread.

Like most paninis, it is a no-brainer to assemble the sandwiches. Within just a few minutes, your tastebuds are rewarded in the very best possible way. A nice crunch from the brown sugar crust that forms on the bread, the smooth creaminess of the mozzarella, the sweetness of the raspberry preserves and then the added ting from the rosemary. While she was making the paninis, Giada mentioned that this was the type of snack she would eat as a kid after school. Whether it’s an after-school snack, an appetizer for a get-together or just because, these are so good and worth dusting off your own panini maker. Even more perfect as the weather starts to get warm, this is a great way to keep your kitchen cool….

Recipe: Orzo with Herbs

June 15, 2009 · Narrative

I rarely make orzo, and I’m not quite sure why. It really is a perfectly yummy rice-shaped pasta, and around here, you can’t go wrong with pasta. Last week, when I made those scrumptious chicken meatballs from Giada, I couldn’t decide what to serve with it. At first I was thinking just a red sauce and spaghetti, and I’d call it a day. But then … but then I spied a recipe for Orzo with Herbs in the newest issue of Food Network magazine. Oh how I love that magazine!

I had made the meatballs before our day barely even started, so when the orzo was nearly done, I slid the meatballs into the pan to let them warm through a bit. A few minutes later, I took it all off the heat and spooned it into a bowl and called the kids. Nick took one look at dinner and asked what we had in the fridge for leftovers. But Madeline and I? We went to town. And back. And to town again. The meatballs were still as tender and delicious as I remembered them when I had one early in the morning. And in that orzo? Oh man. And the combination? Unbeatable.

Perfect comfort, tummy-warming food, but it’s light enough that it knows no season. Wait, does that make sense? It does in my head. Meaning, that although it seems like a hearty meal, it won’t weigh you down in the dregs of spring and summer weather. Of course, I wouldn’t know anything about that because here in the Northeast we’re all about the 40 days and nights of rain now, but that just makes this kismet-kissed dish all the more perfect.

Now, rest assured, you don’t have to go and make your meatballs at 8 am like I did. Between the meatballs and the orzo, this dish comes together quick enough that it’s perfect for your crazy weeknight dinners … or a lazy way to spend a Sunday. Either way, you can’t go wrong.

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Mini Chicken Meatballs

June 9, 2009 · Narrative

By 8:15 this morning, I was pulling off forty-nine mini chicken meatballs (yes, I counted) from a hot skillet and putting them in the refrigerator for dinner tonight. Some days, things just align and I start the day ahead of the game. Not very often, but every once in awhile.

When I spied this recipe in the June issue of Redbook magazine, I ripped it right out. It was from Food Network celeb chef Giada De Laurentiis. There are several chefs that I know I can always count on getting a good recipe from. Giada is one, the Barefoot Contessa is another. Emeril too. I just know their recipes work. Every time. And these days, that’s huge. When I saw that this recipe makes between fifty and sixty mini meatballs, I knew it was perfect to make today because I was heading down to visit my sister and the new baby at lunchtime, so I could make, halve and share this one easily.

When I removed them from the skillet, I tried one to make sure that they were worthy for sharing. And then another. Total yum. Moist, juicy and just downright delicious. Just a few simple ingredients mix together to make these mini little meaty treasures. Brown on each side for two minutes and then cook in chicken broth for 5 minutes. For about 15 minutes of your time, you’re rewarded with a nice, easy, healthy dinner that you can feel good about putting on the table. And the mini little size made these perfect for the kids, although truth be told, Nick took one look at them and made a series of disgusted faces. No matter, Madeline ate his share and then some.

But how to serve them? In the article, they were shown plated in a large bowl with fresh cheese sprinkled on top. That is wonderful as an appetizer or for a party, but not so much for dinner. I needed more. And I found it, another new recipe, in the most recent issue of Food Network magazine. But that recipe is a story for another day.

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