Lynn:
I posted this in Cacciatori and moved it here.
I do most of this the same day ???

Posted by hawk307 (My Page) on Sun, Mar 16, 08 at 11:49

Lynn: What's wrong with going traditional Italian.
Here is our menu.
Italian wedding Soup , Ravioli's, with Meat Balls and Sausage.
Homemade Braided Bread.
Baked Ham with Sweet Potatoes, Roast Turkey with Stuffing, Vegetables, Salad.
Dessert, Lou's Fluffy Cheesecake topped with Whipped Cream and Strawberries.
Sinbuns, Biscotti, Pizzelles etc. With Coffee or Wine.
You will make an impression, with your Sicialian Relatives

I'll be there about 2 PM.
Lou

This recipe is an excellent "do ahead" , actually much better if left a day or two. It's also a bit different.

What's really nice it can be served hot, warm or room temp. We prefer warm, not hot. It gives you a couple of options. You can cook it, cover with foil and let sit in a warm spot while the lasagna cooks, OR, you can cook it the day before (which means you have prepared it two days before because it needs to marinate for a day) and just warm it through while the lasagna rests. If you do that make sure you bring it too room temp before reheating.

As for the roasted veggies, I find they are best served fresh and hot from the oven. No reason they can't cook along with the lasagna. If you do roasted veggies I don't think you need anything more except a salad and of course deviled eggs!!!!

Chicken Marbella - Serves 10-12

from the Silver Palate

9 pounds chicken - either whole birds quartered or a combo of thighs and breasts (If using breasts be sure not to overcook)
1 head garlic peeled and chopped
1/4 cup dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup pitted prunes
1/2 cup pitted Spanish olives
1/2 cup capers and a bit of the juice
6 Bay leaves
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white wine
1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped

Combine chicken garlic, oregano,salt,vinegar, oil, prunes, olives. capers and bay leaves. Marinate & refrigerate overnight.

Arrange chicken in a single layer in one or two large baking dishes. Spoon marinade over evenly. Sprinkle chicken evenly with brown sugar and pour white wine around them.

Bake in a for 50 minutes to 1 hour at 350. Do not over cook.

Transfer chicken and prunes etc to a serving platter. Moisten with a few spoonfuls of the sauce. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Pass the remaining sauce in a sauce boat.

Lynn, this is a huge favorite of ours, and it seems to meet all your requirements. It's a great make-ahead dish, is easy to do, and it's made and reheated on the stovetop, so that eliminates the oven problem. And one of the things I like best is that it tastes authentically Italian but doesn't seem 'heavy' at all.

It goes by several different names (and spellings), but the recipes don't vary much. The one untraditional ingredient here is the balsamic vinegar. (Idea stolen from Marcella Hazan, and it's wonderful!) This is supposed to be enough for 1 lb. of pasta, but I double everything because we like it saucy.

All'Amatriciana Sauce

2 T. olive oil
1 red onion, quartered and thinly-sliced (at least 1 cup -- a little more is fine)
1 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
4 - 6 oz. pancetta, chopped fine (I've substituted Genoa salami with good results, and pepperoni works okay. Lots of recipes say regular bacon can be used, but I'd be hesitant to try that.)
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes or 2 small hot chilies, minced
1 T. tomato paste
1 (28-oz.) can tomatoes, preferably San Marzano (I like to use whole and crush by hand, but diced will be fine)
1/4 cup wine, optional (I prefer to drink it instead. Less chance of my family being poisoned, doncha know. :) But if you're willing to risk it, either red or white is okay.)
1 T. balsamic vinegar (needs to be good quality!)
1 T. brown sugar
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 c. fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/2 c. freshly-grated cheese (Romano is traditionally used, but it's a little sharp for us, so I sub Parmesan)

Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add sliced onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to caramelize (approx. 6-7 minutes). Add garlic, pancetta and pepper flakes; cook, stirring constantly, another 6 or 7 minutes, until pancetta is golden. Add tomato paste, stirring a couple of minutes to allow it to brown. Add tomatoes, including juice, vinegar, sugar and wine, if using. Reduce heat and allow mixture to simmer until thickened to desired consistency. (This should take about 15 minutes -- maybe 20 if you added wine.) Season to taste with pepper and salt, if needed.

If making in advance, cover and refrigerate at this point. Shortly before serving, boil pasta while gently reheating sauce. (Bucatini is the most traditional choice, but penne is a close second.) Mix drained pasta with sauce, and put in serving bowl. Sprinkle with basil and cheese and serve immediately.

Note: Since you seem to be leaning towards a chicken dish, adding it to this sauce is apparently a common variation. I found quite a few recipes online that all called for the same method. Dip chicken cutlets (pounded thin) in beaten egg, then roll in seasoned breadcrumbs. Fry in olive oil until crust is well-browned on both sides. Slice thinly and then add to sauce while it simmers to finish cooking.

As far as roasting the vegetables, asparagus should only take 10 minutes or so. The lasagna will need to sit that long so it will slice nicely. Timing should be just about right.

Good luck!

sm

I'm still undecided. Chase - I've actually made the Chicken Marbella (which I really like), but it remained uneaten. It's a dish I've made probably half a dozen times and it's popularity completely varies by crowd. I made it for a neighborhood potluck and family easter and it was mostly untouched. I've made it for immediate family and friends and people loved it. Go figure.

SM - that All'Amatriciana Sauce sounds great. Might be the kind of comfort, cozy, casual, company-worthy dinner I've been looking for. I'm not sure whether I'd do it for Easter or not - Maybe. I will definitely make it sometime soon. And thanks for point about roasting asparagus. I think I will do that after the lasagna is taken out.

Lynn.

How about just roasting a chicken? Being vegetarian I don't eat much chicken, but I did buy one once, stuffed it with lemons and onion and a little rosemary, rubbed it with salt and pepper, put it in the oven and forgot about it for about an hour and a half, and it came out fantastic! If I can do it, anyone can! Throw some vegetables around the chicken in the roasting pan the last 45 min or whatever they need. Spinach sauteed with scallions, raisins and pine nuts. Easy and delicious. You could use an orange instead of a lemon and make an orange sauce for the chicken or any other type of sauce. I know it's not "make ahead" but it doesn't require a lot of preparation.

Here's a recipe from "La Cucina Ebraica" by Joyce Goldstein

Poloo Arrosto all' Arancia, Limone, e Zenzero
(Chicken with Orange, Lemon and Ginger)

1 lemon
1 roasting chicken, about 5 lbs. (For a big group you might have to double)
Grated zest of 1 lemon, then lemon cut into quarters
Grated zest of 1 orange, then orange cut into quarters
3 TBLSP peeled and grated fresh ginger root
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 TBLSP margarine melted, or olive oil
4 TBLSP fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
3 TBLSP honey

Preheat oven to 350
Rub the outside of the chicken with one of the cut lemon quarters, then discard. In a small bowl, stir together the lemon and orange zests and 1 TBLSP of the grated ginger. Rut this mixture evenly in the cavity. Put the lemon and orange quarters inside the bird. Place the chcken on a rack in a roasting pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. In the now empty small bowl, combine the melted margarine or olive oil, lemon and orange juices, and the remaining 2 TBLSP ginger. Mix well.

Place the chicken in the oven and roast, basting with the citrus juice mixture at least 4 times during cooking, until the juices run clear when the thigh is pierced with a fork, about 1 hour.

Transfer to a serving platter and let rest for 10-15 min. Carve the chicken and garnish with orange slices.

You could maybe do this the day before, then cover it with a light orange sauce and reheat. I don't mind reheated stuff, I actually like it, but some folks don't. I make my orange sauce with wine and marmelade.

What about something totally different from pasta like cabbage rolls or stuffed green peppers. They are great make aheads and you can use the crockpot to keep warm so you don't have oven space issues.

I'll bet you could do that chicken in the crockpot. I'm going to try it some time this week, I'll let you know how it goes. I've been told the secret to doing chicken in the crockpot is not to cook it too long, 5-6 hrs. tops.

Cabbage rolls are always popular. I've even had chard rolls, which are cool looking. I saw some tolerable looking chard in the grocery just yesterday. You could do chard rolls with a creamy sauce.

Lynn, this recipe can be prepared a day ahead and refrigerated. It has always been popular with my guests.

CHICKEN BREASTS WITH PARSLEY STUFFING
From the Martha's Vineyard Cookbook (with a few changes in technique)

Place the following in a food processor:

1 1/2 cups cubed, soft white bread (preferable made from day-old French or Italian bread).
1 cup coarsely chopped parsley
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon ground sage (a little more if fresh is used)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons melted butter.

Pulse until well blended.
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Flatten 6 chicken breasts. Place stuffing on each breast and roll breasts around stuffing. Place seam side down close together in a casserole. Add 2 tablespoons white wine to dish, brush chicken breasts heavily with additional melted butter and place in fridge, tightly covered, until 1 hour before cooking.

Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until internal meat temperature reaches 180 degrees.

Note: Suggest using this stuffing recipe with fish fillets, too. Reduce cooking time as needed.