Chicken Francaise 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts 2 heaping tablespoons grated Pecorino cheese 4 tablespoons very finely chopped parsley 1 large egg, beaten flour for dredging 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup dry white wine 1 cup chicken stock 6 thin, round slices of lemon 2 tablespoons butter Slice the chicken breast into 6 pieces of roughly equal size. Place the pieces between sheets of wax paper, and pound with a mallet until thin. Season with salt and pepper. Place the cheese and 2 tablespoons of the parsley in a wide, shallow bowl. Slowly add the beaten egg, whisking until it's smoothly incorporated. Place the flour on a wide plate. Dip the cutlets in the egg mixture. Remove them, making sure to let the excess egg drip off. Place each cutlet in the flour, and coat lightly. Remove the cutlets from the flour, and hold them in a single layer, on a platter or on a counter. Add the olive oil to 2 saute pans, each large enough to hold 3 cutlets in a single layer. Place over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the cutlets. Saute, turning once, until the cutlets are golden on the outside, just cooked on the inside (about 2 minutes per side). Remove the cutlets, and hold them in a single layer. Drain off most the oil out of the pans. Return the pans to high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of white wine to each pan, and reduce it to 1 tablespoon in each pan. Divide the stock and the lemon slices between the pans. Boil for 5 minutes, then remove the lemon slices. Keep boiling the sauce until it's reduced in each pan to about 1/4 cup. Turn the heat to Low. Swirl a tablespoon of butter into each pan until the sauce is thickened. Taste for seasoning. Add 3 reserved cutlets to each pan, turning them until they're coated with the sauce. Divide the cutlets between 2 dinner plates. Pour the remaining sauce over them, sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of parsley, and serve immediately. Had this recipe from someone on this site. Linda

I know I'm too late with this and it's not T&T (by me), but when I saw it, I thought it sounded like what you described :) ZUPPA DI FAGIOLI CON LA PASTA (PASTA AND BEAN SOUP) Source: teriskitchen.com SERVES 4-6 In our house this is known as "Pasta Fazool". My first introduction to this hearty Italian soup was from some Italian friends. This is my version. It takes some work to make, but the results are so rewarding. INGREDIENTS * 2 smoked ham hocks * 2 quarts water * 1 cup dry white beans, such as Great Northern * 1/8 pound (2 ounces) fat back, rinsed of salt * 1/2 cup chopped onions * 1/2 cup chopped celery * 4 large cloves garlic, chopped (more, if desired) * 2 tablespoons olive oil * 2 cups dried tubular pasta, such as ditalini, elbows or small shells * Salt and pepper to taste * Freshly grated Parmesan cheese Cook the ham hocks in 2 cups water until tender, about 2 hours. Remove meat from bones, disgarding fat, and chop. Reserve liquid. In a 4-quart saucepan, bring beans and 2-quarts water to a boil for 2 minutes. Remove from burner and let soak, covered, for 20 minutes. Drain beans, reserving liquid and adding enough fresh water to the liquid to make 2 quarts. Meanwhile, chop fat back, onions, celery and garlic into a paste (called a battuto); this can be done with a large chef's knife or in the food processor. Heat olive oil in a large kettle over medium heat. Add the battuto and cook until the fat is completely rendered and just starting to turn golden, about 10 minutes, being careful not to brown. Add the beans, reserved bean cooking liquid, ham and ham cooking liquid to the kettle. Bring to a boil, reduce and simmer, covered, until beans are tender, about 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Skim fat from top of soup, but not all. (Can be prepared to this point several hours before serving or several days and refrigerated.) Before serving, bring soup back to a boil; add pasta and simmer, covered, until tender, about 10 minutes, depending on pasta used. (If soup appears too liquid, remove the lid; if soups appears too thick while pasta is cooking, add extra liquid.) Taste for seasoning. Serve immediately, passing Parmesan cheese. Notes: The fat back used in this recipe is the type with no meat. If unavailable, use salt pork but remove all meat and reserve for another time. For those who are highly fat conscious, the fat back can be omitted. You will still have a very good soup. You will need to use your judgment on the amounts of pasta and liquid needed, as beans do not always soak up the same amount depending on their age and dryness. This soup should be thick, but it is best with some liquid. Leftover soup reheats very well and may taste better than the original. However, more liquid may need to be added as the beans and pasta soak up additional liquid in reheating. Cindy

APPLE COUNTRY CHICKEN Yield: 5 Servings 1 tsp Curry powder 1 lg Golden Delicious apple, Cored and chopped 1 lg Yellow onion, finely chopped 1 tbs Lemon juice 4 oz Mushrooms, sliced 1 tsp Chicken stock 2 c Apple juice or cider 3 1/2 lb Chicken thigh, skinned 1 tbs Flour Place curry powder in a wide frying pan and stir over medium heat until slightly darker in color (3-4 minutes). Add apple, yellow onion, lemon juice, mushrooms, stock, and 1 1/2 C. of the apple juice; bring to a boil. Rinse chicken and pat dry; add to pan. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until meat near bone is no longer pink; cut to test (about 30 minutes). Lift chicken from pan; arrange on a warm platter. Keep warm. Blend flour and remaining 1/2 C. apple juice. Gradually add to sauce in pan, stirring; increase heat to high and cook, stirring until sauce is thickened. Pour over chicken. The sauce also tastes good poured over baked potato or rice. **************** HEALTHY CHICKEN STOCK Yield: 16 Servings 2 lb Chicken bones, back and Neck Water -- to cover 1 Celery stalk 1 Onion -- quartered 1 Bay leaf 1 Carrot In a large stockpot combine chicken bones, back, and neck and the water. Add celery, onion, bay leaf, and carrot. Simmer over low heat 1-1/2 hours. Strain. Makes 4 to 6 cups. Note: To remove fat, allow stock to chill for 2 hours. Fat will separate and rise to the top. Scoop fat off with spoon and discard. Remaining stock may be used in recipes calling for defatted chicken stock. Recipe By : the California Culinary Academy ************** this is excellent..been making it for over 20 years.... Parmesan Rice and Pasta Pilaf After the pasta and onion are sautéed, the oil is drained to minimize the fat content of this interesting pilaf. 2 Tbsp olive oil 1/2 C finely broken vermicelli, uncooked 2 Tbsp diced onion 1 C long-grain white rice, uncooked 1-1/4 C hot chicken stock 1-1/4 C hot water 1/4 tsp ground white pepper One bay leaf 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese In a large skillet, heat oil. Sauté vermicelli and onion until golden brown, about 2 to 4 minutes over medium-high heat. Drain off oil. Add rice, stock, water, pepper, and bay leaf. Cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes. Fluff with fork. Cover and let stand 5 to 20 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Sprinkle with cheese and serve immediately. YIELD: 6 servings - SERVING SIZE: 2/3 cup each

I only do the whole she-bang once a year, because it takes all day to do all the dishes, but here's my chinese blowout menu: Egg Foo Yong and Fried Rice I usually just throw together - I tried to put them into “recipe” form... Egg Foo Yong 1 cup of chopped vegies (celery, bean sprouts, mushrooms, broccoli, green onions) 1 cup of chopped meat (cooked chicken, pork, beef or shrimp) five or six eggs 1/2 to 1 tbls soy sauce (to taste) Mix vegies & meat together in a bowl. Beat eggs together and add to vegie & meat mixture. (It should look like you don’t have enough eggs - you want more vegies & meat and the eggs to basically hold it all together). Stir in soy sauce. Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan. Use a ladle to spoon the mixture (I make 4 patties at a time in my electric frying pan) into hot oil and cook on medium high until “set” (like an omelette), turn over once and cook another minute or so until cooked through. Fried Rice 1 cup cold cooked rice 3 slices of bacon 1/2 cup of chopped vegies (celery, carrots, bean sprouts, mushrooms, green onions) 1/2 cup of chopped meat (cooked chicken, pork, beef or shrimp) 3 scrambled eggs Couple of splashes of soy sauce (to taste) Slice bacon into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces and fry until crisp over medium-high heat. Add cold cooked rice (don’t add it in one big lump - shake it up in a tupperware bowl or zip lock baggie so it’s separated nicely) and quickly and gently keep it moving around the pan - the goal here is to brown (actually, tan) the rice in the bacon grease without letting a big glob of rice absorb all the grease, in which case you have one gross mess - when the rice is a nice even color, add the raw vegies and cooked meat and keep it moving (stirring gently) around the pan until everything is nice and hot. Add the scrambled eggs (already cooked) and a couple of splashes of soy sauce (taste as you go, it’s easier to add more...) and keep it moving (stirring gently) for about another minute or so until the eggs are hot. Shrimp & Vegetable Egg Rolls 2 Tbls vegetable oil 8 cups finely shredded green cabbage 2 cups coarsely grated carrots 2 & 1/2 Tbls soy sauce 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced 1 Tbls ginger, finely minced 6 green onions (or scallions), cut into very thin slices 3/4 lb salad shrimp (can substitute chopped, cooked, chicken) 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro 1/4 cup finely slivered fresh basil Salt - to taste, if needed 12 egg roll wrappers (10 oz) 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 & 1/2 cups vegetable oil 1. In a large, heavy pot, heat the 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the cabbage and carrots; cook over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until cabbage is wilted and bright green. Stir in soy sauce. 2. Add the garlic and ginger; cook for 1 minute, stirring. Remove from heat and stir in green onions, shrimp, cilantro, basil and (if desired) salt. 3. When working with egg roll wrappers, cover them with a damp kitchen towel so they don’t dry out. Stuff wrappers one at a time: Place one tip facing you like a diamond shape on a flat work surface. Place 1/3 a cup of filling 1 inch from the bottom point and across the wrapper to within 1 inch of each side. Fold bottom tip up over filling and roll away from you halfway up. Brush egg over exposed edges with a pastry brush. Fold in 1 inch side tips and finish rolling TIGHTLY (very important - or egg rolls will absorb more oil and taste ‘greasy’). Place on a plate seam-side down. Repeat procedure with the rest of the wrappers. Keep finished egg rolls covered with a damp towel. 4. Heat 1 & 1/2 cups of oil in a 10 inch skillet until it begins to bubble a bit on top. (To test for temperature, drop a cube of bread into oil; it should brown within one minute). [I use my deep fryer - @ 370 degrees - drop in 3 or 4 egg rolls - cook 1 minute and turn and cook for another minute, or until golden brown.] 5. Add 3 or 4 egg rolls at a time to the oil and fry for 2 to 21/2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towel. Serve immediately. I like mine with ketchup and hot Chinese mustard. Hubby likes his with sweet & sour sauce. (S&S Recipe follows) Makes 12 egg rolls Sweet & Sour Sauce 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1 tablespoon corn starch 1 can (13&1/4 oz) pineapple chunks 1/3 cup vinegar 1 Tbls soy sauce 1 small green pepper, coarsely chopped Mix brown sugar and cornstarch in skillet. Stir in pineapple (with syrup), vinegar and soy sauce. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly; reduce heat. Cover; simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until sauce thickens to your desired thickness. Stir in green pepper. Cover and simmer for about two more minutes. This is the ‘perfect’ (according to family & friends) S&S Sauce and can be used for egg rolls, meatballs, chicken, shrimp, fried won-tons, egg foo yong - whatever... Batter for deep fried chicken or finger steaks 2 egg whites 4 tablespoons cornstarch 4 tablespoons soy sauce Mix well and add chicken strips (boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1" strips) or beef strips (cube steak cut into 1" strips). Set aside. 1 cup of bisquick 2/3 cup of water 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (if using for almond chicken or sweet&sour chicken) Mix well and add to chic or beef mixture. Mix together well (coating all meat) and deep fry until golden.