Spaghetti Sauce & Chicken Parmesan

There is nothing like a home filled with the aroma of spaghetti sauce -- more specifically -- homemade spaghetti sauce. My mom has cooked hundreds of pots of spaghetti sauce over the years, and if you add her parents into the equation, we are talking thousands…that’s a lot of spaghetti sauce! Growing up, spaghetti was a frequent meal and believe it or not, I despised it.  For some odd reason, about five years ago I fell back in love with this savoury dish. My mom has researched, experimented and tested all kinds of ways to make the best spaghetti sauce. Here is her (and my Grandpa’s) recipe -- I added ground beef and hot peppers to give it Miss Lyn’s personal touch.

Spaghetti Sauce Ingredients:

3 tablespoons of oil

1 chopped celery stick

4 cloves of minced garlic

1 chopped onion

1 chopped green pepper

2 chopped hot peppers

1 package of lean ground beef

3 cans of san marzano peeled plum tomatoes

1 tablespoon of tomato paste

¾ cup of red wine

2 tablespoons of oregano

2 tablespoons of parsley

1 teaspoon of onion salt

1 teaspoon of black pepper

Salt to taste

Heat the oil and add all the vegetables. Cook until tender, about 5-7 minutes.

Add the lean ground beef and cook until there is no pink, about 10 minutes.

Blend the cans of tomatoes in a blender. Add the tomatoes to the pot and stir.

Add the tomato paste and the seasonings. Stir very well and taste. (Add more seasonings if necessary). Add the wine and allow the sauce to come to a boil, and then turn on low.

Allow the sauce to simmer on low for 3 to 4 hours, stirring the sauce every 15 minutes.

Chicken Parmesan Ingredients:

2 boneless/skinless chicken breasts

2 eggs

1 cup of Italian bread crumbs

¼ cup of parmesan cheese

Salt & black pepper

2 tablespoons of oil

1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place a large pan on medium heat and add the oil.

Cut the chicken breasts in half so you have 4 thin pieces.

Crack the two eggs in a bowl and beat. Place the bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper on a large plate. Dip the chicken breast in the egg and then cover with the bread crumbs mixture.

Place the breasts in the oil and fry for 4 minutes per side.

Put the breasts on a pan and place in the oven for 20 minutes (flipping once).

When the breasts have 3 minutes left to cook, place the shredded cheese on top.

And there it is -- homemade spaghetti sauce with chicken parmesan.

You can also eat the chicken parmesan with a side salad -- ENJOY!