Picking A Valentine’s Day Menu

Posted on February by Passanante's Home Food Service

With Valentine’s Day just days away it’s time to start finalizing your plans for that special someone. Whether you’re celebrating with your sweetheart for the 1st time or the 50th time it’s important to slow down and take the time to show how much you care.

Instead of going to a crowded restaurant and sharing your evening with hundreds of other patrons, why not stay in and prepare a gourmet meal together while sipping on a glass of your favorite wine? Go ahead and indulge in a quiet night in with your favorite person and delicious food – you won’t regret it.

Need a little help setting the menu for your romantic night in? Checkout a few of our favorite date night recipes below or head over to our blog, OrganicMeatsAndVeggies.com and browse our recipes by category.

Creamy Mushroom Asiago Chicken: Boasting gooey Parmesan and Asiago cheeses as well as tons of garlic, Mushroom Asiago Chicken is the perfect answer to any savory craving.

Veal Piccata: Enjoy this lemony Italian veal favorite with simple steamed green beans and mashed sweet potatoes.

Beef Filet with Red Wine Sauce: Served with crisp steamed asparagus, filet of beef with red wine sauce makes for a beautiful presentation and an irresistible meal.

Pan Seared Salmon: Pan-Seared Salmon with Arugula, Beets and Horseradish and Sour Cream offers a rich and earthy take on everyone’s favorite fresh water fish.

After you pick the perfect entree recipe don’t forget to pick up a bottle of wine that compliments the flavors. For more on how to select the right type of wine check out our post How to Pair Wine with Food.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Recipe: Southern Fried Chicken and Gravy

Posted on September by Passanante's Home Food Service

Up next in our national chicken month tribute to chicken blog series we have this recipe for true southern fried chicken and homemade gravy – absolutely irresistible. For Passanante’s Home Food Service customers this recipe couldn’t be easier – just browse our full product list and in a snap you’ll have plenty of succulent chicken cuts delivered to your door. For the most rave of reviews serve your fried chicken and gravy alongside some mashed potatoes, green beans and warm rolls.

Ingredients

Assorted chicken cuts (estimate two pieces per person)
4 Cups of flour
1 Large can of Crisco
Salt and pepper
1 Paper grocery bag
Milk

How to Prepare Southern Fried Chicken

Wash chicken well.
Empty about 1/2 of the can of Crisco into large skillet and turn on heat.
Toss flour, salt and pepper in the paper bag.
Put 3 or 4 pieces of chicken in the bag at a time and shake very well until coated in flour mixture.
Test the heat of the oil by flicking a small amount of flour into it. It should sizzle.
Remove chicken from the paper bag and place pieces in hot Crisco. The oil should go up a little over halfway on each piece of chicken.
Turn the heat down to medium.
The secret is to not turn the chicken very often – let it brown on one side before turning it to the other. Be careful not to burn it, it cooks quickly when it first hits the oil.

How to Make Your Chicken Gravy

After you fried your chicken pour most of the grease back into the Crisco can to the thrown out. Leave about 1/4 cup of the grease in the skillet along with crispy parts that may be left. Add about 1/2 cups of flour to the grease and make into a paste. Add salt.

Turn the heat to medium-high and add milk quickly – stirring continuously. Add as much milk as you need to prepare enough gravy. It will start to thicken and will thicken even more when you take it off the heat.

Recipe: Mushroom Asiago Chicken

Posted on September by Passanante's Home Food Service

In keeping with the spirit of National Chicken Month, this week’s featured recipe can be prepared with either light or dark meat chicken. As with most poultry recipes, the part of the chicken you chose to prepare depends on personal preference. Dark meat is fattier and sometimes gamier in flavor than white meat because it comes from a more active part of the bird (wings, thighs, and drumsticks) and is a different type of muscle than its white meat counterparts including the breast. Running low on your supply of chicken? Check out the full list of Passanante’s Home Food Service’s poultry products.

This next recipe just may become a family favorite as we welcome fall and cooler weather in the coming weeks. Boasting gooey Parmesan and Asiago cheeses as well as tons of garlic, Mushroom Asiago Chicken is the perfect answer to any savory craving.

Ingredients:

1 Pound boneless skinless chicken thigh or breast
2 Cups portobello mushrooms
5 Cloves of garlic, minced
2 Springs fresh thyme
1 1/2 Cups of your favorite dry white wine
1/2 Cup flour
3/4 Cup heavy cream
1/2 Cup shredded Asiago cheese
1/2 Cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 Teaspoon salt (to taste)
1/4 Teaspoon pepper (to taste)
2 Tablespoons butter
Oil

Instructions:

Cut chicken into strips about 1.5 inches in width
Combine salt, pepper and flour in a bowl and coat each strip of chicken in the dry mixture.
Over medium heat melt butter with 1 teaspoon of olive oil
Add chicken to the skillet and sauté until golden on each side (about 5 minutes per side) and remove from skillet
Slice mushrooms in half and sauté with 1 clove of minced garlic until golden brown
Combine mushrooms with chicken and add white wine and thyme
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover
Allow to simmer for 20 minutes before pouring the liquid out
Add Asiago, Parmesan cheese, heavy whipping cream, and the rest of the minced garlic
Cook, stirring constantly over low heat until cheese is melted
Serve over pasta or rice and enjoy!

Want to browse our other chicken recipes? Click here!

Recipe: Swiss Chicken Tetrazzini

Posted on September by Passanante's Home Food Service

Happy National Chicken Month!

The first of four new recipes in September to celebrate National Chicken Month, is Swiss Chicken Tetrazzini made with irresistible Passanante’s poultry. If you aren’t already a Passanante’s Home Food Service customer you may not have had an opportunity to taste our high-quality, locally raised, antibiotic AND hormone free poultry products — and if you haven’t tasted them there’s no way for you to know what you’re missing out on!At Passanante’s we are serious about delivering delicious foods to our customers, and the taste and quality of our meats are top priority. We don’t believe in grocery store lines, foods of unknown origin, or foods packed with bad-for-your-family chemicals – which is why we would LOVE to treat you to a free gourmet food sample.

Curious to know what people are saying about us? Head on over to our Facebook page and find out why so many families across Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina trust us with their food delivery needs!

Photo Courtesy: TexasWellSeasoned.com

Ingredients:

1 (7-ounce) package spaghetti
5 Tablespoons butter, divided
1/2 Cup flour
4 Teaspoons instant chicken bouillon
4 Cups milk
1/4 Teaspoon pepper
1 Cup shredded Swiss cheese
2 Tablespoon dry sherry
3/4 Pound (2 1/1 cups) chicken breast, cooked and cut into cubes
1 (4-ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 2/3 cups soft bread crumbs
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 Teaspoon parsley flakes

Prepping and Cooking Instructions:

Cook and drain spaghetti and set aside.
In a saucepan melt 3 tablespoons butter and stir in flour and chicken bouillon. Gradually add milk.
Cook and stir until the bouillon dissolves and the mixture thickens slightly to coat a spoon.
Remove from heat and add pepper, Swiss cheese, and dry sherry. Stir until the cheese melts
In a large bowl combine sauce, cooked spaghetti, chicken, and mushrooms. Mix well.
Place mixture in a 9×13 baking dish.
For the topping combine soft bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons of melted butter, Parmesan cheese and parsley flakes. Mix well.
Top the casserole and bake at 325* until hot, roughly 25 minutes.

Recipe: Mexican Lasagna

Posted on August by Passanante's Home Food Service

This next recipe is a spicy twist on a family favorite that everyone is sure to enjoy. Many recipes for Mexican Lasagna call for some additional ingredients including black olives, corn, refried beans and green chilies so feel free to experiment with some of your favorite flavors and customize this recipe for you and your family. Like any lasagna, this is a pretty filling meal so in most cases there isn’t any need for additional side items, although chips and guacamole is a great addition as an appetizer.

4 Boneless skinless chicken breast halves
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 Teaspoons chili powder
1 Teaspoon ground cumin
1 (14.5 ounce) Can diced tomatoes with garlic, drained
1 (8 ounce) Can tomato sauce
1 Teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 Cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 (4 ounce) Cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
12 Corn tortillas
1 Cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Sliced pickled jalapeños (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Cut chicken into 1/2-inch pieces
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat
Add chicken, chili powder and cumin
Cook 4 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally
Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and hot pepper sauce; bring to a boil
Reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes
Combine ricotta cheese, chiles and 2 tablespoons cilantro in a small bowl and mix until well blended
Spoon half of the chicken mixture into a 12 x 8-inch baking dish
Layer 6 tortillas, ricotta cheese mixture, and remaining 6 tortillas, remaining chicken mixture, Cheddar cheese, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of cilantro
Scatter a handful of sliced jalapeños over the top and bake for 25 minutes or until heated through.

Want to spread the word about Passanante’s Home Food Service? Contact us today and ask about hosting a tasting party. We look forward to partnering with our customers at tasting parties and preparing a variety of delicious foods for 20 or more guests at no cost to you! Call 800-772-7786 extension 208 or click here to email Steve Fahey for more info!