Cooking With Rania: Easy-To-Make Dinners For Busy Families
Class is back in session and so are all those after-school activities! This week, Rania Harris is in the Pittsburgh Today Live Kitchen making two easy-to-make dinners perfect for families on-the-go!
Cheddar French Toast with Fried Tomatoes
3 large eggs
2 cups half and half
Sea salt to taste
1-½ cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
8 thick slices Challah bread
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 garden beefstake tomato, thickly sliced
1 green tomato, thickly sliced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Extra virgin olive oil (for frying the tomatoes)
Directions:
With a fork, combine the eggs, half and half, and salt to taste in a baking dish. Add the Cheddar and thyme. Soak 2 of the bread slices in the batter for 1 or 2 minutes, turning them once. Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. With a spatula, lift the bread from the bowl allowing any excess batter to drip off, and transfer it to the skillet. Use a fork to transfer some of the cheese from the batter to the bread. Cook the bread until golden, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm.
Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel. Repeat with the remaining butter, bread, and batter.
Season the tomatoes with salt and the pepper. Wipe out the skillet and return to medium heat. Heat the oil. Add the tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes per side. Serve alongside the French toast.
Serves: 4
Parmesan-Crusted Chicken
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 ¼ cups finely grated Parmesan
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs (or more if needed)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 to 1 ½ pounds chicken cutlets
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 head Boston lettuce
1 lemon, cut into wedges
Directions:
In a shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs and mustard. In a separate bowl, combine 2 cups of the Parmesan, the breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper. Rinse the chicken and pat it dry with paper towels. Dip one of the cutlets into the egg mixture, allowing any excess to drip off, and then coat it in the breadcrumb mixture. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining chicken, batter, and breadcrumb mixture. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the cutlets. Cook, turning once, until browned and cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Carefully wipe out the skillet, add 2 more tablespoons of the oil, and repeat with the remaining cutlets. Divide the cutlets and lettuce leaves among individual plates. Drizzle the lettuce with the remaining oil and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Serve the lemon wedges on the side.
Serves: 4
