Chicken Parmesan. We cook like Italians.

So first summer cooking adventure of the summer was chicken parmesan. We knew standards would be low since our experience with the Rat’s chicken parm has never been the best. We questioned ourselves on whether this dish was too difficult to tackle so early on in the summer and what would happen if we screwed up royally. However, we discovered this chicken parm is easy-peasy to make! The chicken turned out super tender and stayed the slightest crispy even when baked smothered in the sauce. The only gross part was touching and smelling raw chicken. Bleck. With the help of my Best Supporting Cook, we definitely succeeded on our first cooking adventure. This recipe is easy to follow, and you can tweek it to your tastes if needed, because we did :) We also served it with some pasta tossed in garlic oil (because that kid’s not a fan of red sauce except on chicken parm?), which was also super easy to make. Recipes and notes will be linked/provided after the photo.

P.S. We definitely cooked enough for four people. There are only two of us. We still suck at gauging servings. Two chicken breasts pounded flat and cut in quarters = big pieces of chicken. I suck at explaining this, so feel free to ask what I mean haha.

P.P.S. Definitely used store-bought sauce. Marinara. It was a lazy and delicious choice. We’re college kids okay? Plus- onions make me cry!

Chicken Parm recipe here.

• Definitely used the entire 1 cup parm with the breadcrumb mixture. Still tasty.
• Threw in some herbs and spices into the breadcrumb mixture. What was it? We just bought this pre-mixed bottle of Italian spice. I think this is a preference move, so your call.
• We ended up using 3 eggs, because we double dipped the breasts in the egg and breadcrumbs. This made a crispier crust. We both like breading, but you might not. Your call… again ha.
• Cheese overload definitely happened… It was yum.

Garlic Olive Oil for pasta here.

• We smashed our cloves of garlic, because I didn’t follow directions. I left the oil on the stove for maybe 5 minutes instead? I got scared of it burning. Tasting the oil is your best bet. Cool it on a spoon first though!
• Leftover oil (and garlic cloves) was poured into a cup, covered and placed in the fridge for later use.

Working in my room.

Warby Parker specs, J.Crew white top, Target jeggings, Guess suede boots

So working out of my room is annoying. I’m left to my own devices. I surf Facebook, read food blogs, update WordPress, and tweet etc. Blurgh. Here’s the outfit I decided to put on when I decided real clothes were probably more suitable for when my roommate walks in again.

Summer 2011, I’m ready for you.

Summer is finally here. No more library straight after classes or art history flash cards to memorize or a dreadful class called Research Methods. Three months of a 8-5 job and then fun in the evenings with people I adore. Come along soon, May 22.