Fresh Tomato Marinara and Chicken Parmesan

My dad gave me a bunch of homegrown tomatoes and I have been enjoying them all summer. If I had more than I could eat at any given time, I boiled them and froZe them. I de-thawed them and made marinara sauce. I used one can of crushed as well, as it takes a whole lot of tomatoes! I also made chicken Parmesan; it’s very easy and delicious!

Marinara with Fresh Tomatoes:
One large onion, chopped
One head garlic
Basil
Parsley
Dried oregano
One can crushed tomatoes
Red or white wine (about 1/2 cup)
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar – 2 tbl.
Sugar – 1/8 cup

Sauté onion and garlic until translucent. (I saved like three cloves of garlic to add later for more intense garlic flavor. )
De-glaze pan with wine, allow to bubble until the alcohol cooks off. Sprinkle in some herbs (dried oregano, fresh or dried basil, and whatever else you like). Add canned tomatoes and fresh. I ran my tomatoes through a food mill so that they were flesh only–no seeds or skin. Add the additional garlic if you would like, along with the balsamic vinegar and sugar. Allow to simmer for a while–time makes it taste better! Add the fresh basil at the end.

Chicken Parmesan:
4 chicken breasts, pounded thin
1 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup milk
2 cups bread crumbs (I mixed panko and Italian style)
Fresh parsley
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Place flour, salt and pepper in one bowl, the eggs and milk in another, tge bread crumbs, Parmesan, and about 4 tbl chopped parsley in a third. Dredge chicken in flour mixture, egg mixture, then bread crumbs, turning to coat. Cook over medium heat in a saucepan with butter and olive oil to lightly fry. Cover with a Lid so heat circulates. Flip as crumbs turn golden brown.

Caprese-Pizza Salad/strong>:
This salad ended up really delicious but it’s pretty random…Serve the following over mixed Italian greens:
Chopped pepperoni
Bell peppers, chopped into small strips
Mozzarella cheese
Fresh basil (handfuls!)
Balsamic vinegar and olive oil