Yesterday felt like a day for comfort food...

Chicken Parmigiano!

Homemade Gravy:
Straight from Mom...

Makes 6 servings

1 tbsp olive oil

4 cloves garlic 2 lg cans crushed tomatoes (rinse out cans with water and add to sauce about a cup)

1 small can tomato sauce (rinse out can and add to sauce - 1/4 cup or so)

1 small can paste

1 bay leaf

1 tbsp dried sage or chopped fresh sage if you have it

5 -6 leaves of fresh basil chopped or dried 1/2 tsp basil

1/2 cup grated romano cheese or parmasean if you don't have romano

1/2 cup red wine

-In large sauce pan add olive oil and peeled garlic cloves - cook garlic on medium until light brown, remove and chop set aside to add to sauce (do not burn garlic)

-Add crushed tomatoes, sauce, paste and water

-Stir and add cheese, wine, sage, bay leaf  and basil

-When meatballs are done add to sauce and stir, reducing heat to low

-Cook at least 2 - 3 hours stirring occasionally (you can cook it all day but may need to add water if it evaporates

For the parmigiano:

Buy boneless, skinless chicken breast.

Use a meat mallet until tenderized

Set up an assembly for flour, egg, and bread crumbs (use fresh or store bought)

Season the chicken with salt and pepper

Coat the chicken in flour, dip in egg, then coat with bread crumbs

Use 2 tbsp of olive oil in saute pan and turn on high

Cook chicken on each side 2-3 minutes until nicely browned

Buy fresh mozzarella or make your own homemade (it's easier than you think)

Place 1/4 cup of gravy in a baking dish, lay the browned chicken on top, add a tbsp of sauce atop each breast and a few thin slices of mozzarella

Place in the oven on 400 degrees until chicken is cooked through and mozzarella is nicely melted. (about 15-20 minutes)

In case you would like to give homemade mozzarella a try:

Buy mozzarella cheese curd from the market

At home boil a pot of water with lots and lots of salt. Make the water look and taste like salt-water.

Pour some of the water into a smaller pan with the curd. Stir vigourously with a fork until the curd begins to melt together.

When all of the lumps are gone pull the cheese out of the water and begin kneeding with your hands and form into a ball by pulling the cheese together. 

Once formed let sit for a few minutes then slice for use.

(You can use the extra salted water to cook your pasta)

Serve with your favorite side of pasta!