Personalize Your Library Experience

When you choose your preferred branches and age groups, the site will automatically filter the content to match your selections.

Select Your Branches

Select Your Age Groups

This information will be saved as a cookie, and cannot be connected to a library login or transferred between computers

icon of stars; highlighting that you can open the select favorite branch overlay Save & Close
Return to All Blog Posts
Back to Top

Plan your Next Dinner with Award-Winning Cookbook Author Caroline Campion and SCLSNJ

About Blog Post Aug 31, 2018 by Pressroom
Discover simple weeknight recipes and strategies for busy schedules with award-winning cookbook author Caroline Campion and the Somerset County Library System of New Jersey’s (SCLSNJ) Peapack & Gladstone branch on September 20 from 7-8:45 p.m. The program will be held off-site at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, located at 182 Main Street in Gladstone. “I am excited to lead a lively discussion on family dinner,” said Campion. “The significance of dinnertime and family, how to create a flexible dinner routine that works for your household, and how not to get overwhelmed by the prospect of feeding those you love - are just some of the topics we will explore.” Campion will prepare a few dishes from her new family-focused cookbook, "The Dinner Plan: Simple Weeknight Recipes and Strategies for Every Schedule," which was chosen as an Epicurious.com favorite cookbook of 2017. “I am choosing to share the Skillet Chicken Parm recipe because it incorporates all of the ideas we were striving to achieve with our cookbooks: Family-friendly, simple, healthful, familiar but with a twist,” said Campion. “I urge everyone to give this dish a try once the fall season starts and they are looking for something that is as comforting as it is crowd-appealing!” From page 58 of “The Dinner Plan: Simple Weeknight Recipes and Strategies for Every Schedule,” Skillet Chicken Parm - Serves 4:
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 11⁄2 pounds 680 g total)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • Large pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
  • ½ teaspoons dried oregano
  • One 28-ounce (785-g) can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 cups (8 ounces/225 g) shredded packaged mozzarella or sliced fresh mozzarella, patted dry
  • Freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese (optional)
  • Handful of fresh basil leaves (optional)
—Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C), with a rack in the middle position. In a large high-sided sauté pan, heat the oil over medium- high heat until it shimmers. Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper, add to the pan, and cook until lightly golden, about 2 minutes. Flip the pieces over and cook 1 minute more. —Sprinkle the garlic around the chicken, followed by the pepper flakes and oregano. Pour the tomatoes evenly over the chicken, season with salt and pepper, then gently shake the pan to distribute the sauce (you can also do this with a small spoon). Top the chicken with the mozzarella and Parmesan (if using) to taste. —Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the chicken is just cooked through, 12 to 14 minutes. (Brown it under the broiler, if you like.) Off the heat, top with the basil leaves (if using), tearing any large ones. Let the parm rest for about 5 minutes before serving and keep the pan’s handle covered with an oven mitt; it’s easy to forget it’s hot. Serve with more Parmesan cheese, if you like. The program will offer Library customers an opportunity to share food, family history, and more. Participants are invited to bring their family recipes to share. Registration is required to attend: sclsnj.libnet.info/event/905328#branch. Explore the International Association of Culinary ProfessionalS (IACP) award-winning cookbook “Keepers: Two Home Cooks Share Their Tried-and-True Weeknight Recipes and the Secrets to Happiness in the Kitchen,” that Campion co-authored with Kathy Brennan.
chat loading...