| Diet and nutrition
Amy Schumer and husband Chris host a quarantine cooking show
Amy Schumer is busy hosting a Food Network cooking show with her husband, Chris Fischer, a James Beard Award-winning chef during the quarantine. “Amy Schumer learns to cook” shows Chris cooking with Amy’s assistant. She also makes cocktails. The series premiered in May and a second season will air in August. (July 27th)
AP
During the quarantine last summer, my family, like so many others, spent more time in front of the TV. I decided it would be fun to share some classic childhood movies with my two teenage girls, like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Footloose.
Such an interesting perspective to see these films and others through their eyes.
In our search for entertainment, we came across a cooking show that became one of our favorite shows of the summer, Amy Schumer Learns to Cook, on the Food Network.
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The show features comedian and actress Amy Schumer and her husband and award-winning chef Chris Fischer. They filmed the show while quarantined in a rental home and filming their nanny. Chris prepares the meals while sort of giving directions to Amy, who admittedly isn’t that good in the kitchen.
They present and share recipes for some of their favorite foods and always have a featured cocktail to start with. Not only was it fun and entertaining, but we got some great recipes from it. I highly recommend checking it out on request if you have the chance.
Our very favorite recipe, which we now make almost every week, is a tomato sauce / marinara. It’s super simple and so fresh in taste and full of flavor.
I use the sauce in six different basic recipes that we make a lot. Sometimes I even use three cans of tomatoes and maybe a little more garlic when making the sauce, for example for lasagne on a Sunday evening and pizza the following Friday.
The tomato sauce
ingredients
1/4 cup of olive oil
4 cloves of garlic
Two 28-ounce cans of whole San Marzano tomatoes
a couple of shakes of dried oregano
Kosher salt and pepper
Directions
Heat a saucepan over medium heat, add olive oil and garlic and fry for about 2 minutes, until the garlic begins to color and smell.
Add canned tomatoes, oregano and about a teaspoon of salt and some freshly ground pepper, stir well and then cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes. Let rest for at least another 30 minutes.
Mix it up with a immersion blender or hand blender. (If you don’t have any of these, you can puree them in a regular blender after cooling, or use a potato masher or fork to grind the tomatoes.)
1. Meatballs
ingredients
1 cup of panko breadcrumbs
1/3 cup milk
1 pound ground turkey
1 pound ground sausage (I like Bradley’s fresh bottom when you’re in Tally)
4 cloves of garlic or about 2 teaspoons, chopped
2 eggs
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried Italian spices
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 ° C and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix the panko and milk in a large mixing bowl until everything is mixed. Set the mixture aside to soak for 5 to 10 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.
Mix the remaining ingredients.
Add the turkey mince, ground sausage, garlic, eggs, parmesan, onion, Worcestershire sauce, Italian spices, salt and black pepper to the panko mixture. Use your hands to mix the ingredients evenly, being careful not to overmix the ingredients.
Shape the meatballs. Using a medium-sized cookie scoop or spoon, roll the mixture into balls with 2 tablespoons and place on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 12-15 minutes or until an instant thermometer reads the internal temperature of the meatballs at 160 ° F. Remove the pan and transfer it to a wire cooling shelf.
2. Meatball Subs
No real recipe for it. We do this for another dinner later in the week or for lunch. I use sub-rolls and cut them off in the middle. Place meatballs in a microwaveable bowl and cut meatballs in half. Pour some sauce over it and heat it in the microwave until it is hot. Place the meatballs in the middle of the bottom roll, top with sauce and Italian or mozzarella cheese. Put it on the grill at 450 degrees for just a few minutes so it turns brown and bubbly.
3. Do not cook lasagna
ingredients
2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil
½ onion, chopped (I use Publix frozen chopped onion)
1 teaspoon of garlic
1 pound ground beef, ground turkey, or sausage (or no meat at all)
2 cups of fresh spinach, chopped
15 ounces. Container portion of low-fat ricotta cheese
½ cup of parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
2 cups of mozzarella cheese
Homemade tomato sauce
1 13.25 ounce box of Barilla Whole Wheat Lasagna Noodles, uncooked (you will be using 8 of the noodles)
Directions
Preheat oven to 375. Spray a 13 by 9 inch baking dish lightly with cooking spray.
In a large frying pan, heat olive oil and add onion and garlic, fry until onion is translucent. If using meat, add onion and garlic and cook until through. Add the chopped spinach, stir well, cover with a lid so it can cook.
Add the onion / garlic / meat / spinach mixture to the cooked homemade tomato sauce. Stir to combine.
Mix the ricotta, parmesan and egg. Stir until everything is well mixed.
Spread 1 cup of sauce in a 9 “x 13” pan. Pour 4 of the uncooked lasagna noodles over the sauce. Spread half of the ricotta mixture on the pasta, pour half of the remaining sauce over it. Sprinkle with 1 cup of mozzarella.
Repeat layering with 4 more lasagna noodles, the other half of the ricotta mixture, and the remaining sauce. Top with mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes until bubbly and browned. Take out of the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Cut into 9 pieces.
4. Simply baked chicken parmesan
Ingredients:
1/3 cup dry panko breadcrumbs
2 TBSP. grated parmesan cheese
¾ teaspoon of Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon of garlic powder
salt and pepper
1 pound boneless chicken breast and skin skin
1 egg, beaten
Homemade tomato sauce
Preheat the oven to 375 °.
Combine the first 4 ingredients in a shallow bowl. Season the chicken breast with salt and pepper on each side.
Dip each chicken breast in beaten egg, then in breadcrumbs to coat them evenly.
Place the chicken on a baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Turn the chicken, bake for 10-12 minutes or until the chicken is done (reaches 165 °)
Spoon about ¼ cup of homemade tomato sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle the mozzarella over the sauce. Bake for 3 minutes or until the cheese has melted.
5. Pizza
No prescription is needed here. I bought the Publix pre-rolled crust from the bakery department and it’s super easy and good. Simply lay out the crust, top with whatever you like the homemade tomato sauce, and top with mozzarella or Italian grated cheese.
Some of the toppings we like are ground sausage, hot peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, spinach, sundried tomatoes, and artichokes – maybe not all together, but whatever we like to have or have on hand. You bake it for about 10 minutes or until it’s done to your liking. We have that and a pre-packaged Caesar salad mix and dinner is ready!
6. Simple spaghetti with sauce
This doesn’t need a prescription either. This sauce is so delicious that it can only be really good on a bed of spaghetti noodles. I buy whole grains, which adds a protein and fiber boost and tends to fill me up and feel more satisfied. That again with a salad as a side dish and dinner is ready.
Hope you try these out and enjoy them as much as we do!
Anna Jones is a registered nutritionist. Visit her website at annajonesrd.com.
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