This isn't your typical Italian-American restaurant Marsala, where the meat cutlet is pounded flat and fried first and there's so much mushroom wine sauce that you aren't really sure what kind of meat it is. No, this was far more amazing. This traditional dish is extremely versatile, so if you have veal or pork on hand, then use those. We happened to have Chicken breast in the fridge. You can also use whatever kind of mushrooms you like or can find at the store. I used dried porcini mushrooms because I really enjoy their taste, but for a milder flavor you can even use fresh button mushrooms.
Makes 4 Main Course servings
2 lbs chicken breast, trimmed and pounded flat
1 1/4 tsp salt, plus more to taste
1 tsp ground black pepper
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 oz dried porcini mushrooms, reconstituted in boiling water for 5 minutes
1 large shallot finely chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
1/2 C sweet cooking Marsala wine
1 sprig fresh rosemary
3/4 C low-sodium chicken broth
1. Sprinkle the meat with 3/4 tsp each of salt and pepper.
2. In a large skillet, melt 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat.
3. Add chicken breasts and cook until golden brown on each side, about 2 minutes per side, remove to a plate and set aside.
4. In same skillet melt 1 tbsp butter, add shallots and garlic until fragrant and soft. Add mushrooms. 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Saute until mushrooms are tender, about 3 minutes.
5. Using a spatula, scrape up all the brown bits and work them into the onion, garlic, mushroom mixture.
6. Add Marsala and rosemary spring, simmer until the Marsala reduces by half, about 2-4 minutes.
7. Add chicken broth and simmer until reduced by half, 4-5 minutes.
8. Add chicken back to the mixture and turn to coat the meat on each side, cover and simmer until cooked through.
Meanwhile....The Garlic Butter Noodles
Spaghetti, egg noodles or fettuccine
2 Tbsp butter
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1. Boil noodles in salted water until cooked al dente.
2. Melt butter in a small saute pan over medium heat.
3. Add garlic and stir until garlic and butter just barely turn brown.
Serve a side of garlic noodles with a piece of chicken and drizzle sauce over noodles and meat. Sprinkle with a little fresh parsley if you happen to have it.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Fresh Pasta Dough - Cheese Ravioli
Easy, peasy. Seriously, it was so easy I was a little embarrassed. I made a cheese filling, but you could use ground beef or sausage, just make sure the meat is cooked first. Get sassy, puree some butternut squash and nutmeg, whatever floats your boat!
1 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs, 2 for dough, 1 for sealing the ravioli
1/4 tsp salt
1 to 2 tablespoons water
Filling:
1 Cup ricotta cheese
1/4 Cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
salt & pepper to taste
1. In a food processor combine flour, 2 eggs lightly beaten and salt until smooth. If it looks a little grainy and isn't forming a big ball, drizzle the water in while the machine is running.
2. Remove dough and form into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes.
3. While dough is resting, make your filling. I just stirred the cheeses and seasonings together until well combined.
4. Divide dough into 4 small balls. On a well floured surface, roll out the first ball until nice and thin. This is where it would help to have a pasta machine, but I don't so I did it with a rolling pin.
5. Press dough into a ravioli tray and fill each well with a small dab of cheese. Roll out another ball and lay across the tray. Using a rolling pin, carefully press each row so that they seal and cut.
****If you don't have a ravioli tray*****
5. Beat 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush across your first rolled out sheet of dough. Place filling at 1 inch intervals. Roll out 2nd sheet of dough and lay over the top of your filling. Using a knife, cut into strips, then into squares. Use a fork to create crimped edges along each ravioli. This will help the edges seal and prevent leakage during cooking.
6. Gently place ravioli in salted boiling water. When the float to the top, they're done, about 2-4 minutes depending on how thin you rolled out your dough.
7. Top with your choice of sauce and serve!
1 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs, 2 for dough, 1 for sealing the ravioli
1/4 tsp salt
1 to 2 tablespoons water
Filling:
1 Cup ricotta cheese
1/4 Cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
salt & pepper to taste
1. In a food processor combine flour, 2 eggs lightly beaten and salt until smooth. If it looks a little grainy and isn't forming a big ball, drizzle the water in while the machine is running.
2. Remove dough and form into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes.
3. While dough is resting, make your filling. I just stirred the cheeses and seasonings together until well combined.
4. Divide dough into 4 small balls. On a well floured surface, roll out the first ball until nice and thin. This is where it would help to have a pasta machine, but I don't so I did it with a rolling pin.
5. Press dough into a ravioli tray and fill each well with a small dab of cheese. Roll out another ball and lay across the tray. Using a rolling pin, carefully press each row so that they seal and cut.
****If you don't have a ravioli tray*****
5. Beat 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush across your first rolled out sheet of dough. Place filling at 1 inch intervals. Roll out 2nd sheet of dough and lay over the top of your filling. Using a knife, cut into strips, then into squares. Use a fork to create crimped edges along each ravioli. This will help the edges seal and prevent leakage during cooking.
6. Gently place ravioli in salted boiling water. When the float to the top, they're done, about 2-4 minutes depending on how thin you rolled out your dough.
7. Top with your choice of sauce and serve!
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Bosco's Birthday Cake
Yes I make my dog a birthday cake every year. They aren't hard and don't have to look pretty, but they do have to be healthy for animals. Yes, I taste them every time. This one was pretty delicious.
Peanut Butter Carrot Cake for Dogs
pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Peanut Butter Carrot Cake for Dogs
pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
1 cup white or whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup shredded carrots
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup honey
1 egg
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup shredded carrots
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup honey
1 egg
Mix together flour and baking soda. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into a cake pan sprayed with a nonstick spray and bake for 30- 40 minutes until cooked through.
While cake is baking, make your frosting!
Cinnamon Frosting:
Combine the following ingredients and blend thoroughly:
12 ounces nonfat cream cheese (room temperature)
3 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp honey
12 ounces nonfat cream cheese (room temperature)
3 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp honey
Allow cake to cool and frost with cream cheese frosting. Decorate and serve!
Easiest Chicken Pot Pie Ever
My husband really like chicken pot pie and always asks me to make it. Every time I try I ended up with something more like chicken soup with a half cooked crust on top. I try to be healthy so look for recipes that are low in fat, skipping a lot of the key ingredients to make it think and creamy. Finally I came up with my Holy Grail on my own and was extremely delighted at how easy and delicious this was.
1 grocery store rotisserie chicken, shredded
2 cans low-fat cream of chicken soup
1/2-3/4 Cup frozen mixed vegetables, like carrot, peas and green beans, or you can get sassy and try a summer blend with zucchini and squash
1/4 Cup Chicken stock
1 package of refrigerator crescent roll dough, unrolled
Salt & pepper to taste
1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray or wipe with oil, we used a glass bread pan
3. In a large bowl, combine cream of chicken soup, your desired amount of frozen vegetables, chicken stock to thin the mixture slightly and salt and pepper.
4. Add shredded chicken and stir to combine. Pour mixture into casserole dish.
5. Lay unrolled dough across the top, slightly tucking it in on the sides or patching any holes.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until the dough is golden brown and the soup mixture bubbles.
1 grocery store rotisserie chicken, shredded
2 cans low-fat cream of chicken soup
1/2-3/4 Cup frozen mixed vegetables, like carrot, peas and green beans, or you can get sassy and try a summer blend with zucchini and squash
1/4 Cup Chicken stock
1 package of refrigerator crescent roll dough, unrolled
Salt & pepper to taste
1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray or wipe with oil, we used a glass bread pan
3. In a large bowl, combine cream of chicken soup, your desired amount of frozen vegetables, chicken stock to thin the mixture slightly and salt and pepper.
4. Add shredded chicken and stir to combine. Pour mixture into casserole dish.
5. Lay unrolled dough across the top, slightly tucking it in on the sides or patching any holes.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until the dough is golden brown and the soup mixture bubbles.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Braised Chicken Gumbo (kind of) - Leftovers from Wine & Tomato Chicken dinner
Did you make the crock-pot Wine & Tomato Braised Chicken and now have you have a butt-load of left overs? I did. Good thing there's a recipe for that...
I lived in Louisiana for a little while and know some good gumbo. This isn't really what I'd call gumbo, but it kind of has that flavor and it's a lot easier.
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium red or green bell pepper diced ( I did NOT use this because I hate bell pepper more than anything)
2 tbsp flour
2 Cups leftover shredded chicken from Wine & Tomato chicken
2 Cups left over sauce from Wine & Tomato chicken dinner
2 Cups chicken broth
1 Cup frozen okra
3/4 C instant brown or white rice
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or hot sauce
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add peppers and flour, stirring until peppers soften and the flour turns golden brown, about 2 minutes.
3. Add chicken, sauce, broth, okra, rice and hot sauce. Bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat and bring to simmer until okra is tender and rice is cooked, about 10 minutes.
Add more hot sauce to taste. I like mine spicy. You'll still end up with a lot of leftovers, but hey they make great lunches for work.
I lived in Louisiana for a little while and know some good gumbo. This isn't really what I'd call gumbo, but it kind of has that flavor and it's a lot easier.
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium red or green bell pepper diced ( I did NOT use this because I hate bell pepper more than anything)
2 tbsp flour
2 Cups leftover shredded chicken from Wine & Tomato chicken
2 Cups left over sauce from Wine & Tomato chicken dinner
2 Cups chicken broth
1 Cup frozen okra
3/4 C instant brown or white rice
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or hot sauce
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add peppers and flour, stirring until peppers soften and the flour turns golden brown, about 2 minutes.
3. Add chicken, sauce, broth, okra, rice and hot sauce. Bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat and bring to simmer until okra is tender and rice is cooked, about 10 minutes.
Add more hot sauce to taste. I like mine spicy. You'll still end up with a lot of leftovers, but hey they make great lunches for work.
Crock Pot Goodness - Wine & Tomato Braised Chicken
It's even healthy! And you can use left overs to make another dish, Braised Chicken Gumbo.
4 slices of bacon
1 large onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp ground pepper
1 bay leaf
1 Cup dry white wine or sherry
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 tsp salt
3-4 lbs chicken breast or chicken thighs, skin removed
1/4 C chopped parsley
1. Cook bacon in a large pan until crispy, remove strips and crumble when cool.
2. Leaving some of the bacon fat in the pan, add onions to pan and cook until soft.
3. Add garlic, thyme, fennel, pepper, bay leaf and cook until fragrant and garlic browns slightly.
4. Add wine and bring to boil, let cook for 2-3 minutes, scraping up any brown bits in the pan.
5. Add tomatoes and juices, stir to combine.
6. Put chicken in crock pot and sprinkle bacon bits over chicken.
7. Pour tomato-wine mixture over the chicken and cover.
8. Cook 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low until chicken is very tender.
Serve over egg noodles or rice for a delicious, easy and mostly healthy winter dinner.
*Recipe Courtesy of Eating Well Magazine, Feb 2011
4 slices of bacon
1 large onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp ground pepper
1 bay leaf
1 Cup dry white wine or sherry
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 tsp salt
3-4 lbs chicken breast or chicken thighs, skin removed
1/4 C chopped parsley
1. Cook bacon in a large pan until crispy, remove strips and crumble when cool.
2. Leaving some of the bacon fat in the pan, add onions to pan and cook until soft.
3. Add garlic, thyme, fennel, pepper, bay leaf and cook until fragrant and garlic browns slightly.
4. Add wine and bring to boil, let cook for 2-3 minutes, scraping up any brown bits in the pan.
5. Add tomatoes and juices, stir to combine.
6. Put chicken in crock pot and sprinkle bacon bits over chicken.
7. Pour tomato-wine mixture over the chicken and cover.
8. Cook 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low until chicken is very tender.
Serve over egg noodles or rice for a delicious, easy and mostly healthy winter dinner.
*Recipe Courtesy of Eating Well Magazine, Feb 2011
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