I bought some cheap Marsala wine from Safeway one time. For a while it sat in my pantry... I'd like to say I was letting it age--but that would only be half lying. The truth was, I always wanted to try a Chicken Marsala recipe. I'll confess: I've ordered the Chicken Marsala at Olive Garden. And part of me thinks, "If I can make Chicken Piccatta I can make Chicken Marsala! It's like making a different kind of sauce." So I grab my America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook, and I pull out the Chicken Marsala recipe. I finally tried it!Chicken Marsala
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 to 8 oz each), trimmed
salt and pepper
3 tbsp vegetable oil
3 oz. pancetta, chopped fine (I used the substitute of 3 slices of bacon chopped fine.)
8 oz white button mushrooms, sliced thin
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp tomato paste
1 1/2 cups sweet Marsala
1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
3 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces and chilled
2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
1. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 200 degrees. Spread the flour in a shallow dish.
2. Pound the thicker ends of the breasts as needed. Pat dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Dredge through the flour to coat and shake off any excess.
3. Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add the chicken and cook until light golden brown on both sides., about 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and keep warm in the oven.
4. Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil to the skillet and return to medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the pancetta and mushrooms. Cook until the pancetta is crisp and the mushrooms are brown, about 10 minutes.
5. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste. Cook until the paste begins to brown, about 1 minute. Stir in the Marsala, scraping up any browned bits, and simmer until reduced and slightly syrupy, about 8 minutes.
6. Stir in the lemon juice and any accumulated chicken juice. Turn the heat to low and whisk in the butter, one piece at a time. Turn off the heat, stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the sauce over the chicken before serving.
(Pictured) I served the chicken marsala with some frozen spinach and mozzarella ravioli, with jarred sauce.
Here's what I love about crisps... I was visiting my sister in Seattle some years ago (pre-niece time;o) _) and she had a bunch of fruit in her fridge. We decided to make a crisp that night and we pretty much threw every fruit we could find that was about to go bad. She was working in Yakima (that's in Washington), and my sister had access to some fresh fruit. I think my first crisp had apples, peaches, berries... honestly, I can't remember the combination we came up with, but it was sooo good!! Slam a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top and you're good to go!
A few crisps later... I decided this was food blog worthy. It was my aunt's birthday recently, and I thought, dinner was taken care of. So I'll make her one of my (famous) fruit crisps!!
I failed to bring my recipe with me back to San Francisco, so I had to make due with what I could.
Here's the "original" recipe that I made once for a BBQ:
PLEASE NOTE: I almost never use the same fruit in my crisps. And I've sampled a few different kinds of granola. In honor of one of my favorite cooking shows--America's Best Test Kitchen--I can tell you, well, actually, I don't remember the very first granola and/or rolled oats I used in the one I made for/with my sister. But in the following two, I believe I got Cranberry Almond granola from Safeway, but I would say the best thing to do is use a granola without the dried fruit--your dessert eaters may be happier without 'em. I guess you can always pick them out, or just buy granola in bulk, it's cheaper and you can easily buy just enough for what you need. P.S. I have to admit that my favorite part of the crisp is the brown sugar with granola topping--I'd say in whatever crisp recipe you choose, double the topping recipe. (You won't be sorry!)
Blueberry Crisp
1 and 1/2 pints of blueberries
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup dry instant oatmeal or granola
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
butter (for the pan) or if you want to be healthy, 6 tbsp. Smart Balance 50/50 sticks-softened
complimentary fruits: white peaches/nectarines (skinned and sliced thin), granny smith apples, blackberries, raspberries, pears or maybe apple-pears (I stay away from strawberries and oranges.)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place berrries and fruit in greased (I always use) 9" x 13" pan or 8" x 8" square or 8" x 11" rectangular glass baking dish.
2. Blend remaining ingredients until crumbly but not mushy. Add the butter last.
3. Sprinkle mixture over the fruit mixture.
4. Bake 30-35 minutes until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown.
A variation I used for my aunt's birthday came from this recipe:
Peach Crisp
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Peach-Crisp-108419
You use orange juice in this one!!
I remember eating catfish when I was younger. My mother used to make it chinese-style--steamed with green onions, ginger and soy sauce. Now that we're grown ups, I realized we don't have to steam our food anymore. We can have fun with it. Even though it makes for a healthy meal, this is more fun!
Did you know Safeway gives away recipe cards? I found this interesting one when C requested that I make some fish. I figure, this is breaded fish but at least it's not frozen.
Try this Cornbread-coated Catfish with Zatarain's Red Beans and Rice:
Cornbread-coated Catfish
1/2 cup Italian Salad dressing
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups cornbread stuffing mix
1 lb catfish fillets
1. In a shallow dish combine salad dressing and eggs; mix well. Place stuffing crumbs in a food processor; process until finely ground; place in a second shallow dish. Coat fillets evenly in dressing mixture, then coat evenly in crumbs. Place fillets on a wax paper lined platter; cover and chill up to 4 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange fillets on a baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake 12 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
There was also a recipe for a cucumber sauce (but I went sans the cucumber sauce).
1 cup seeded, chopped cucumber
1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp. horseradish
1/4 tsp. salt
For cucumber sauce, in a small bowl combine above ingredients and mix well. Cover and chill at least 15 minutes before serving. (May be made several hours ahead.)
I don't know about you, but every once in a while I get a craving for thai food. I defrost some frozen boneless chicken breasts (it's the easiest), and also some pre-cooked frozen shrimp. (Reminder: Don't run water over your frozen cooked shrimp--it says so on the bag.) Also, a curry is a good way to get rid of the veggies in your fridge. Usually, I make a special trip out to the store to get some fresh red and/or green bell peppers, mushrooms, potatoes, and for the seasoning I usually put in some basil and green onions (if I have it) at the end.
Here's the gist of my thai curry recipe, but there are plenty of varieties. You don't have to stick strictly to the recipe.
Thai Green Curry with Chicken and Shrimp
one 14 oz. can coconut milk
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/2 to 1 tbsp green curry paste
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
handful of frozen cooked shrimp (tails-on is ok)
1/2 red and/or green bell peppers, cubed
yellow or white potatoes cubed (it adds to the thickness of the curry, optional)
sliced mushrooms, about 1/4 inch thick
medium yellow onion, cubed
other veggies to consider: carrots, celery, snow peas
basil for garnish (optional)
Season the cubed chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a teaspoon of oil in a frying pan and brown the chicken. Then set to the side.
Put a little bit of oil in a stock pot and throw in the veggies--start with the onions, then bell peppers, carrots, and celery. Stir fry for a couple of minutes. Then return the chicken to the pot. Add the can of coconut milk and simmer over medium heat. Add the fish sauce and brown sugar and chicken broth. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. In the last couple minutes, add the pre-cooked, thawed shrimp, and cook until warmed.
Serve over rice with fresh basil.
It's winter again and how come all I can think about is comfort foods. If you don't know what "comfort foods" are, they're the kinds of stews, things drowned in gravy, and HOT foods you eat that give you that warm feeling inside. This might be one of those dinners that gave me that warm feeling inside.
Try this turkey meatball recipe from Giada from Food Network:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/mini-turkey-meatballs-recipe/index.html
Turkey Meatballs
1 small onion, grated
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 large egg
1/4 cup dried bread crumbs
3 tbsp ketchup
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 lb. ground dark turkey
3 tbsp. olive oil
26 oz marinara sauce
Boil the water for the spaghetti. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Add the onion, garlic, egg, bread crumbs, ketchup, parsley, Parmesan, Romano, salt and pepper to a large bowl and blend. Mix in the turkey. Shape the turkey mixture into 1 1/4 inch diameter meatballs and place on a large baking sheet. Drizzle or brush olive oil over all the meatballs.
[Hopefully, you have put your spaghetti in the pot.]
(My sister taught me this trick.) You can either cook them in a frying pan, or bake them in the oven for about 20-25 minutes. The baking time depends on the leanness of the turkey used in the meatballs. Variations: Sometimes I mix ground beef with lean ground turkey--the ground beef helps to keep the meatballs from falling apart.
Served with spaghetti or mashed potatoes.
This meal might easily become a once a week tradition;o)
I'm just easing myself back in. I apologize again for my prolonged absence, but I am back and better than ever...well, we'll see. I've been inspired to try new things.
I'll be honest... In the vegetables department, I was never creative nor did I have a clue what to make for the side dish that would satisfy the vegetables food group requirement of your daily food intake. (Are you thinking what I'm thinking--food pyramid? whatever happened to the food pyramid--how do they teach children how to eat correctly?)
Roasted Cauliflower
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Roasted-Cauliflower-with-Garlic-105730
This recipe is so good and easy. Prepping it takes 5-10 minutes and then after you pop it in the oven, you can spend the rest of your time making the entree.
[Just some tidbits on the benefits of eating cauliflower...]Cauliflower promotes a healthy heart and reduces the risk of strokes. It contains selenium and vitamin C, which work together to strengthen the immune system. Cauliflower is good for people with high cholesterol. The glucosinolates and thiocynates increase the ability of the liver to neutralize potentially toxic substances.
What's a magpie?
When I google it, it comes up as: long-tailed black-and-white crow that utters a raucous chattering call
Very interesting... I learn something new every day!
I just thought I would stop by to tell you about a place M and I went to tonight. It's Magpie Caterers--Market & Cafe. It's really cute and can be found on this "random" street in Sacramento--R St and 14th St to be exact. [Just look for it down the street from Burgers & Brew. If you hit The Shady Lady, you've gone too far! ]
This place has an eclectic menu, and it was delicious! I had Black Mussels in White Wine sauce. The mussels were cooked with garlic and rosemary--the sauce was a white wine reduction that was actually more orange in color than I was expecting, but it was good! M ordered the Homemade (Pork) Sausage that was served with a very garlicky pesto-like sauce called "chimichurri sauce", and oddly enough, a giant red pepper. Their side dishes are wide and far between ranging from a Purple Potato Salad, (next on my list) Barley Kale salad (sounds good, right?), and off today's menu, we ordered the Pan-seared Creamy Polenta, and that was served with roasted red bell peppers (yum-o!). The polenta was indeed creamy--it tasted a bit grainy but it was still creamy tasting with the crunch from being pan-seared, and seasoned just right... I can't be sure what herbs they used, but I did enjoy it and may try to recreate. It may not sound like a lot of food but it was filling.
(Sidenote: They also have a wine list and a few beers on tap--including the local Davis brew, Sudwerks). Yet, if you know me, I had my eye on dessert. When I first walked in, there was this curious dessert they call a Carrot Cake Cookie--it's one of a kind because I've never seen anything like it! Basically, it's a cookie sandwich--the cookies taste like carrot cake (They have a consistency of oatmeal cookies), and in between the cookies is a cream cheese frosting. Hats off to the great chef who created this creative dessert because it was way fun to eat. There was one more thing that I had to try before leaving--Chocolate Mousse made with dark chocolate and avocado, topped with black salt, cinnamon, and chile. OH-MY-GOD! If you want to have a rich dessert, I think it would go something like that! With every bite I think you would catch a different part of it. The avocado is mixed into the mousse you could tell just by the texture and you can almost taste it. Secondly, it was the black salt that most surprised me. I never thought about coupling black salt with chocolate. And if I've never said it before, there's something about chile with dark chocolate that just works!
Is your mouth watering yet???
Their breakfast, lunch and dinner menus change daily. If you're interested/not yet convinced, they post their menus on their website: http://www.magpiecaterers.com/
P.S. Also saved for another day, they offer French press coffee (note: There is no espresso machine on the premises.) for $4... AND I'm willing to try breakfast there, when's the last time you had a Herb Cheddar Scone--I *heart* savory scones, you don't just get those anywhere!
