Chicken Marsala

About a month ago, my wife and I decided to try something new. We went to a chain Italian restaurant here locally, one that we had never been to before. The food was amazing, but the prices were a little on the outrageous side. My favourite of all that we tried, the Chicken Marsala. I knew from the first bite that this was something that I was going to have to recreate at home.

I'm not a huge fan of wine, I have to admit. But cooking with wine...nothing could be better. Marsala wine (which was surprisingly difficult to find locally) is no exception. I decided on a deep amber Marsala, or rather I bought it because it was the only kind carried by our local liquor emporium. A simple taste of the wine reminded me that most of the stuff "tastes like rotten grapes", as my wife would say. The deep sweetness, however pairs excellently with mushrooms and veggies.

I used a recipe from a recent edition to my iPhone. Epicurious has put out a lovely iPhone app that is a collection of their best magazine recipes. The search options, and "grocery list organizer" options make it wonderful for any level of cook. If you don't want to download the app, or don't have an iPhone, their online website has a great wealth of recipes, including the "Chicken and Mushroom Marsala" recipe that I made.



In place of their suggested "mushrooms" I used creminis (baby portabellas) because I love their meaty earthy flavour. This dish is listed in their "low-cal" menu, making it a great addition to our normal low-calorie foods. I loved this dish so much, I'm planning on trying the Marsala flavour with other types of meat. I can only imagine that this would be just as great with pork, or a meaty whitefish.

Try it, you might like it...or maybe you'll order pizza.

Ultimate Comfort

With the storms that are passing through the east coast, its great to have a food made that brings comfort and warmth. Having chicken and dumplings takes me back to my childhood, and one of those foods that you didn't have often, but when you did, it was the best thing ever!

Since I had never made chicken and dumplings before, I wanted an easy recipe to follow, one that really just couldn't go wrong. I chose to go with this recipe, for which I am very glad. In the future, I might branch out and try to make the entire thing from scratch, but until then having this recipe will work out beautifully. The recipe was such a hit in the house that Staci actually went to the grocery on Friday after work to pick up enough supplies to be able to make the recipe again this weekend.

I'm boiling the chicken right now. I've made a small modification to include both white and dark meat chicken this time. I think that it will turn out great!

Try it! You might like it...or maybe you'll order pizza.

Hurried Curried Chicken.

Chicken Curry tonight!!! One of the dishes that I enjoy the most. the recipe came from the blog Soup and Dessert, a blog that I read regularly. The author of this blog posted the Chicken Curry recipe at the end of 2009, and I immediately added it to my "to be cooked" bookmarks. It was so easy to make, and actually turned out pretty good. I still have a long way to go to make more "authentic" Indian dishes, but this one came together pretty nicely.

I called this one my Hurried Curried Chicken, because I had Staci ask me several times when the food was going to be done. The aroma from the first spices in the oil is enough to get you salivating. I could barely wait for everything to be cooked. I'm sure that the sauce could have only improved if allowed to simmer for a few more minutes, but we both got to the point that we just couldn't wait any longer. I enjoyed this curry a great deal.

I'm sure that I'll make it again, maybe in the summer when tomatoes are fresh and warm from the garden. That could only add to the flavour of this dish!

Try it! You might like it...or maybe you'll order pizza.

Stew and Casserole

Yesterday was our day for Beef Stew cooked in the pressure cooker. Today was the Chicken Boudine. Neither were one of those "stand up and shout it" recipes, but both were filling, and most importantly very comforting foods. Both recipes made a lot of servings, so we'll probably be eating on both for a few days. I know the beef stew tastes even better the second day, I guess I'll find out tomorrow about the Boudine.

Update: The Boudine held up pretty well into the next day. If you want to know the truth of the matter, it was actually tastier on the 2nd day. The sharp cheddar seemed to be more married through the cream of mushroom base. I think if I made this again, I'd probably make it a day in advance and re-heat on the day I wanted to eat.

Try it! You might like it...or maybe you'll order pizza.

Shake-n-bake

Today has been one of those non-stop days. We worked on the banister for most of the morning. We stopped at lunch to cook (and take a nap). From mid-afternoon to this evening we've been cleaning the upstairs portion of the house, straightening the downstairs, and cooking dinner. I don't know about Staci, but I feel pooped. I'm excited with how the banister looks. I think we'll probably do another coat next weekend, and then seal it off. We'll have to do the second rail next weekend, as we just ran out of time this weekend.




For dinner tonight, at the request of Staci, I made a "traditional" Sunday dinner of fried chicken and potato salad. The potato salad was one that I've made before, and fell in love with it. It's an awesome vinaigrette version, as compared to the heavier mayo or sour cream based ones that I've made in the past. For chicken, I opted for an oven-baked fried chicken that I found while going through the recipes on Food Network's website. The whole time I was making it, I could only think of those Shake-n-Bake commericals from the 80's and 90's. It wasn't exactly like eating fried chicken, but it was a healthier alternative.

While I was at it, I also whipped up some egg salad to make sandwiches for the week. I found a good wrap-style sandwich on Food Network as well from Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger. I like her show a lot, and most of the items she makes are favourful and appetizing. I am changing the recipe up a bit by making the sammies in pita pockets rather than the wraps. They should be just as good, with hopefully not many more calories.

Now that I'm sitting and writing all of this out, I think I'll head to bed. It's been a productive, though exhausting weekend.

Try it! You might like it...or maybe you'll order pizza.

Going Italian...

Today's recipe is probably just outside the realm of "good for you" food, but it sure did taste like it should be good for you. Staci found this Chicken Piccatta recipe on the Food Network. It was originally done by Ina Garten, one of my personal favourite cooks. I made one small modification to the recipe by adding a teaspoon of capers into the sauce. If you do put in capers, don't worry about adding the salt to the sauce like the recipe. The capers will provide enough salt to season the dish.

Lemon juice and white wine make for such an awesome pairing. I've really been impressed, both with the taste, and the fact that Staci and I have been using both regularly. So regularly, in fact, that both have to go on the shopping list this weekend as we're out of wine, and almost out of lemon juice.

Try it! You might like it...or maybe you'll order pizza.

When they say "Chicken Soup for the Soul"...

...they must be talking about this soup. Greek Chicken, Spinach and Rice Soup. It sounds simple enough, but the punch of flavour that this soup packs is staggering. Staci and I both agree that thus far, this has to rank in the top 5 items that we've made (she says the top 2). It's made from some simple staple ingredients that we normally have around the house, but not necessarily things that I would have put together. Bring me lemon chicken and I'll turn up my nose; combine it in a soup and I'll ask for a second bowl.



Greek Chicken, Spinach and Rice Soup
From the Turn Around Program Cookbook

4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 lb. chicken breast, trimmed of all fat
2 large eggs
1/4 cup lemon juice 10 oz chopped cooked spinach
2 cups cooked brown rice ground pepper to taste

1. Bring broth to boil in pan, add chicken. Reduce to simmer till chicken fully cooked.
2. Remove chicken and set aside. Shred once cooled.
3. Wisk eggs and lemon juice till frothy. Using one cup of broth, whisk into egg mixture to temper.
4. In pan, add spinach to remaining broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and stir in rice.
5. Whisk in the egg-broth mixture, being careful to keep mixture moving to avoid curdling. Continue whisking till mixture thickens.
6. Add chicken back to soup and cook on low while stirring till chicken is re-heated. Season with pepper, and serve. This recipe makes about 4 healthy sized servings.

Instead of the suggested frozen spinach, I julienned about a pound of fresh spinach and wilted it down before adding to the soup. I wasn't happy with the strong kick of the frozen spinach; this was a nice alternative. I also added in some toasted french bread with fresh grated garlic. It made for a nice combo pair, and a great dinner.

Yesterday's dinner was pretty good too. The gingered pot-roast actually had a pretty nice taste, but I'm not a fan of the eye-of-round cut that was suggested. Even cooking the entire deal in the pressure cooker, it was still a tough meat. I'll keep this recipe on the back burner and maybe try it with some stew meat in the future.

Try it! You might like it...or maybe you'll order pizza.

Not-so Gumbo

I never thought that red peppers could be so good! Normally eating a red pepper leaves a strange carrot-y acidic taste in my mouth. Today, having the red peppers roasted and then blended into a sauce was in a word, delectable. Combined with the white wine and dijon mustard flavors on the sausage and prawns it made for a sweet and deep smoky flavor.

This was a must-have recipe for a chilly day, and was a great addition to what seems to be a "comfort-food" week. I didn't follow the recipe in full today, I embarked out on my own. Though I made some personal changes, I think that the recipe followed the overall flavour palate that the recipe originally implied. Though I've given credit to the recipe below, the directions will be how I cooked it today.



Shrimp and Sausage with Red Rice
From the Williams-Sonoma Grilling & Roasting Cookbook.

1/2 cup apricot preserves
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
16 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 1/3 cups long grain white rice
2 2/3 cups water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large red peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped
4 green onions, separated into white and green parts
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup white wine
4 sweet italian sausages (3/4 lb)
parsley to garnish
1. In rice cooker or other vessel toast the rice then combine with water and cook till all water is absorbed. Keep warm.
2. While rice is cooking, combine butter and white parts of green onion in saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until onions soften.
3. Add red pepper to saucepan, along with chicken stock and chili powder. Allow to cook for 3-5 minutes until peppers are softened.
4. Pour ingredients of saucepan to blender and blend into smooth sauce. Return ingredients to pan and allow to simmer on the stove.
5. In small skillet, pour in white wine. Add sausages and cook till done throughout.
6. Move sausages to plate, chop, and add to red pepper sauce.
7. In same pan used for sausages, add oil, lemon juice, preserves, mustard and dash of stock or water to blend evenly. Cook shrimp in mixture till slightly opaque.
8. In bowl combine red pepper and sausage sauce with rice and shrimp. Toss in green onion tops and parsley to garnish.

An easy and filling recipe. Instead of the sweet sausages, i used the chicken and spinach sausages that we bought last weekend. I think they really added to the overall dish taste. This recipe is supposed to serve 4, but its more like 6 or 7 servings. I had more than enough for Staci and I to take for lunch tomorrow.

Try it! You might like it...or maybe you'll order pizza.

Kabobs and dog biscuits.

Two nights, two very different styles of kabobs. Yesterday was the Chicken Souvlaki, tonight the Moorish Pork. Both were equally delicious, albeit very different from one another. Both yesterday's and today's dishes allowed us to use ingredients that we normally don't, namely wine and vinegar. I've learned quickly that white wine, if used to marinate too long, will dry out meat. If it's used for the correct amount of time, it can be such a great addition to food.

The souvlaki was marinated a tad bit too long. My guess is it was not just the white wine, but the lemon juice that led to the dryness to the chicken. It could also be that I cut the meat into too small of pieces. Even with it being slightly dry, the flavour was amazing. Fresh, clean and with a hint of citrus and oregano. Just a marvelous pairing with the deep flavours of the sun dried tomato and mushroom couscous. It was only the second time that I've had couscous, and I LOVED it! I don't understand why more people don't make it; boil water, pour in dry couscous, let set for 5 minutes and you're done. How easy and quick is that? And to be a pasta dish, it has such a light texture. It's deceptively filling.

The recipe for the couscous came from AllRecipes.com. You can find it here.



Chicken Souvlaki
From the Williams-Sonoma Grilling & Roasting Cookbook

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons dry white wine
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup minced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 chopped bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken cut into 1 inch cubes

1. In bowl, combine olive oil, wine, lemon juice, onion, garlic, bay leaves oregano and salt and pepper.
2. Add chicken to coat and allow to marinate for 1 hour up to overnight.
3. Thread chicken cubes on to pre-soaked bamboo skewers.
4. Cook over medium hot grill, or under broiler in oven.


For every bit that yesterday's chicken had a clean and citrus flavour, today's Moorish Pork had a deep earthy and spicy flavour. Such a change from the norm that I make with pork. And coupled with the Roasted Potato Salad, it was pure bliss! Staci also added in some wonderful french bread that she picked up today, and some soft garlic cheese. I can't help but be happy that we've not had a "bad" recipe yet. Everything has been delicious, hearty, and full of flavour, so much so that I'm having trouble picking new recipies, because I want to keep making this stuff over and over. The Roasted Potato Salad will definately be a regular in the house. It was easy to make, thought it takes a while, and the texture is so very different from the normal mayo or sour cream based potato salads. The tartness that the vinegar brings to the mix only adds to the earthiness of the potato.



Moorish Pork Kabob
From the Williams-Sonoma Grilling & Roasting Cookbook

2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried pepper flake
ground pepper to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 pound lean pork cut into one-inch cubes

1. Mix together the garlic, salt, coriander, paprika, cumin, thyme, pepper flake, olive oil and lemon juice. Add ground pepper to taste.
2. Mix in pork cubes and allow to marinate for 1 hour, up to overnight
3. Thread marinated pork on to pre-soaked skewers.
4. Cook over medium-heat grill, or under broiler.


Roasted Potato Salad
From the Williams-Sonoma Grilling & Roasting Cookbook

3 pounds baby red potatoes
2/3 cup coarse salt
2 tablespoons dry white wine, divided
2 tablespoons extra vergin olive oil
3 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar, divided
1 shallot, minced
3 tablespoons tarragon
3/4 cup pure olive oil
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
pepper to taste
3 green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. Wash potato, and place on baking sheet whole. Cover with coarse salt and bake in the oven till tender but firm.
2. Remove potatoes from oven, clean off salt from skin and slice while still warm. Add slices to bowl and toss with the extra virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the vinegar.
3. Add shallots and tarragon to the potatoes, stir gently and set aside.
4. In small bowl, combine the pure olive oil, 2 tablespoons vinegar and mustard. Season with Pepper to taste. Pour over the potato mixture and stir gently. Cover and refrigerate for one hour.
5. Before serving, toss in green onions and parsley.


Of course, with all of this good food, our poor Scottie dog, Finnigan, has not had his share of "the hooman food", so I thought I'd make a homemade dog-treat for him. The Peanut Butter and Banana Dog Bisucits that I found on AllRecipes.com sounded like an easy, and good treat to make for him. He's eaten 5 small biscuits, and is begging for more. I think they're a hit. (And for those of you that are wondering, yes I tried one; they taste like stale banana bread.)

Try It! You might like it...or maybe you'll order pizza.

Bangers and Rice

Staci and I have our weekly menu planned, and I'm very excited! Monday is the only real cheat-night, as we're re-doing the lamb that we did last week. I'm trying a different cut of meat this time, an actual shank, rather than the rib. I'm going to make the same sauce again, and use less cucumber to see if it will end up thicker than last time. We're branching out a bit this week, but still some great hearty items.

Monday - Lamb Shanks and Greek Yogurt Sauce.
Tuesday - Marinated Swordfish with Skillet Greens
Wednesday Chicken Souvlaki with Tomato and Mushroom Couscous
Thursday - Pork Kabobs with Roasted Red Potato Salad
Friday - Dine-out Night.

I opted for the easy route today at lunch. Staci and I went out with family yesterday, and while we were shopping we saw these delectable chicken sausages with spinach. I made a group of them today, and I'm saving the rest for next week for an awesome recipe that we found. To jazz it up a little, I paired it with some spiced rice and a brown butter and sherry glaze.


Spiced Rice
ormaybepizza recipe by Alde

1 tablespoon of butter
1 cup basmati rice
1/3 teaspoon red pepper flake
1/3 teaspoon garam masala powder
2 cups chicken stock

1. In saucepan over medium heat melt butter and add red pepper flake and garam masala.
2. Add rice, stir regularly till basmati takes on slightly golden colour.
3. Pour in chicken stock, and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook till all liquid is absorbed.


Chicken Sausage with Brown Butter Sherry Glaze
ormaybepizza recipe by Alde

5 chicken sausage with spinach links
3 tablespoons of butter, divided
1/4 cup cooking sherry

1. In pan over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter and add sausage links. Cook until warm throughout and browned on the outside.
2. Remove links from the pan. Add in remaining butter and allow to melt in pan. Pour in sherry and reduce until alcohol is cooked out.
3. Arrange links over rice, spoon glaze over dish.

Try it! You might like it...or maybe you'll order pizza.

Don't Judge a recipe by your imagination.

I really learned a good lesson about food today. I've been apprehensive of the Tomato, Zucchini and Mushroom Gratin since we chose it on Saturday. I just couldn't wrap my brain around zucchini in a cheese and heavy cream sauce being anywhere near remotely good. Boy was I ever wrong!

I will say that choosing both of these items on a weekday was probably a wrong choice. These are probably better reserved for a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, when you have the time to cook and aren't tired and hungry from being at the office all day. That being said, the little more than an hour and 20 minutes prep and cook time was WELL worth the wait. The gratin was actually done first, and the wife snacked on it until the chicken was done. Even better was the fact that she loved the gratin more than she loved the chicken. A feat to replace the desire for veggies in such a devoted carnivore!!

Both recipies today came from the Atkins for Life plan again. Its a pretty neat little recipe box filled with cards that you can sort out and plan a weeks worth of meals with. You can find the entire box on Amazon or other online bookstores.



Tomato, Zucchini and Mushroom Gratin

1 1/2 slices rye bread
2 tablespoons butter
3 cups button mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 medium zucchini, sliced
2 small tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/2 cup shredded cheese (swiss or other)

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In pan add 1 tbsp butter and cook mushrooms till browned.
3. While mushrooms are cooking, butter a 9X13 dish and put zucchini on the bottom. On top, arrange the tomato slices.
4. Once mushrooms are cooked, arrange over top of tomatoes.
5. Return pan to heat add other tbsp of butter and garlic. Cook till garlic browns and add cream. Allow cream to reduce slightly.
6. Add layer of cheese over top of mushroom. Pour cream sauce over cheese.
7. Chop rye bread into small cubes and arrange over top of cheese and cream.
8. Bake in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until cream is bubbly and zucchini is tender.


Stuffed Chicken Breast

4 oz pancetta, chopped
1/4 lb mushrooms, shiitake or cremini, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
3/4 cup asiago or fontina cheese, shreaded
4 large chicken breasts, butterflied
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
2 tbsp all-purpose or whole wheat flour
salt and pepper to taste.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In medium pan cook onions, pancetta, mushrooms until liquid is evaporated and onions are slightly brown. Set aside and allow to cool.
3. Add chese to the pancetta and mushroom mixture.
4. Spoon 1/4 of mixture per chicken breast into the pocket created on with the butterfly cut.
5. Fold breast and dredge in flour, salt and pepper mixture. Dip into beaten eggs and then dredge through bread crumbs.
6. In medium heated pan add 2 tbsp olive oil and cook chicken for 2-3 minutes per side to slightly brown. Transfer breasts to sheet pan and cook in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center.

Try it! You might like it...or maybe you'll order pizza.