Chicken Marsala

I had forgotten to look up a recipe for dinner and wanted to try something new so I just got onto my epicurious app and found this gem of a meal. Very delicious and rich in flavor. I had never tasted marsala wine and, of course, a chef must taste the vino they are putting into the recipe. It has a very unusual consistency, almost like a liqueur.

• 1 3/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (14 fl oz)
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 10 oz mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves (2 lb total)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons dry Marsala wine
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 200°F.

Bring broth to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan over high heat, then boil, uncovered, until reduced to about 3/4 cup, about 20 minutes. Cook shallot in 3 tablespoons butter in an 8- to 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until shallot begins to turn golden, about 1 minute. Add mushrooms, 1 teaspoon sage, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated and mushrooms begin to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat.
Put flour in a wide shallow bowl. Gently pound chicken to 1/4 inch thick between 2 sheets of plastic wrap using the flat side of a meat pounder or a rolling pin.

Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour, 1 piece at a time, shaking off excess. Transfer to sheets of wax paper, arranging chicken in 1 layer.

Heat 1 tablespoon each of oil and butter in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté half of chicken, turning over once, until golden and just cooked through, about 4 minutes total. Transfer cooked chicken to a large heatproof platter, arranging in 1 layer, then put platter in oven to keep warm. Wipe out skillet with paper towels and cook remaining chicken in same manner, then transfer to oven, arranging in 1 layer.

Add 1/2 cup wine to skillet and boil over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, about 30 seconds. Add reduced broth, cream, and mushrooms, then simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is slightly thickened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add lemon juice and remaining 2 tablespoons wine and 1/2 teaspoon sage.

Serve chicken with sauce.

Wine Pairing: Sauvignon Blanc

Brussels Sprouts Braised in Butter

I know, I know, brussels sprouts blahhhhh....but try these before you turn your nose up to this vegetable. Anything braised in butter is good! This recipe is from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

-brussels sprouts

-water

-salt

-butter

-wax paper

Trim the base of each Brussels sprout with a small knife and pierce a cross in it for quick cooking. Remove any wilted or yellowish leaves. Drop the sprouts into a rapidly boiling pot of water 1 ½ tsp salt per quart, bring to boil for 6-8 minutes, drain.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and smear butter inside a casserole or baking dish. Arrange the sprouts heads up in the casserole dish; sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, and with 2-4 tbls melted butter.

Take a round of lightly buttered waxed paper and lay it over the sprouts. Cover and heat on top of the stove until vegetables begin to sizzle, then place in middle level of oven and bake for 20 minutes or until tender.

Breast of Chicken with Duxelles Stuffing

I bought my first $50.00 app on my ipad the other day. The Professional Chef which is the Culinary Institute of America's textbook. I am very pleased with it and this is the first recipe I tried. Mouth watering delicious! I had no idea what duxelle was until I attempted this recipe. I have a feeling this app will be teaching me a lot.

4 boneless chicken supremes

2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

2 lb duxelles stuffing (recipe follows)

5 oz all-purpose flour

6 fl oz egg wash (recipe follows)

12 oz dried bread crumbs

24 fl oz clarified butter or oil, or as needed

Trim the chicken supremes and remove the skin if desired. Butterfly each breast portion and pound between sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap to even thickness.

Blot dry the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Spread each breast with a portion of the duxelles stuffing and roll the breast around the stuffing. Overlap the edges to form a seam.

Apply a standard breading: dredge the chicken in flour, dip in egg wash, and roll in bread crumbs.

Heat about 1/2in/1cm butter to about 350 degrees in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the chicken to the butter, seam side down first, and pan fry until golden brown and crisp, 2-3 minutes. Turn once and finish pan frying on the second side until the chicken reaches an internal temp of 170 degrees, about 3 more minutes. Finish cooking in a 350 degrees oven once the crust is properly browned, if preferred.

Duxelles Stuffing:

6 oz minced shallot

2 oz butter

2 lb small dice mushrooms

1 tbsp salt

2 tsp ground black pepper

8 fl oz heavy cream that has been reduced by half

8 oz bread crumbs

1 tbsp chopped parsley

Sweat the shallots in the butter in a sautoir over medium-high heat until translucent, 2-3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté them until dry to create a duxelles. Season the duxelles with some of the salt and pepper.

Add the cream, breadcrumbs, and parsley and mix well. 

Egg Wash:

5 eggs

5 oz milk

Pinch salt

Combine using a wire whip.

Chicken Cacciatore

I just wanted to try something new for the children and I was not sure they would eat chicken with a tomato sauce. My son had his friend over and I served this dish. His friend asked me to give the recipe to his mom and my son said "please make this again." Success! Even my daughter, who is a picky eater, ate dinner that night. This recipe is very easy and found in the February 2012 issue of Food and Wine magazine.

2 tbs olive oil

2 pnds skinless, boneless chicken, cut into 2 inch pieces

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

8 oz cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 tsp finely chopped rosemary

2 tbs tomato paste

1 can peeled Italian tomatoes, pureed, 28 oz

¼ cup water

1 tbs balsamic vinegar

Crusty bread for serving

In a large, deep skillet, heat the oil until shimmering. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, add to skillet and cook over high heat until browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

Add the onion, garlic, mushrooms, and rosemary to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper and cook until softened and lightly browned in spots, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste. Add the pureed tomatoes and ¼ cup of water. Add the chicken and any juices and bring to a boil.

Cover partially and simmer over moderately low heat until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thickened, about 15 minutes. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and serve with crusty bread.

Wine pairing: Earthy, spiced Chianti: 2009 Coltibuono RS Chianti Classico.

Braised Pork with Cherry Gravy

Picture found on foodandwine.com

This dish would be my first try at an overnight marinade dish and all I have to say is "wow." The pork was so tender you could cut through it with a fork, that is the way pork is meant to be. The flavor is delicious. This dish is worth the effort to make. Both of my children loved it. Recipe by Michel Nischan and found in the February 2012 issue of Food and Wine magazine.

4 pounds boneless pork shoulder, tied

Salt and freshly ground pepper

5 tbs vegetable oil

6 celery ribs, coarsely chopped

2 carrots, coarsely chopped

3 large onions, coarsely chopped

¼ cup tomato paste

1 cup dry red wine

6 cups chicken stock or broth

1 cup dried sour cherries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Season the pork with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven, brown the pork in 2 tbs oil. Remove the pork; pour off the fat. Add 2 tbs of the oil to the pot. Add the celery, carrots, and 2 onions and cook over moderate heat until golden, 15 minutes. Add the tomato paste, wine, and stock; bring to a boil. Add the pork and cherries, cover and braise in the oven for 4 hours. Cool, refrigerate overnight.

The next day, skim the fat from the liquid and remove the pork. Boil the gravy until reduced to 1 ½ cups, 26 minutes. Strain the gravy into a saucepan and season with salt and pepper. Untie the pork and slice into 6 medallions.

In nonstick skillet, heat 1 tbs oil, add the pork and brown well. Serve with the gravy.

Wine pairing: Tart cherry-scented, medium bodied such as Chianti: 2009 Selvapiana.

Fried Rice

This is my own version of fried rice adapted from the foodnetwork.com and courtesy of Tyler Florence.

My daughter came home from her friends and said she loved fried rice. I had never made it before so I found a recipe online and served it to her. She said "yuck peas",so a couple weeks later I tried again, but this time I replaced the peas with mushrooms, which she loves. This version turned out great but I took the cabbage and shrimp out of Tyler's Shrimp and Egg Fried Rice with Napa Cabbage recipe. The nice thing is you can add whatever veggies you like and include or omit shrimp and/or chicken.

6 Tbs peanut oil

2 shallots

1 (2in) piece ginger, peeled and grated

2 cloves garlic, minced

6-8 oz mushrooms, sliced

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

4 cups cooked rice, preferably cooled.

3 tbs soy sauce

¼ bunch scallions, sliced for garnish

½ cup chopped peanuts, for garnish

Heat 2 tbs of the peanut oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet over medium high. Give the oil a minute to heat up, then add the shallots and ginger stir-fry for 1 minute until fragrant. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add 2 more tbs of peanut oil, add the garlic and saute until fragrant, saute mushrooms until tender, set aside.

Add remaining oil in wok and when hot, crack the eggs into the center. Scramble the egg lightly, and then let it set without stirring so it stays in big pieces. Fold the rice in and toss with egg until well combined.  Return all other ingredients to dish and season with salt and soy sauce, heat through. Garnish with scallions and peanuts.

Dawn's Tri-tip Marinade and Seasoned Red Potatoes

My best friend, Dawn, had been watching my children one day so that I could go to work and I came home to this delicious meal. My response was "when can you move in?" She is a fantastic cook and throws things together without recipes. These are both her creations and as far as measurements, well, you will have to add to taste.

Dawn’s Tri-tip Marinade

Montreal steak seasoning

Olive oil

Soy sauce

Worcestershire sauce

Red wine vinegar

Cut tri-tip into 1 inch slices and grill or bake to preference.

Seasoned Red Potatoes

Cut potatoes into bite size  pieces.

Put in bowl and stir in olive oil, French seasoning, and pepper to taste.

Spread in one layer on cookie sheet and sprinkle seasoning salt on top

Roast for 30 minutes at 450 degrees

Broil last few minute to crisp and brown tops.