Sunday, August 19, 2018

Stuffed Chicken Marsala

A restaurant favorite of my hubby, stuffed chicken marsala is a meal I have tried in vain to get right.... until now.  I set aside the 6 different recipes I have tried in my attempts to do this justice.  Finally, I nailed it.

The trick is to use far less marsala than most recipes call for.  My first try, the recipe called for half a bottle of wine.  Seriously?  I got a buzz just smelling the sauce.  Now that I have a solid decade of cooking with wine under my belt, I can see what a mistake that was.  But you live and learn.

Ingredients:

Filling:
4 oz. Cream cheese, softened
3 sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
1 tap. dried basil
2 oz. shredded mozzarella
3-4 T. parmesan
2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. each oregano and fennel seed, if desired

Chicken and sauce:
3-4 T. each olive oil and butter
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1 T. minced garlic
2 whole chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
2 T. Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper
1/4-1/3 C. Marsala wine
3/4-1 C. heavy cream
1/3 C. parmesan

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients for the filling, set aside.

Next, separate the two halves of the chicken breast, take the larger half and cut that in half at it's thickest point.  Repeat for the second chicken breast.  Cut a 2-3 inch slit into the thickest part of the chicken and make a pocket. Spoon prepared filling into each pocket, then season the chicken generously with Italian seasoning.

Heat oven to 375.  In a large skillet or cast iron dutcD oven, add half of each olive oil and butter to pan over a medium high heat.  Sear chicken over medium high heat until lightly golden brown on both sides.  Remove from pan and place on a baking sheet or an uncovered ceramic dish and place in oven to finish cooking, depending on size of chicken pieces, it should take 18-25 to finish baking.

In the cast iron Dutch oven or skillet, add remaining olive oil and butter and sautee mushrooms, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.  When mushrooms are almost tender, about 1-2 minutes before they finish cooking, add marsala wine.  Reduce by half, turn heat to a low and slowly stir in heavy cream.  Stir in parmesan, keep the heat on low to avoid curdling the sauce.  Add additional parmesan to thicken the sauce as needed.  Sauce is done when it coats the back of a
spoon.  When chicken is ready, add to the sauce and serve over pasta or mashed potatoes with side salad.

Saturday, March 10, 2018

Tomato Basil Bisque

You know what they say, the third time is the charm.

On my third time making this, I finally nailed it.  I discovered the missing ingredient, the je ne sais quoi, the piece de resistence.  And in my head, I'm saying both of those phrases in a luxurious French accent which in my waking (and talking) hours, I simply do not possess.

The rich tomato flavor that I've been persuing in my struggles to make the recipe amazing comes from a simple, pantry staple.  Tomato paste.  I know, it sounds weird, but that's what truly sets this apart.  Here's how it comes together:

Ingredients:
1 can diced tomatoes or 1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 red or orange sweet bell pepper, chopped
1 shallot, minced
1 T. garlic, minced (about 3-4 cloves)
2 T. butter
2 T. olive oil
1/8 C. white wine (optional)
1 T. basil
1 6oz. can tomato paste
1 28 oz. can crushed tomato or tomato puree
1 C. marinara sauce
1-2 C. chicken broth or stock, reduced sodium
1 C. heavy cream
2 T. parmesan
1/2 tsp. paprika (optional)

In a large, cast iron Dutch oven, heat 1 T. each olive oil and butter until hot.  Add in cherry tomatoes, sweet pepper, and shallor, cook over medium high heat until tender and tomatoes have popped or split their skins.  Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant (30 seconds to a minute).

Smash until mixture resembles a chunky paste.  Deglaze pan with white wine (or chicken stock/broth).  Add in tomato paste and stir until well combined.  Add in remaining butter and olive oil.  Stir in chicken broth/stock in 1/4 C. increments until the first cup is well combined.  Stir in basil, marinara sauce, and heavy cream.  Stir in paprika (optional).  Add more chicken broth/stock if desired.  Let simmer over medium low heat for 10-15 minutes, stir in parmesan cheese.  Serve with crusty bread, grilled cheese, or with a light side salad.

Yields: 6-8 servings

Thursday, February 15, 2018

Rosemary Lemon Chicken

At a local, upscale restaurant last week, I tried their Sage Chicken and was blown away by how a few simple ingredients made a luxurious, elegant dish.  And then I got to thinking....why couldn't I make my own take on this at home.  And the grocery store so kindly put the few ingredients I needed on sale this week, I'm taking this as a sign from the universe.  When the universe (of chicken dinners) knocks, I simply must answer.  So this is what I'm making for dinner tonight.

3 chicken breast halves, butterflied (for 6 portions)
salt and pepper
1-2 T. flour or cornstarch
2 T. butter
2 T. olive oil
2-3 cloves minced garlic (1-2 tsp.)
1 large lemon
2-3 springs fresh rosemary (or 10-12 leaves of sage, if you prefer)
1 tsp. basil
2-3 T. white wine
1/8 C. heavy cream

Heat butter and olive oil in a nonstick or cast iron pan over medium heat, until butter has melted.
Season chicken with salt and pepper, lightly dredge in flour.  Sear over medium heat 4-5 minutes, flip and cook another 2-3 minutes.  Remove chicken from pan.  Saute garlic until fragrant, add in basil and squeeze in 1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice, stir gently to combine.  Stir in white wine and heavy cream.  Add chicken back to pan and top cutlets with rosemary (or sage leaves).  Bring to a low simmer and let simmer for 8-10 minutes.

Serve over mashed potatoes or angel hair pasta with sauteed mushrooms, garden salad, and crusty bread.