Chicken Marsala

In the words of my 2 year-old whenever she likes something: "Yum, yum, yum!" This was something out-of-the-ordinary from our usual dinner fare but I am happy to report it will be making its way onto the regular rotation. I had eaten Chicken Marsala before but never attempted my own, this recipe inspired me since it was so easy to put together.

I'm usually put off by strong wine/alcohol taste in food, and I was concerned with this one while the sauce was reducing because it had such a deep aroma, and was therefore pleasantly surprised at how mild-tasting it actually was. The sauce comes together nicely and is perfect over the thin, crispy chicken. My only change? Doubling the mushrooms, of course! I could just eat those in the sauce and be happy :)

Chicken Marsala
from Savory Sweet Life


Ingredients

2 skinless, boneless, chicken breasts
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup all purpose flour or corn starch for gluten-free
up to 1/2 cup olive or vegetable oil
8 ounces container of mushroom, sliced and cleaned (I used 2 containers)
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sweet Marsala wine
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup sherry or dry white wine (I used dry sherry)
Optional: 2 tablespoons heavy cream (I added a little half-and-half)
Garnish with chopped parsley or oregano

Instructions

1. Split each chicken breast through the middle to make 2 pieces. Place plastic wrap over them and pound each one flat using a meat tenderizer/mallet until they are about a quarter inch thick. Season a good amount of salt and pepper on both sides of each piece. Place some flour on a plate and and dredge each piece of chicken in it.

2. Heat the oil over medium-high heat and when the oil is hot fry each piece of chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side until they are golden brown (this may require you to do this in 2 batches). Remove chicken and place them on your serving platter covering them with foil. carefully soak up any remaining oil with paper towels and discard. 

3. Reduce the heat to medium and add butter and mushrooms. Saute mushrooms for 4-5 minutes making sure to season them with salt and pepper lightly. Add marsala wine, sherry, cream, and chicken stock allowing the liquid to reduce slightly – approx. 3 minutes. Pour mushrooms and sauce over chicken and serve. Enjoy!

Huevos Rancheros

Ah, breakfast for dinner. It just seems more fun that way, doesn't it? I love some good huevos rancheros, these ones were particularly delicious, I just wish they were more photogenic!

The best part about this dish is the ranchero salsa...I've actually made it a few more times to go with other meals because we like it so much. Its so simple, but I think its the addition of a little cooking time that gives it a little something more than a regular salsa.

Also, this recipe includes the addition of chorizo-infused refried beans as a side dish, which I was excited about being a big chorizo fan. However, I was a little disappointed in these, and really didn't think the chorizo was necessary and didn't add much flavor to the beans like I was hoping for. I just used canned beans so maybe homemade/fresh ones would have been better.

Oh, and make sure to cook your eggs just until the whites are set so you get lots of yummy yolk-y goodness to spread around :)

Huevos Rancheros
recipe adapted from From Away

Ingredients
2 cups refried beans (or one can)
4 oz. fresh Mexican chorizo
8 corn tortillas
2 cups Salsa Ranchera (recipe follows)
Vegetable oil (for frying)
8 eggs
1 cup pepper Jack cheese, grated
2 scallions, chopped
1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup Mexican crema, or regular sour cream thinned with milk (I used sour cream)

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, heat refried beans, thinned with a little water, until bubbly and hot. In a small frying pan, cook crumbled chorizo until crisp, and drain on paper towels. Add to refried beans, stir to combine, cover, and set aside. In another saucepan, warm salsa.

 2. Preheat oven to 200 degrees, and warm the plates you plan to use for serving in the oven. Cover bottom of a medium frying pan with vegetable oil bring to 340 degrees over medium heat. Working one at a time, quickly fry each tortilla, about two seconds per side. Drain tortillas on paper towels, place two tortillas on each plate, and put back in the oven to keep warm. 

3. Fry two eggs at a time in butter until cooked over-easy, with soft yolks. Keep finished eggs warm in oven as you continue cooking. 4. To assemble: On each plate, place a tablespoon of warm salsa on each tortilla. Top with fried eggs. Top eggs with another spoonful of salsa. Add refried beans to side of plate. Top eggs and beans with a few sprinkles of shredded Jack cheese, then scallions, then cotija (or Parmesan), followed by a sprinkle of cilantro, and a drizzle of the crema. Serve immediately.




Salsa Ranchera 

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 white onion, finely chopped
1 14.5 ounce can fire-roasted chopped tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 serrano chiles, toasted in a dry skillet until charred, stemmed, and chopped
A few shakes of Mexican hot sauce, such as Cholula brand (I didn’t add this because I didn’t think it needed it!)

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine oil and onions. Cook until onions begin to soften, about four minutes. Meanwhile, put tomatoes, garlic, and chiles in bowl of a food processor and pulse until smooth but still slightly chunky.
 2. Pour tomato mixture into pot with onions can cook over high heat for five minutes, or until sauce begins to thicken. Adjust spiciness of salsa by adding hot sauce, as needed.

Deep Dish Pizza

I'm a crispy, thin crust pizza kinda girl, but my husband LOVES deep dish. Its not what I think of when I want pizza, I think because it seems more casserole or pie-like versus a delicious crispy crust traditional version. So this was my first foray into deep dish-making, and this recipe almost has me converted. I was a little concerned about how long the recipe looked, but rest assured most of it is just the dough prep...which let's be honest, I never make my own dough. I might start though because its worth it! I really, really loved how this dough came out.

We made two batches of this dough, and created the deep dish pizza seen here as well as a regular pizza. The crust worked beautifully for both - it has a light, biscuit-y kind of texture, that when baked up also became kind of crispy so I was for sure a fan. My only change to this recipe was to add in Italian sausage between the mozzarella and the sauce, which I do recommend! Oh, and definitely don't try to shortcut and use a canned sauce, this pie needs a chunky, homemade one :)

Recipe from Pennies on a Platter

For the dough:
1 1/2 cups + 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1 1/8 tsp. instant yeast
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp. water, at room temperature
1 1/2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened


For the sauce:
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. grated onion
Pinch of dried oregano
1/4 tsp.salt
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1 (14.5 oz) can petite-diced tomatoes
Pinch of sugar
2 Tbsp. chopped basil leaves
1 1/2 tsp. olive oil
Ground black pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste


For assembling and topping:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
8 ounces Mozzarella, shredded (about 2 cups)
½ lb. Italian sausage, cooked, drained and crumbled
1/4 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (about 2 tablespoons)


To make the dough:
Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer, until well blended. Attach the dough hook and mix in the water and melted butter on low speed for 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Increase the speed to medium-low and knead until the dough is glossy and smooth, about 3 to 4 minutes. Coat a medium bowl with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil. Transfer the dough to the bowl, turning once to coat with oil. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until nearly doubled, about 45 to 60 minutes.
Once dough is risen, turn it out onto a dry work surface and roll into an 8- x 6-inch rectangle. To laminate the dough, spread the softened butter over the surface, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge. Starting at the short end, roll the dough into a tight cylinder. With the seam side down, flatten the cylinder into a 9- x 2-inch rectangle, then fold into thirds like a business letter. Pinch the seams to form a ball, and return to the oiled bowl. Cover tightly again with plastic wrap and let rise in the refrigerator for 40 to 50 minutes.   


Meanwhile, prepare the sauce:
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the onion, oregano and salt. Saute until the liquid has nearly evaporated and the onion is golden brown, stirring often, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes and sugar, then increase the heat to medium-high. Bring the mixture just to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer until reduced to about 1 1/4 cups, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the basil and oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.


Assemble and top the pizza: Preheat oven to 425˚F. Coat a 9-inch round cake pan with olive oil. Move the dough to a dry work surface and roll out into a 13-inch disk about 1/4-inch thick. Carefully transfer the dough to the pan and lightly press to line the bottom of the pan and 1 inch up the sides. If the dough resists stretching, wait 5 minutes before trying again. Sprinkle the shredded Mozzarella over the surface of the dough, then layer the sauce over the cheese. Top with Parmesan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until crust is golden brown. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

 Note: You can prep the dough ahead of time, and store in the fridge overnight or even freeze.

This Week's Menu

Huevos Rancheros

Deep Dish Pizza

Chicken Marsala

Ground Turkey Tacos

Parm Flounder

Udon Noodle Soup

Baked Chile Relleno

Quinoa and Roasted Pepper Chili

This is a fantastic vegetarian meal option that I highly recommend! Cooking Light magazine has so many delicious, light options in each issue (which they post online at the My Recipes website) that I always find myself debating which ones to try, and I'm glad I went with this one this week because it did not disappoint! There really isn't much to it, but the peppers and zucchini and quinoa work really well together and give it a hearty feel. Its a perfect light yet filling meal - thanks to that quinoa superfood! - that the whole family can enjoy.

One note I have is that at the original link, some reviewers mentioned it was much too spicy, but I followed the recipe almost exactly and I didn't have that issue at all - I actually wished mine had had a little more spice to it. I think this comes down to the poblanos, because you just never know what each one's heat level will be until you use them! So, just keep that in mind when you go to make this that you may need to watch out for your spice level!



Quinoa and Roasted Pepper Chili 
adapted from Cooking Light


Ingredients 
2 red bell peppers
2 poblano chiles
4 tsp.olive oil
3 cups chopped zucchini
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp.chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. Spanish smoked paprika
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes with chipotles, undrained (I couldn't find these, so I used regular fire-roasted tomatoes and added 1 tsp. of adobo sauce)
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup low-sodium vegetable juice

Directions

1. Preheat broiler.

2. Cut bell peppers and chiles in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet, and flatten with hand. Broil 10 minutes or until blackened. Place in a paper bag; fold to close tightly. Let stand 10 minutes. Peel and coarsely chop.

3. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add zucchini, onion, and garlic; sauté 4 minutes. Stir in chili powder, cumin, and paprika; sauté for 30 seconds. Add roasted peppers and chiles, 1/2 cup water, and remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until quinoa is tender.

Cajun Mac & Cheese

*Photo from Food Network

I guess you could use the term "grown-up mac and cheese" to describe this, and although I don't really like using that phrase, when I make this and my 2 year-old gets a different version, I guess the "grown-up" term is a good description. Although using the wagon wheel pasta gives it a kid-like feel...hmmm...let's just call this a spiced-up mac and cheese :)

We really enjoyed this, a little twist on a plain macaroni and cheese that totally didn't feel like we were eating macaroni and cheese. You could use polish sausage or smoked sausage in place of the andouille if you don't want the extra spice, and I think it would be just as good!

Ingredients
Kosher salt
12 oz. wagon-wheel pasta (I found this in the bulk section of my store, it can be hard to find in the pasta aisle)
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
6 oz. andouille sausage, diced
2 bunches scallions, thinly sliced
1 bell pepper (red or green), chopped
1 Tbsp. Cajun spice blend
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes (I used mild cheddar since we aren't sharp fans) 


Directions

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 1 minute less than the label directs. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta.

2. Meanwhile, combine the olive oil and sausage in a large skillet over high heat and cook, stirring, until the sausage starts to brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in the scallions and bell pepper and cook until the vegetables are slightly soft, about 3 more minutes. Add the Cajun spice and flour and cook, stirring, 2 more minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk and continue whisking until the sauce is thick and smooth, about 5 more minutes.

3. Add the pasta, cheese and reserved cooking water to the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, tossing to coat the pasta in the sauce and melt the cheese, about 1 minute.

Smothered Burritos

We don't do a lot of leftovers around here, so when my husband specifically asks to have something the next night, I know its definitely being added into our regular rotation! These enchilada-style burritos are yummy and HUGE! You can see in the photo below how they fit snugly in a 9x13, and I could barely fit 6 of them in the pan. A smothered burrito is my favorite kind of burrito, and I am happy to finally have a good, solid recipe to make these at home.

I will say something about the sauce - I was a little concerned after blending it because I wasn't totally keen on the taste of it, it was a little too sweet for my taste. BUT, once it had been baked on top of the burritos I was pleasantly surprised at how it all worked together. Any enchilada sauce or even a tomatillo sauce would work well on these though if you don't want to go through the trouble of making the one here.

Recipe adapted from Marci's Menu, she got it from The Recipe Club

Smothered Burritos 

  For the rice: 

1 cup rice, either long grain or basmati 

2 Tbsp. butter 

1/4 tsp salt 

1/4 tsp garlic powder 

1/4 tsp cumin 

1/3 cup cilantro 

2 cups chicken broth 

Juice of ½ lime 

 1. Melt butter in a pot and add all seasonings and cilantro. Add rice and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes stirring constantly. Add broth and lime juice, bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook about 30 minutes. Set aside. 

For the chicken: 

1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded - you can cook the chicken any way you want. I used a rotisserie chicken that I shredded and then cooked for about 30 minutes on the stove with some taco seasoning and water. 

For the sauce: 1 cup salsa verde 

1 package buttermilk ranch 

1/3 cup cilantro 

1/3 cup sour cream 

1/3 cup mayo 

1 tsp. minced garlic 

1/2 tsp coarse salt 

1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice 

1/4 tsp cumin 

1/4 cup sugar 

Put in a blender and blend away 

To assemble: 

6 burrito-size tortillas 

Shredded cheese 

1- 15 oz can black beans, drained 

Rice, recipe above 

 Put the chicken, rice, beans and cheese in the tortillas. Wrap them up cover them with sauce and then put them in the oven on 350 for 40 min covered with tin foil, then take the tin foil off, sprinkle more cheese on top and then cook them for another 10 minutes. Top with sour cream, guacamole, and/or pico!

Green Chile Breakfast Casserole

Breakfast is the favorite meal in our house. We LOVE making breakfast and going out to breakfast and would probably eat breakfast foods 3x a day if that was allowed.

Our breakfasts are typically of the savory variety - eggs and hash browns, casseroles, burritos, etc. We don't do much of the sweet stuff, just our preference.

So, knowing that we have had our fair share of breakfast casseroles, when my husband says this might be his favorite one yet, you know its got to be fantastic!

I could tell we would like it just from the picture (found here), and luckily it exceeded expectations! I feel the same way Kelly does in the recipe post - I didn't invent this, but I wish I had!

Here's why this is fabulous: the english muffins are the perfect base, after baking they take on a spongy, dense cake-like quality that holds up the rest of the goodies. The green chiles give it that little something extra without being spicy, and hello its topped with lots of cheesy ooey-gooey goodness. Have I mentioned its perfect for leftovers too? I'll be enjoying some again today!

Green Chile Breakfast Casserole

adapted from The Meaning of Pie

*Note: This is a make-ahead recipe and works best if it sits overnight - so plan ahead!

Ingredients

4 sourdough english muffins, split

2 Tbsp. spreadable butter

1 lb. bulk pork sausage

12 eggs

1 1/4 cups sour cream

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

2 (4 oz) cans diced green chiles

3 cups shredded coldy jack cheese

Directions

1. Lightly grease a 9x13 casserole dish. Spread butter onto english muffin halves. Place 6 halves buttered side down in casserole dish. Tear the remaining 2 halves into smaller pieces and place in the dish to fill in any gaps.

2. Cook sausage. Remove from pan and drain fat on paper towels.

3. In a large bowl, lightly whisk eggs. Add sour cream, garlic powder, salt and pepper and whisk to combine (you may still have some lumps, that's okay). 

4. To assemble: Sprinkle half the sausage on top of the english muffins, then add 1 can of green chiles and half the cheese. Pour all the eggs over the top, then create one more layer of sausage, chiles and cheese. Cover and refrigerate over night.

5. Remove casserole from fridge 30 mintues before baking. Heat oven to 350 and bake 30-40 minutes or until eggs are set and cheese is melted and bubbly. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Twice-Baked Chipotle Sweet Potatoes

I had this recipe in my mind for a while before I actually decided to take it on, and now I'm wondering why I waited so long! The sweet potato-chipotle combination is such a perfect balance of slightly sweet and slightly smoky - as my 2 year-old says, "yum, yum, yum!"

One thing: be sure not to go overboard with chipotles, otherwise you might end up with seriously spicy potatoes! I kept them to a minimum and was very pleased with how the chipotle flavor is prominent but not overwhelming. You can even skip the "twice baked" part of this and just enjoy these potatoes right out of the blender, which is what I would have done if I didn't have other mouths to feed :)

Ingredients

2 large sweet potatoes
2 Tbsp. sour cream
2 Tbsp. butter, softened
1 Tbsp. finely chopped chipotle chiles, canned in adobo sauce
1/4 tsp. salt
Fresh cilantro, for garnish (can also use green onion tops)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pierce sweet potatoes all over with a fork, then place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour or until tender. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.

2. Cut each sweet potato in half lengthwise, and scoop out the pulp; set potato skins aside. Combine pulp, sour cream, butter, chipotle and salt in a blender and puree until smooth.

3. Place potato skins back on baking sheet. Fill each shell with 1/4 of the sweet potato mixture. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until heated through. Garnish with cilantro.

Salmon Baked in Foil

I don't have much to say about this other than it was good. Tasty. Easy. The most important qualities for my dinnertime these days.

The salmon came out cooked perfect and the flavors were great - the tomatoes added a little sweetness that was a nice complement to the fish.


From Food Network


Ingredients

4 (5 ounces each) salmon fillets
2 teaspoons olive oil plus 2 tablespoons
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tomatoes, chopped, or 1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, drained
2 chopped shallots
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme

 Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Sprinkle salmon with 2 teaspoons olive oil, salt, and pepper. Stir the tomatoes, shallots, 2 tablespoons of oil, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper in a medium bowl to blend.

3. Place a salmon fillet, oiled side down, atop a sheet of foil. Wrap the ends of the foil to form a spiral shape. Spoon the tomato mixture over the salmon. Fold the sides of the foil over the fish and tomato mixture, covering completely; seal the packets closed. Place the foil packet on a heavy large baking sheet. Repeat until all of the salmon have been individually wrapped in foil and placed on the baking sheet. Bake until the salmon is just cooked through, about 25 minutes. Using a large metal spatula, transfer the foil packets to plates and serve.