Chicken Marsala

I posted Giada's Mustard Mascarpone Chicken Marsala recipe a while back. The recipe below is the way I learned how to make chicken marsala at Johnson & Wales. The class included dishes such as veal picatta and veal francese. These dishes are all very similar. You take a piece of meat, pound it a little to make it even so that it will cook evenly, lightly dredge it in seasoned flour, shallow fry and make a quick pan sauce using some sort of wine.

Ingredients:
5 slices bacon, diced
½ cup seasoned flour (flour seasoned with salt and pepper, to taste)
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
4-6 tablespoons butter
1 pound cremini mushrooms, quartered
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
½ cup Florio brand marsala wine
1 cup chicken broth
¼ cup half and half
2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a shallow bowl, stir together the flour, salt, and pepper.

In a large skillet, render the bacon over medium heat, stirring often, until crispy. Transfer bacon pieces to plate. Do not pour out rendered bacon fat.

Turn the heat under the skillet to medium-high. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter.

Dredge chicken breast in seasoned flour. Working in batches, fry the chicken breast until golden. (You may need to add more butter between batches.) Transfer breasts to ovenproof dish and arrange in a single layer. (A rectangular baking dish works well.)

Place dish in oven to finish. (This is a method we used a lot in school. Burner space was always premium so most of the time we partially cooked our food and place them directly in the oven to finish. This method also produces better results.)

Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the skillet. Add the mushrooms and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring often until the liquid from mushrooms evaporates.

Add the bacon to the pan and cook until crispy.

Add the wine, bring the liquid to a boil and reduce by half. Add the chicken broth and return to a boil. Lower heat, add half and half. Adjust seasonings, turn off heat and add parsley.

Remove chicken from oven. To serve, arrange one or two breasts on a plate and nappe with mushroom sauce.

The bf LOVES chicken marsala and I always try to make it a little different each time. I ask him which version he prefers and he said that they are all very good. This version tastes slightly lighter than Giada's mascarpone version. I said slightly because this version relies on the flavor from bacon and bacon fat while the mascarpone version uses olive oil.

He seems to like it with simple creamy mashed potatoes and a vegetable. This time I decided on broccoli.

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Capellini with Shrimp and Spinach

This is a very simple dish to make for a busy weeknight dinner. We eat a lot of chicken at home. Mainly because I still have an aversion to red meat that taste too “meaty.” I’ve been trying to cook other types of protein so I bought a few bags of frozen shrimp. I don’t care too much for shrimp. I think it tastes okay but it is usually more expensive than chicken. The bf eats large portions.

I am stumped most nights when it comes to what I want to make for dinner. I cannot come up with or stick to a weekly meal plan. I never know what I want to eat and I won’t cook it if I’m not feeling it. I admire those who can come up with a weekly dinner plan and stick to it.

I usually start to think about my dinner in the morning. One day last week, I was inspired to make this dish by a dish I like to order at a restaurant called Cucina Colore. The restaurant is described as warm, upbeat, contemporary Italian cuisine. We rarely dine out these days. I like dining out but I feel that I can make the same dishes for a fraction of the cost. The bf said we should go out to a nice restaurant at least once a month. I would rather stay in and make it myself. Maybe it is because I ate out too much during my dating and socializing days. I notice that most of my friends now have families and it is really difficult for them to dine out.

The Cucina Colore version features both shrimp and scallops but I don’t cook usually cook scallops at home so I decided on a shrimp only version. I also made it a lot less brothy than the Cucina Colore version. I wanted leftovers for work and the brothy version would result in soggy pasta.

Here is my version of this very simple pasta dish inspired by a dish simply called Capellini - seared sea scallops, gulf shrimp, roasted tomato, spinach, pecorino, garlic broth

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ pounds extra large shrimp
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large tomato, concasse (peeled, seeds removed and diced)
½ cup dry white wine
salt
pepper
1 pound capellini pasta, cooked al dente
12 ounce bag baby spinach
fresh Italian parsley
grated pecorino

1. Cook pasta.

2. Heat a large 4 quart sauté pan, add oil and olive oil. When butter is melted, add garlic and sauté about a minute. Add shrimp and cook until shrimp slightly pink. Add tomatoes, white wine, salt and papper. Cook until tomatoes are soft and wine is reduced by about half.

3. Add pasta, spinach and parsley. Stir to combine. Cook until spinach is wilted. Serve with pecorino cheese.

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Lasagna Style Baked Ziti with Pesto and Marinara

I don’t know where I was going with this dish. I wanted to throw something together that was suitable for a cold and dreary spring day in Colorado. I’ve lived in Denver for the last five and a half years and I have never seen anything like this. We got tons of snow (the mountains got 3 to 4 plus feet of snow) and it was all mixed with rain. On Friday afternoon the rain turned into snow and it snowed through the night. On Saturday it was a rain-snow mix but mostly rain here in the metro area. I had errands that I desperately needed to complete so I was out in the slushy mess.

Now back to the ziti. I was craving ziti during the week but I knew that a huge pan of ziti would sit in my fridge for several days and eventually end up in the garbage so I waited until the weekend when the bf was here. When I make baked ziti, I never work off a recipe and the ziti does change quite a bit depending on several factors. This time I wanted to use up some pesto I had in the freezer.

Pesto is one of those things that I like to make in season but shy away from during the off-season. The reason is because of the cost. During the summer when basil is plentiful in gardens and farmer’s markets, it is a practical thing to make and store. What else are you supposed to do with bags and bags of basil leaves? Anyone who has ever grown basil knows that it is very important to continually pinch and clip away at the tips to prevent the bush from flowering and seeding. During the off-season, basil is prohibitively expensive. I like the taste of fresh basil even during the winter months so occasionally I will buy one of those larger flowering herbs. The most cost-effective way to sneak the basil flavor in is to make and freeze pesto. Dried basil is just not the same. Pesto can be purchased in jars or tubs but the quality really varies. I found a brand called Cibo Naturals that I really like. It tastes almost as good as homemade pesto.

1 pound ziti, cooked according to package directions
1 ¼ pounds bulk Italian sausage
½ cup onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 cups of basic red sauce
salt
pepper
1 15 ounce container part-skim ricotta cheese
½ cup good pesto
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
4 ounces parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and liquid squeezed out

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Brown italian sausage and then add garlic and onions. Cook until onions are soft. Add marinara sauce and season with salt and pepper. Turn off heat and set aside.
3. Mix ricotta and pesto together. Set aside.
4. Now comes the assembling. We will use a similar layering method used for lasagna. Start off with about a cup of sauce on the bottom of a baking pan. Top with half of ziti noodles, ricotta-pesto mixture, mozzarella and parmesan cheese, spinach, and another cup of sauce. Repeat the layering and top the last layer of sauce with mozzarella cheese

I don't like too much cheese on top. I prefer it mixed in.

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Giada’s Chicken with Mustard Marsala Sauce Dissected

Every now and then I like to pick a food network chef's recipe, make it and jot down notes for future reference. The notes help me recreate the dish later. The changes I make doesn't necessarily mean that there was a flaw in the recipe. I just have my own preferences when I cook. I usually like to make Giada or Ina's recipes because I usually have success with their recipes. I love Giada's Chicken Florentine recipe and Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables recipe.

I decided to make Giada's version of Chicken Marsala. I usually make my version of Chicken Marsala from memory but I found her recipe using mascarpone cheese instead of cream. I bought a little tub of mascarpone a few days ago. Wow the little tub was chock full of fat and calories! I worked off Giada’s recipe with some of my own variations. I like to dredge my chicken prior to frying and I like to finish it off in the oven. While the chicken finished in the oven, I made the mushroom marsala sauce and I nappéd the chicken with the sauce. I was a little skeptical (and the bf was more than a little skeptical) of the Dijon mustard but the end result was really good. The bf gave his stamp of approval.

Below is Giada’s recipe in regular font. I struck out the directions that I didn't follow and added what I did in italics.

1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, each breast cut crosswise into 3 pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
seasoned flour (seasoned with salt, pepper, cayenne and marjoram)
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 tablespoons butter, divided
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup dry Marsala wine
1 cup (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves, plus whole sprigs, for garnish
12 ounces dried fettuccine

Directions

Flatten chicken breasts with meat mallet or rolling pin. It doesn't have to be thin like viener schnitzle but should be uniform. Pat dry, season and dredge in seasoned flour. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and cook just until brown, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cool slightly. Transfer chicken to an oven-proof dish and cook in a 400 degree preheated oven until cooked through.

While the chicken cools cooks, melt 2 tablespoons of butter to the same skillet over medium-high heat, then add the onion and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic and saute until the mushrooms are tender and the juices evaporate, about 12 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until it is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Stir in the mascarpone and mustard. Simmer a few minutes until sauce thickens slightly. Cut the chicken breasts crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat until the chicken is just cooked through and the sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chopped parsley. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt, pepper, cayenne and marjoram. Transfer cooked chicken breast on to serving plates and nappé with mushroom mascarpone sauce.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain. Toss the fettuccine with 3 tablespoons of butter and season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Swirl the fettuccine onto serving plates. Spoon the chicken mixture over top. Garnish with parsley sprigs and serve.

I decided to make mashed potatoes instead of pasta.
I think the cup of mascarpone was a little too much. I think half a cup would have been plenty.
I decided to slice the onions in stead of chop them.

Marsala wine:
I keep a few fortified wines in my refrigerator. Madeira is pretty handy for deglazing and making a quick pan sauce. Marsala has a distinctive flavor and there is no real substitute when you want chicken marsala. You can sub a different wine such as sherry or even shaoxing but then you wouldn’t be able to call it marsala. You would call it chicken and mushrooms with sherry sauce or chicken and mushrooms with shaoxing sauce. I keep a bottle of marsala for the sole purpose of making chicken marsala and since it is fortified, it keeps for a pretty long time. I buy Florio brand marsala. It is a pretty good brand and is readily available in a well-stocked liquor store. Marsala cooking wine is also available but I cannot attest for the taste or quality since I’ve never cooked with it.

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Turkey Italian Meatballs

A long time ago I asked an Italian friend to show me his method for making meatballs. He agreed to show me not only meatballs but red sauce and vodka sauce. He said for meatballs we must use ground beef, veal, and pork. I smiled and asked if we could make them with ground turkey instead. He looked at me weird and said that we could but it wouldn’t taste as good. In the end we ended up with two different batches. Mine was made with turkey and the sauce was pureed until smooth because at that time I preferred my sauce smooth. I now prefer it a little chunkier. My vodka sauce was even made with turkey bacon.

I’ve learned to adapt so many recipes to poultry instead of red meat that my mind only recognizes the taste of the poultry version. Sloppy joes only taste “correct” when I make it with ground turkey. Philly cheesesteak? Sure, I'll have it with slices of grilled chicken, peppers, and provolone cheese. Ever have a chicken Big Mac? I managed to convinced the folks at McDonald’s to make me a chicken version.

As with many recipes learned through observation, this one is not truly a recipe. My friend’s version calls for frying the meatballs (or as he calls them “meat flats) on the stovetop. The Barefoot Contessa does her chicken meatballs in the oven. I prefer the oven because I can actually do other things in the kitchen while the meatballs bake.

• 1.25 lbs ground turkey (turkey seems to come in 1.25 packages. Don’t get the 97/3 version of the ground turkey. They will dry out)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cloves garlic (or garlic powder)
• ½ onion, finely minced (or chopped garlic)
• oregano
• basil
• flat leaf parsley
• parmesan cheese, grates
• ½ cup breadcrumbs
• salt
• black pepper
• crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• fennel (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together and form balls. Place balls on an aluminum foil lined baking pan.
3. Bake for about 20 minutes or until slightly golden. (Depends on the size of your meatballs. I prefer my meatballs on the smaller side.)

That is it. You can now finish cooking them in red sauce and serve over spaghetti noodles or use them in Italian wedding soup.

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Pizza Night

I used Peter Reinhart's Neapolitan Pizza dough recipe with a few adjustments. I made the dough after work on Friday.

4 1/2 cups (20.25 ounces) unbleached bread flour
1 3/4 (.44 ounce) teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon (.11 ounce) instant yeast
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup (2 ounces) olive oil (optional)
1 3/4 cups (14 ounces) water, ice cold (40°F)
1 tablespoon malt syrup (I had to dissolve it in warm water.)
Semolina flour or cornmeal for dusting

1. Stir together the flour, salt, and instant yeast in a 4-quart bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer). With a large metal spoon, stir in the oil and the cold water until the flour is all absorbed (or mix on low speed with the paddle attachment), If you are mixing by hand, repeatedly dip one of your hands or the metal spoon into cold water and use it, much like a dough hook, to work the dough vigorously into a smooth mass while rotating the bowl in a circular motion with the other hand. Reverse the circular motion a few times to develop the gluten further. Do this for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and the ingredients are evenly distributed. If you are using an electric mixer, switch to the dough hook and mix on medium speed for 5 to 7 minutes, or as long as it takes to create a smooth, sticky dough. The dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom of the bowl. If the dough is too wet and doesn't come off the sides of the bowl, sprinkle in some more flour just until it clears the sides. If it clears the bottom of the bowl, dribble in a tea spoon or two of cold water. The finished dough will be springy, elastic, and sticky, not just tacky, and register 50 to 55F.

2. Sprinkle flour on the counter and transfer the dough to the counter. Prepare a sheet pan by lining it with baking parchment and misting the parchment with spray oil (or lightly oil the parchment). Using a metal dough scraper, cut the dough into 6 equal pieces (or larger if you are comfortable shaping large pizzas), You can dip the scraper into the water between cuts to keep the dough from sticking to it, Sprinkle flour over the dough. Make sure your hands are dry and then flour them. Lift each piece and gently round it into a ball. If the dough sticks to your hands, dip your hands into the flour again. Transfer the dough balls to the sheet pan, Mist the dough generously with spray oil and slip the pan into a food-grade plastic bag. (This is where I divided them into five balls and put them into little oiled plastic containers. The pizza are still really small. The bf said to go ahead and just divide the two into two next time.)

3. Put the pan into the refrigerator overnight to rest the dough, or keep for up to 3 days. (Note: If you want to save some of the dough for future baking, you can store the dough balls in a zippered freezer bag. Dip each dough ball into a bowl that has a few tablespoons of oil in it, rolling the dough in the oil, and then put each ball into a separate bag. You can place the bags into the freezer for up to 3 months. Transfer them to the refrigerator the day before you plan to make pizza.)

4. On the day you plan to make the pizza, remove the desired number of dough balls from the refrigerator 2 hours before making the pizza. Dust the counter with flour, and then mist the counter with spray oil. Place the dough balls on top of the floured counter and sprinkle them with flour; dust your hands with flour. Gently press the dough into flat disks about 1/2 inch thick and 5 inches in diameter. Sprinkle the dough with flour, mist it again with spray oil, and cover the dough loosely with plastic wrap or a food-grade plastic bag. Let rest for 2 hours.

5. At least 45 minutes before making the pizza, place a baking stone either on the floor of the oven (for gas ovens), or on a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven as hot as possible, up to 800F (most home ovens will go only to 500 to 550F, but some will go higher). If you do not have a baking stone, you can use the back of a sheet pan, but do not preheat the pan.

6. Generously dust a peel or the back of a sheet pan with semolina flour or cornmeal. Make the pizzas one at a time. Dip your hands, including the backs of your hands and knuckles, in flour and lift I piece of dough by getting under it with a pastry scraper. Very gently lay the dough across your fists and carefully stretch it by bouncing the dough in a circular motion on your hands, carefully giving it a little stretch with each bounce. If it begins to stick to your hands, lay it down on the floured counter and reflour your hands, then continue shaping it. Once the dough has expanded outward, move to a full toss as shown on page 208. If you have trouble tossing the dough, or if the dough keeps springing back, let it rest for 5 to 20 minutes so the gluten can relax, and try again. You can also resort to using a rolling pin, though this isn't as effective as the toss method.

7. When the dough is stretched out to your satisfaction (about 9 to 12 inches in diameter for a 6-ounce piece of dough), lay it on the peel or pan, making sure there is enough semolina flour or cornmeal to allow it to slide. Lightly top it with sauce and then with your other toppings, remembering that the best pizzas are topped with a less-is-more philosophy. The American "kitchen sink" approach is counterproductive, as it makes the crust more difficult to bake. A few, usually no more than 3 or 4 toppings, including sauce and cheese is sufficient. (I wanted to do simple toppings but the bf needs his meat so I bought some salami and pepperoni in addition to my fresh mozzarella and fresh basil.)

8. Slide the topped pizza onto the stone (or bake directly on the sheet pan) and close the door. Wait 2 minutes, then take a peek. If it needs to be rotated 180 degrees for even baking, do so. The pizza should take about 5 to 8 minutes to bake. If the top gets done before the bottom, you will need to move the stone to a lower self before the next round. if the bottom crisps before the cheese caramelizes, then you will need to raise the stone for subsequent bakes.

9. Remove the pizza from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Wait 3 to 5 minutes before slicing and serving, to allow the cheese to set slightly.

Sauce:
I made a very simple sauce.

1 large can of diced tomatoes
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon italian season
salt
black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon crush red pepper
1 teaspoon dried onion flakes

1. Puree diced tomatoes and garlic. (I decided on diced tomatoes instead of crushed because i wanted to leave them a little chunky.)
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer until reduced.

Toppings:
- fresh mozzarella cheese
- fresh basil leaves
- italian seasoning
- sliced salami
- sliced pepperoni

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Sweet Pea Risotto

This was dinner on Saturday night. I was intending to serve with flounder. The flounder was a disaster. I will have to go complain tell the store about the horrible flounder they sold to me. The flesh turned into liquid mush. I read that sometimes arrowtooth flounder gets sold as flounder. The arrowtooth produces an enzyme soon after it dies. The enzyme turns the flesh into liquid mush.

The risotto was quite yummy.

- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion; diced
- 2 cups arborio rice
- 1/2 cup madeira wine
- 4-8 cups chicken broth or stock
- sea salt
- fresh black pepper
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 1/2 cups frozen sweet peas; thawed

1. In a large pot, melt butter and add olive oil. Saute diced onion until translucent. Add rice, coat with fat and cook for about another minute.
2. Add wine and stir in. Let rice absorb wine. (Use a dry white wine. I used madeira since I tend to keep fortified wines in the fridge and I didn't want to open up a bottle of white wine for the dish.)
3. Add about half cup of stock, stir and let rice absorb liquid. Continue adding stock in half cup increments, stirring and allowing each addition to absorb. Repeat until rice is al dente.
4. Meanwhile puree about 1 3/4 cups of green peas. You may need to add a little water to get the puree going.
5. Just before serving, add the pureed peas, the rest of the peas, salt, pepper, and grated parmesan cheese.

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Red Sauce

The BF asked what I wanted for dinner. I said I wanted Green Chile and he said it was too warm for green chile. So I asked him what he wanted because I knew he wasn't up for my green chile suggestion. He suggested lasagna. Lasagna sounded good. When we got to the store we stood in the pasta aisle and the BF asked how I felt about manicotti. I wasn't up for stuffing manicotti so I suggested shells instead. The sauce went on the manicotti.

- few tablespoons olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 T dried oregano
- 2 cans crushed tomatoes (i like san marzano's but they are not always available.)
- 2 carrots, shredded
- 2 ribs celery, small dice
- 1 pound italian sausage (sometimes i make meatballs but that is for a different post.)
- 1 sugar
- 2 bay leaves
- fresh basil
- 1 can tomato paste

i think this sauce changes depending on my mood and what i'm making the sauce for. since this was for shells, i decided to go the simple route. i sometimes use a little wine but the BF doesn't like wine so no wine this time. i didn't bother with fresh oregano but i did have some fresh basil. i don't usually use tomato paste but i didn't have all day to cook the sauce so after about an hour and a half of simmering, i added a little paste. i usually grate some parmesan cheese in the sauce but since there was a lot of cheese for the shells. i think my sauce is the best when i use the best ingredients and when i make meatballs. the meat juice from the meatballs are really flavorful.

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