Chicken Marsala

Here's a simple dish I haven't made in ages. I don't really even have a recipe for this so I decided to simply surf the web and see what appealed to my senses. Chicken Marsala is such a simple rich dish to make and most of the items are usually in my pantry, outside of the Marsala Wine. I seem to be going through these rich, saucy pasta dishes this week, which is not typically my method of cooking....Must be the cold weather. My search landed on the Epicurious recipe that incorporates fresh sage. That sounds so warm and inviting paired with the chicken, wine and pasta. I did note to buy a good mix of organic mushrooms and found this particular recipe to be full of robust mushroom flavor. Spoiler alert to those who might not be a big fan of mushrooms. Super simple and super quick. I wouldn't change a thing. Paired with wide egg noodles and a delicious red wine. Bon appetit!

INGREDIENTS

1. • 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

PREPARATION

1. 1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 200°F.
   2. 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.
   3. 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.
   4. 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.
   5. 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.
   6. 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.
   7. 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.
2. 1. Serve chicken with sauce.

Lobster in Cream Sauce

It seems as if lobster tails have been on sale pretty regularly here on the east coast. I LOVE my seafood, and feel that it is usually pretty versatile in how you can prepare it. This time I just decided to steam the tails and incorporate them with a variety of mushrooms, fresh peas, leeks, thinly sliced new potatoes, chicken broth, heavy whipping cream and fresh fennel served over pasta. Delicious! Of course, how could lobster and cream not be uber indulgent? Super simple and helped me to use up what was in the refrigerator. That is the beauty of this kind of dish; you can basically throw whatever vegetables you have in the pan with the seafood. The boys cleaned their plates and everyone had warm, happy tummys. Bon appetit.

Holiday Tradition...Party Mix

OK, so you wonder why I would post about traditional Chex Party Mix. It's been around forever.  Everyone does it. Well, all true, but, in traditional Heidi fashion I have to find THE BEST party mix recipe. Suffice it to say that I am getting close. After years of making this for the men in my home, we have all decided that recipes that give you a little kick are the best. I usually add some red pepper flakes and a little cayenne pepper. I usually use a mix nut blend and an additional can of cashews. I often use one box of Crispix instead of one of corn Chex and one of rice Chex. I go light on the pretzels and I add a box of Cheez Its. That having been said, we usually find this to be a pretty good balance. From here it's all up in the air. Most recipes are pretty similar in the sauce mix so I often just surf the web to find one that looks good. This year I used a recipe that called for fresh garlic. Suffice it to say, I was not impressed. Garlic should not be the predominant taste and fresh garlic overpowered the mix. Oh well, cooking, as in life, is a learning lesson. Trust me, no one is letting a little garlic stop them! Merry Christmas and Bon appetit!

Here's a nice recipe I have used in the past that has a bit of spice to it....

https://www.isabeleats.com/spicy-chex-mix-recipe/

Popcorn for Dinner

Here in the South (yes, Capital "S") we occasionally serve "Breakfast" for "Dinner". As children we always anticipated "Pancake Night". In my household we sometimes have "Backwards Night" where we have dessert first, followed by the main meal. This would usually be on special occasions such as birthdays, etc. Needless to say, the boys LOVED it! I'm sure I started this when the children were young and fussy and wanted the instant gratification the dessert would bring. Now that the kids are gone Kevin and I find ourselves sometimes too full from a big lunch to want much dinner. Solution?....."Popcorn night". Beer and Anson Mills Popcorn filled the bill tonight. Having had a large lunch today we just wanted a little something to tide us over until morning. I have been eyeballing the Anson Mills Popcorn I bought and put into the freezer several months ago and thought it would be the perfect remedy. This Appalachian heirloom grain is delicious! I have never been one for microwave commercial popcorn that is dull and tasteless. Move over Orville Redenbacher! Never again! Anson Mills says that this is the last corn they plant and harvest. This is the same grain that was grown in this area thousands of years ago and toasted in hot sand until the kernels popped. Wow! I will have to try this cooking method.

"Breakfast Night", "Backwards Night" and now "Popcorn Night"...Love the family traditions, and creating new memories. Thanks again, Anson Mills! Bon appetit.

Cooking with my Hubby - Sweet Potato Coconut Curry Soup and Hummus Kawarma (lamb) with Lemon Sauce

Wow! Honey! Who knew you could cook like that?! Dang! I come home from a long day at work and Kevin is in the kitchen whipping up some Spicy Sweet Potato and Coconut Soup concoction, kind of a mix of two different recipes. Yeah, it rocked, baby! Something so sexy about cooking great food and sharing it with the ones you love. Our rule...whichever one is cooking, the other one keep your nose out of it and your opinions to yourself. This advice has proven well during the course of our marriage. On this particular occasion I am glad I did stay out of it. It rocked the Casbah! The flavor just kind of came in waves, creamy, cruncy, hearty.....little sweet, little spicy, totally awesome!  Rock on, Kevin!

http://minimalistbaker.com/sweet-potato-coconut-curry-soup/

While Kevin made the soup I threw together another recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi (I know, you are probably tired of hearing about him by now!). I had some leftover homemade hummus so I made his Hummus Kawarma (lamb) with Lemon Sauce. Basically just a mixture of a number of Middle Eastern spices and lamb (I used ground as that is what I had on hand) served warm atop room temperature homemade hummus and then topped with lemon sauce. YUM! The spicy, salty flavor was a great complement to the sweet, hot soup. I dare say you would be hard pressed to find anywhere in town to eat such a delicious meal. One of the nicest things about it was that it was filling without being overpowering; I hate being stuffed. On top of all that, we actually ate at 9:00 which is early for us!

Recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi's Jerusalem.

Bon appetit and thanks, Babe, for working aside me tonight. 

Holiday afterglow...Thanksgiving 2016

The house is quiet today for the first time this week as everyone has to go their separate ways to do things. As I enjoy a jazzed up java (decaf, of course) with Baileys, Kahlua and Frangelico topped off with a dollop of fresh whipped cream (YUM!) I am relishing the time to get myself organized and cook a well thought out meal for the family tonight. No more turkey here. Although we always enjoy the leftovers, we only eat the Thanksgiving meal once a year and that does it for us until the next year. Tonight is on to more Middle Eastern fare, one of my favorites. With a vegetarian "girlfriend in law" thrown into the mix, I get inspired to pull out the "Yotam Ottolenghi" Bible and try new recipes. Living with three carnivores I have to have some meat in there. Tonight's menu:

Homemade hummus from dried chickpeas
Basmati and wild rice with chickpeas, currants and herbs
Barley risotto with marinated feta
Flank Steak
Salad

HUMUS...often the precursor to many political and nationalistic discussions about the true origins, Jewish? Egyptian? I dare say the hummus wars may be more volatile than some of our current political discussions! Even when the argument of authorship is set aside, the more contemporary question is who makes the best hummus now.  I am on a quest this winter to not only study more about the Middle Eastern spices and cooking methods, but also to learn how to make the best hummus. Tonight is my first attempt to lay that foundation. Yotam never steers me wrong, so here is where I begin my new journey. The basic hummus recipe from dried chickpeas (those canned things creep me out!)......appears to have lots of tahini unlike previous recipes I have made, a reasonable amount of garlic (most recipes seem to be overpowering in that department, and coming from a garlic lover I find that quite odd) and little else. His recipe does call for baking soda which I have never used. I will be anxious to see if it impacts the texture of the finished product. He also uses ice water. This shall be interesting....
...Results....amazing! VERY creamy texture, good amount of tahini, not overpoweringly garlicy...next adventure, flavored humus. Stay tuned....

BASMATI AND WILD RICE WITH CHICKPEAS, CURRANTS AND HERBS....I have made this lovely dish before upon my return from Israel where there were so many fresh, amazing salads available at all times of the day. A combination of two rices, spices, chickpeas, currants (I substituted 1/2 dates and 1/2 sour cherries), and very thinly sliced fresh french fried onions. Delicious, aromatic, substantial and lovely. A home run that makes me yearn to go back to Isreal.

BARLEY RISOTTO WITH MARINATED FETA...I am currently fascinated with all kinds of new grains, rices, lentils, etc. and decided to try a new recipe with "risotto" which I traditionally think of as being a more Italian fare. Yotam professes that although "proper Italian risotto requires exact precision and meticulous preparation" this recipe is more forgiving. Having made risotto (the Italian way) before, I am intrigued. Actually, Yotam uses barley instead of risotto. I have only used barley in soups, salads, etc. so the comparison will be interesting. Either way, it should be good for us and it looks and smells amazing...

FLANK STEAK....a tradition in our home. Marinated overnight in a mixture of oil, garlic, ginger, red wine, soy sauce and grilled this is an easy staple I often serve for company. One of everyone's favorites and a nice change from Tom Turkey!  

Bon appetit. Love the holidays..........

All recipes from Yotam Ottolenghi's Jerusalem 

Sea Island Red Peas over Rice Grits served with Pork Tenderloin

With the first cold snap of winter upon us my body kicks into survival mode and craves warm, rich, saucy comfort food that really sticks to your ribs. Now that the kids are gone I don't shop as often and I tend to just open the pantry to see where to begin. Yesterday was one such day as I had offered to bring food to a dinner party and hadn't really had time to get inspired. Upon opening the freezer, there they were....Anson Mills Sea Island Red Peas and Anson Mills Rice Grits....little forgotten packages of awesomeness hidden behind the mountain of lamb, chicken, beef and other meats....just quietly biding their time knowing that their presence would one day be noticed when my usual overstimulated brain was in a more relaxed chill mode, a day when we could all just ease into the rhythm of the season and enjoy the slow warm up required of cooking lentils.

Super easy to prepare, I love the description "ruddy and diminutive" as defined by Anson Mills. Never having had them before, the flavor and texture reminded me a bit of black-eyed peas (one of those Southern staples). Dating back to the 17th century these heirloom field peas were used in early versions of Hoppin' John in the South, a pea (often black-eyed or some similar varietal) and rice medley seasoned with chopped onion and bacon. (Are you starting to feel the warmth?).

Served atop Buttered Carolina Gold Rice Grits, you can begin to feel the warmth of the carbs and the sauce infiltrating you from head to toe. Anson Mills decribes rice grits as plumper, rounder and meatier than normal grits, great for "saucing" and I agree. They are actually rice that possess low tensile strength, fracture easily, causing short or "broken grits" that cook up with a creamy homeliness that surpasses that of normal rice. Super to pair with a saucy accompaniment such as lentils.

Neither product disappointed, especially when paired with pork tenderloin. The pork aside the red peas and rice grits were the epitome of a simple Southern comfort food that has down to earth roots, yet makes an elegant statement on their own. Sometimes it's the simple things that ground us, yet elevate us at the same time. Good job, Anson Mills. Bon appetit.

Recipe at AnsonMills.com

https://ansonmills.com/recipes/454?recipes_by=grain