Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Chicken Marsala

Marsala Chicken with Mushrooms and Onions

Are you looking for something savory and aromatic to make tonight? This super easy Chicken Marsala dish is one of my favorites. Let's face it...any time there is butter and onions and wine combined you will have a winning dish. Although its a two-step process the results are so worth it! Your friends and family will be running into the kitchen asking "How soon 'til dinner's ready?"
We used some string cheese in lieu of shredded
I like to serve this with rice...plain is fine...and I chose brown since its the healthiest. I also like how the brown rice pairs well with the sauce. Just so you know I usually double the amount of sauce and leave some in the pan because everyone wants extra! Gotta be prepared.











Before the oven in a 13 x 9 glass dish


My kids were very worried that there was wine in the sauce. I buy the cheapest Marsala wine from the vinegar section of the grocery store because our household is budget minded. It is so salty I don't think it's even drinkable on any level. However I will educate everyone that as the sauce reduces (cooks down) in the pan....all of the alcohol is neutralized, or burned off, and there is no amount of alcohol left. With this sauce, all that is left is an amazing flavor that only wine can bring. The problem with the cheaper Marsala is the copious amount of salt that is in it. That being said you will NOT need to add extra salt, because coupled with the chicken broth & Parmesan, we are talking plenty. I will leave the salt and pepper amounts from my recipe in here for those of you who prefer to use a higher quality wine or sherry to cook with, because in that case you may want the salt. 




What you'll need:
6-8 large chicken breasts-filleted & pounded flat
2 dozen mushrooms-sliced
6 green onions-chopped
3 cups rice 
6 cups water
1 stick butter
1 cup flour for dredging
1 3/4 cup Marsala wine
1 1/3 cup chicken broth
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup Parmesan
non-stick cooking spray/grease for glass pan
(SERVES 6-8)

Directions: Start your salted water boiling for your rice and follow cooking time directions.
Saute your mushrooms ahead of time in 2 tablespoons butter and a dash of salt and set aside for later. 
Coat your chicken breasts in the flour and cook them in a generously buttered pan over medium heat until done. Usually about 4 minutes a side depending on the thickness. Do this in batches if you are making a lot and set aside. When the chicken is finished place it in a greased dish.
For sauce:use the same dirty pan you cooked your chicken in to add flavor. Pour in chicken broth and Marsala with a 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper. Stir around in the pan to break up any pan dripping and bring to a boil. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes on low or until the wine has cooked off. Pour mushrooms over the chicken and then the sauce. Top with the green onions and cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 450 degrees or until the cheese is melted.  ENJOY!!!


Monday, October 12, 2015

Orzo & Feta Salad

Orzo Salad with fresh basil & feta.
Orzo looks like rice...but it isn't. It is a small type of pasta and absolutely delicious. The most time consuming part of this is the chopping of your fresh ingredients. My tip is to get your pine nuts into a 250 degree oven for about 10 minutes to lightly toast them while you chop. That makes it a race.
I also buy organic pre-washed organic spinach so I don't need to worry about washing and then drying the leaves. Organic basil is fairly easy to find as well.
 
 
 

Combining fresh ingredients for a delicious side dish has never been easier.
What you'll need:
1 package spinach
16 oz. orzo---cooked according to package directions & drained
1/2 red onion-diced
1 red bell pepper-diced
1 10 oz. package sun dried tomatoes-chopped (about 20)
8 oz. feta cheese---I prefer plain but you can find flavored...whatever you like
12 large basil leaves-chopped
1 cup pine nuts-toasted

Dressing:
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup Balsamic Vinegar
1 tsp each Salt & Pepper
(feel free to add more oil or vinegar)

I like to drain and cover my pasta with half of the oil and vinegar first so that it can absorb the tang. I then build it first with the onions and peppers and add the basil and spinach. The cheese goes last so that it doesn't melt. Serve immediately.
ENJOY!

Monday, September 28, 2015

The Art of the Panini

All veggie panini


















It's really not an art...just a fancy word for a grilled sandwich. Does it take extra time? Yes...most definitely. But it makes a warm melted sandwich which can serve as both lunch and dinner. Make sure you have some butter (preferably) or margarine spread to coat the outsides of the bread so its nice and crispy.

Whatever you want to put inside is fine. My boys like meat so we re-grilled some thinly sliced leftover chicken. Pepper jack cheese is also great for an extra kick. Younger kids sometimes just want a really great grilled cheese. Cheddar or jack? The cheese options are just about limitless.

Find your favorite mushroom and slice them up. Sautee them in butter and garlic salt and you have a perfect recipe for a delicious Panini. I have a George Foreman grill and it fits two very large sandwiches perfectly.

Slather the inside of your bread liberally with mayo before topping with sliced tomatoes, grilled mushrooms, grilled onions, avocado and top with cheese. Place your butter coated bread onto a panini press, or grill and cook about 5 minutes at 350, or until all the cheese is melted and the bread is nice and brown. Slice in half and serve with your favorite side salad or even some chips. ENJOY!


RECIPE:
What you'll need...
Sliced Sourdough
Cheese (any kind)
Sautéed Mushrooms
Grilled Onions
Oozing with cheese....yum!

Tomatoes
Avocado
Mayo





Friday, September 11, 2015

Gluten Free Pasta Salad

Choose your favorite veggies for this high fiber, protein packed, end of summer side dish.


Ingredients:
1 pkg cooked gluten free penne pasta (cook according to directions)
1 head broccoli
1 lb white mushrooms---button or Cremini work well too
2 jars marinated artichoke hearts
1 can black olives-drained (whole or sliced)
1 15 oz can garbanzo beans-drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can kidney beans-drained and rinsed
1 pint cherry tomatoes (whole or sliced...Romas work great too!)
1 large cucumber-sliced into wheels (you can sub zucchini if needed)
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried Italian herb blend
salt and pepper to taste
Homemade or bottled vinagrette of choice---to add afterwards if desired

***Tip: Add the cucumbers last, so they don't wilt, when you add the steaming pasta. I usually put the broccoli florets in the bottom of a very large bowl before I add the pasta, and then begin layering with the mushrooms and artichokes so they take on that terrific tang.

Enjoy!
 

 

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Buttery Grilled Zukes


We added some halibut steaks for the halibut
There is no doubt an abundance of squash in need of picking all over the northern hemisphere as we speak. And let's face it...you can only make so much zucchini bread. I decided to use ours as an extra side dish while grilling some fish and it was super yummy. We tried it two different ways. Fat zukes vs. little zukes.



Grilled Zucchini with Butter and Lemon Pepper




Simply place them on the grill directly with some lemon pepper and butter. It tastes so much better than it looks. Grill at 350 for about 3 minutes a side until fork tender all the way through. They were so good the kids ate them, and they detest any food that starts with "Z."

While at our trailer the weather was bad and we had to use an indoor flat grill, but the result was the same. Delectable. We also made shrimp over some wild rice for non-fish eaters and it was fantastic.

I hope you will try this at home!
Enjoy...

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Staright from the Garden Marinara with Prawns

                                   

Hi Everyone! Are you trying to figure out what to do with all of those summer veggies? It all seems to be ripe at the same time. At our house we like to make a homemade chunky marinara sauce. It can go over the top of any pasta you have on hand. Last night we used macaroni. Really anything goes.

We had a bumper crop of tomatoes and squash. If you happen to have an onion on hand and some olive oil you are all set to go. We love shrimp at our house and I purchased a bag of shrimp pre-cooked and pre-cleaned to save on prep time. Just be careful not to over cook them.



What you'll need:
3 medium sized summer squash-cut into spirals and then fourths
6 cups diced fresh tomatoes
1 yellow onion-diced
4 tbsp. EVOO divided
2 tbsp. Italian Seasoning
1 tbsp. fresh oregano
6 cloves garlic (diced or minced)
1 14 oz. can stewed tomatoes
2 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. garlic salt
pinch cayenne
grated parmesan or other hard Italian cheese
1 lb. large shrimp or prawns deveined (I remove the tails but its up to you)



Pasta sauce without shrimp is tasty too!
Directions:
Simmer the chopped fresh garlic in a sautee pan for about 60 seconds and remove from heat. In a large pan add the remaining olive oil and sautee the onions and squash. Cook 3-4 minutes over medium high heat and then add in the tomatoes and garlic. Next add salt and herbs and let simmer on low for 30 minutes. I added a can of stewed tomatoes for their flavor. The sauce will be healthy and chunky. After sauce is done add in the shrimp and let simmer for 3 minutes. Top over your favorite pasta and sprinkle with grated cheese.

Tip: For finicky kids we often add several cans of marinara sauce and chop the veggies super fine. You can even blend them if needed.

Saturday, August 15, 2015

Chunky Mango Salsa
















Are you looking for a perfect accompaniment to the fresh fish you caught?

Mango Salsa is my favorite topping for fish. Which makes sense this time of year when everyone is enjoying those summer camping vacations. Those who don't like fish will certainly love this salsa topped on a salty tortilla chip! Grab the ingredients at the store and bring a knife. You can still eat healthy, fresh, delicious food while camping! Now isn't that refreshing?


The recipe is simple.  Here's what you will need:

1 jalepeno (diced)
5 mangoes (chopped)
6 cloves garlic or more (minced)
2 limes (juiced)
1 bunch cilantro-chopped with the leaves de-stemmed

Combine all ingredients and let flavors meld for a few hours for the best taste.

ENJOY!!!





Friday, August 7, 2015

No-Bake Strawberry & Graham Cracker Pie

No-Bake Strawberry Graham Cracker Pie

Right now strawberries are in season and plentiful. The stores have some great buys. We love their many uses at our house and sort of stumbled upon a new dessert.

Whenever my kids go camping we have to have S'Mores. I must say that they are not one of my most favorite things due to the dryness of the graham crackers. So when we get home and unpack...we end up finding we have roasted all of the marshmallows, and the chocolate is long gone. So what do we do with all of those grahams?

Make a pie crust!

I found some disposable pie tins in the cabinet and an entire tub of non-dairy whipped topping in the freezer from a prior dessert that we had never used. So we made a layered pie.  

The ingredients you will need:

1 box Honey Grahams (generic is fine)
6 pints fresh strawberries
1 large tub whipping topping
9 tbsp honey or agave syrup
(Makes 3 pies)


Feel free to test this out by making only one pie. I used just one of the packs of grahams per pie so it's pretty easy to adjust to taste,

To prepare:
The bottom layer of grahams need to be crushed and I did not mix them with butter as we are trying to be healthy. I simply drizzle 2 tbsp. of honey over the top for the sticky and sweet factor. This also gives the strawberries something to adhere to!

To make this healthy it's smart to triple the fruit factor and use a non-fat or sugar free topping. You know what's best!

Layer the strawberries over the grahams and then smother them with whipped topping. Do this again and finish off the top with sliced strawberries on top. Make a pattern if you would like it to look pretty. It's up to you!

Hint:  This would also work well as a trifle.

 
 
 

 
 




Friday, July 10, 2015

Strawberry and Organic Baby Field Greens Salad

by Patricia Cates

It is tough to find anything more refreshing and delicious than sliced strawberries in the summertime. Those hot summer nights call for cold meals so you don't have to heat your oven.

This recipe is one of my faves and is super quick to make. It's packed with protein and will fill you up. If you have men in the house that want more, simply throw a piece of chicken or steak on the grill and you have a perfect pairing.

I always get one of my kids involved. Here it was easy for her to wash the berries for me. Away we go!

An easy tip is to buy your organic baby field greens prewashed and packaged. That way you can just dump them in a huge salad bowl and you are almost done.

The photo below does not do the size of this salad justice. It is actually an ENORMOUS bowl. Serves 8.


What you'll need:

1 lb. fresh strawberries...sliced lengthwise
1 cup Chinese noodles
12 oz. crumpled blue cheese or gorgonzola
1 cup craisins
1 cup chopped walnuts
6 strips crispy bacon-chopped
***optional---3 green onions-diced (not seen in photo)

Dressing:
Purchase a bottle of your fave "high end" dressing. I know some people prefer Ranch on just about everything but may I suggest a raspberry walnut vinagrette! Have your family try it. They just might realize it tastes great and it's even good for you. Of course you can make your own. I will post some terrific vinagrette recipes next week. 

Bohemian Broccoli Slaw

Bohemian Broccoli Slaw



The reason I call this Bohemian slaw is because it looks like a big hippie bash is going on in the bowl. You can see golden raisins and sunflower seeds abounding. This is only semi-homemade as I bought the slaw prepackaged for ease of time.

Oh, and you can go totally organic on this one if you choose!

Ingredients:
1 package broccoli slaw-contains carrot and cabbage as well
1 crown broccoli- florets separated (you can buy these precut as well)
1 cup raw sunflower kernels
1 cup golden raisins (or more to taste)
1 cup sliced almonds
1 package Oriental style Ramen noodles and the seasoning packet
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce


***note if you want to go without the sugar/soy you can go totally healthy and just use the vinegar. It's all up to you.


ENJOY!