crock pot chicken marsala

I am always a sucker for Chicken Marsala,  I knew I wanted to make it the other night when we were expecting company, but my schedule that day was really busy.  So instead of cooking up till the last minute I tried it in my crock-pot.   Also lemon juice is not a traditional  ingredient in this dish, but I love that addition it makes it taste light and fresh.
  I love this dish I have made it twice lately and one time I did the whipping cream, the other time I added  artichoke hearts to it and instead of whipping cream and cornstrach  I used about 4 ounces of cream cheese.  it thickened nicely and gave it a rich flavor. Both times I served this I had guest over and they devoured it.


4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1T Veg. Oil
1 onion, chopped
1 cup Marsala wine
12 ounces sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 t. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t salt
1/2 t freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup whipping cream
2t cornstarch
2 lemons, zested and juiced
8 ounces fettuccine (whole wheat)
2 T chopped fresh parsley
Place seasoned chicken in crock pot
heat oil  in saute pan add onion cook and stir until translucent.  Add Marsala wine cook for 2 to 3 minutes until it reduces slightly.  add mushrooms, add broth, Worcestershire sauce salt, pepper.
Pour mixture over chicken. Cover, cook on HIGH for 2 hours or until chicken is done. (I thought this was a very short amount of time, but this is the key to not having dry crock-pot chicken. You could do low for 4 hours too.)

Transfer chicken to cutting board let stand.   Blend whipping cream and cornstarch until smooth.  Stir into cooking liquid cook 15 minutes in crock-pot for sauce to thicken.  Juice of 2 lemons, and zest.

Cook pasta drain and transfer to serving bowl slice chicken breast place on pasta top with sauce garnish with parsley and grated parmesan cheese.


Recipe slightly adapted from Crock-pot, Ultimate recipe collection. Cookbook.

Sonoma Chicken Salad

 A while back I tasted the sample  at Costco of their Somoma chicken salad it was so good. I immediately bought the large package and went on my way home.  While it was at my house I looked at the ingredients and realized this would be easy enough to make myself.   I found a few  other variations online of others trying to replicate this great chicken salad.  It was a simple fast dinner.  It would be great though for a lunch or a baby shower or something like that.
  Traditionally I love chicken salad on croissants  I was trying to be healthier and I ate mine on a bed of spinach and served my husbands on Dave killer bread (my favorite bread, it is so nutritious and hearty)

• 100% Whole Grain
• 5g Fiber
• 6g Protein
• Certified organic
• 27oz loaf size
• Certified Kosher by Oregon Kosher

 Note I am not paid to say this (I wish), just my opinion these people have no idea who I am...

Ingredients

• 1 cup mayonnaise( I used light)
• 4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 5 teaspoons honey
• 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 3/4 cup pecan pieces, toasted
• 1 1/4 cups dried cranberries ( craisins)
• 3 stalks celery, chopped

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, vinegar, honey, poppy seeds,garlic powder,onion powder, salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to dress the salad. This can be prepared up to 2 days ahead.
2. Preheat oven to 375°F Place the chicken breasts in one layer in a baking dish with 1/2 cup water. Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes until completely cooked through. Remove cooked chicken breasts from pan, cool at room temperature for 10 minutes, then cover and refrigerate.
3. When the chicken is cold, dice into bite-size pieces or shred and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in pecans, Craisins, celery and dressing.

Balsamic roasted pork Lion

 I feel like so many of us my self included when we think of healthy meats we think only fish or poultry... but there are so many lean cuts of pork.  This pork tenderloin in one 4 oz serving has only 154 calories, 6 grams of fa,t and 23 grams of protein.   Sounds good to me!!  It was so tender and juicy as well!   I served this pork lion along side raviolis at my Christmas dinner it was so effortless, but everyone really enjoyed it.

  Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons steak seasoning rub
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 pounds boneless pork loin roast

Directions

1. Dissolve steak seasoning in balsamic vinegar, then stir in olive oil. Place pork into a resealable plastic bag and pour marinade overtop. Squeeze out air and seal bag; marinate 2 hours to overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3. Place pork into a glass baking dish along with marinade. Bake in preheated oven, basting occasionally until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F (65 degrees C), about 1 hour. Let the roast rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.   One the package of the roast it said 22-25 minutes per pound so figure your time accordingly.

  I like to slice mine thin and on a bias it help with the grain of the meat and having the most tender slice.

recipe source allrecipes.com

cream of potato and broccoli soup

 This is one of my favorite comfort foods, especially when it is FREEZING outside like it is here, like a high of 8 degrees YIKES!  This soup will warm you up and it is a little healthier and lighter version of this classic for this new year. This creamy, low-fat soup is a delicious way to serve broccoli, a nutritional powerhouse, and the addition of beans makes it a one-dish meal.
 This is a cream soup with no cream, cheese or butter.... unbelievable!   It tastes great too! 

this makes a ton, feel free to half it.  I love to make extras and freeze it for later.  cook once eat twice....
 Ingredients
8 cups of water or broth
2 large potatoes, scrubbed, skin ON and cubed
2 large carrots chopped
2 stalks of celery and leaves chopped
1 large or 2 small onions chopped
 6 cloves of garlic whole and peeled

1 1/2 tsp whole celery seeds

 2 tsp dried thyme

 1 tsp dried marjoram

 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

3 cups (2 cans) cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained, or any other white bean

 8 cups broccoli florets

 1 1/2 tsp salt, as needed
Directions

bring liquid and veggies and seasoning to boil and let simmer for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add beans.

 Laddle into blender and puree until smooth.  Return to pot .

Add broccoli into soup simmer for 5 minutes until tender.  I like my soup smoother so then I pull out florets and pulse in blender to chop up a bit, but I could have chopped more before I cooked them, but I am lazy.

 stir together and serve. With how light this is you can even afford to top with cheese.

easy shrimp cocktail

Like I said before I took a little help from costco this christmas.  I was semi homemade this season, I had been not feeling too hot latley and unexpected  company came. I was looking for quick and easy things to have on hand for snacking.   I bought a bag of cooked peeled devined shrimp.  whipped up a  cocktail sauce and a healthy yummy appetizer.

 2 pounds shrimp
Cocktail sauce

• 1/2 cup chili sauce (recommended: Heinz)
• 1/2 cup ketchup (recommended: Heinz)
• 3 tablespoons prepared horseradish
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)

mix and refrigerate. 

burrito braid

hows your week??  A little busy...?  mine too.  If you are like me you are either preparing for company, getting last minute gifts, entertaining kids out of school. You may need ideas that are fast for dinner and kid friendly too,  you have heard enough whining all day already.   This is what we did a few days ago.  It was a hit.  The idea is simple and can be applied in so many different ways once you learn the technique.

Burrito braid
1 Pillsbury refrigerated pizza dough (in the roll)
1 pound ground turkey/ground beef
taco seasoning (1t chili powder, 1t cumin, 1 T Southwest seasoning,salt pepper)
1/2 onion, chopped
1 can black beans
4 oz. cream cheese softened
1/2 cup salsa
1 cup shredded cheese

• Place dough on cookie sheet and roll out. I have used foil before under it or my silpat, or nothing the others are just for ease of cleaning.
• I browned my meat and onion and seasoned like I would do for tacos.  If you use a packet great, I really like Mrs. Dash fiesta lime  or any other southwest season mix.
•  Spread cream cheese down center third of dough.
• Pour salsa over cream cheese
• Spread meat, beans, sprinkle with cheese 

• On each long side, cut 1-in.-wide strips about 2-1/2 in. into center.

• Starting at one end, fold alternating strips at an angle across filling. Pinch ends to seal and tuck under. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.
• Brush with reserved egg. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown

Slice into sections top with sour cream, olives, avocados what ever suits your fancy.
  You could also make this a peanut butter and jelly braid or a BBQ chicken braid.  Use your imagination it is fun!


recipe adapted from The girl ate everything

peppermint bark

   One of my favorite treats around the holidays is peppermint bark. I remember being in William and Sonoma many years ago seeing it there Peppermint bark. I was intrigued and luckily they had taste samplings.  I fell in love.  Can you tell I really like mint and chocolate together.....?    for one pound of it, they were charging almost $30 including tax.  Seeing I am too cheap to shell that kind of money out, I knew I could re create this. And so can you!!!

 

Peppermint Bark

*12 oz chocolate chips  (semi sweet)
*1 pound white chocolate chips ( good quality.. see tips)
1/2 t peppermint extract (if using oil use less just a few drops)
1/2 cup peppermint candy, crushed ( pup it in zip lock bag and  whack with rolling pin or give t o my kids to help.

 Directions
Preheat oven to 250. Line a 9x13 pan with foil, letting it hang over the sides. Spray foil. Pour the chocolate chips in an even layer on the foil. Place in oven for 5 minutes or until almost melted. Remove from oven, smooth with an offset spatula or knife. Place in refrigerator until cold and firm, about 20 minutes.
Melt white chocolate chips in a double boiler or in a metal bowl over simmering water (don’t let bottom of bowl touch water), until chocolate is almost melted. You can use your microwave for this if you’re brave! Remove bowl from water and stir until completely melted, stirring in extract. Let cool a little bit so it doesn’t melt the chocolate layer when you pour it on top. Pour this over chocolate layer, and, working quickly, spread to cover. Sprinkle with crushed candy.
Chill until both layers are firm. Lift foil out of pan and shake off excess candy. Trim edges.  Peel bark from foil and cut each strip as desired. Chill in covered container. Makes about 2 pounds.
Tips  for Perfect Bark:
1. Don't make the layers too thin as this can cause the layers to separate.
2. Take the bottom layer out of the frig a few minutes prior to spreading the top layer. Sometimes if the bottom is too cold, the top will set but may not bond completely with the bottom. 
3. If there's condensation on the bottom when you remove it from the frig, sometimes this prevents the top from sticking to it, as well.
4. *I use white chocolate chips that contain cocoa butter (guittard is a great brand), which are good quality chips. Read the label as the kind of white chocolate you use may affect the bonding.  I also use a good quality semisweet chocolate chips - again, read labels - the label should say they are real chocolate, not "chocolate flavored".  I have used the white and chocolate  flavored "barks"  that are sold in blocks, the taste is so much better with real chocolate and when using multiple layers a good quality is the best.
5. Let the bark sit out a few minutes before you try to cut or break it apart.
   recipe adapted from Ritas Kitchen

brownie covered oreos

Updated: I have also made them again and I followed Missys advise and put more batter under the oreo before baking. They were wonderful we ate them all before I thought I should document they came out I only had one left.

Just to prove to you that not everything I make looks picture perfect here is one of my recent flops.  I attempted making  Brownie Covered Oreo's I saw over on Picky Palate. Jenny is a genius at creating concoctions, This looked wonderful!,  this one however did not work for me.  Totally my faulty not hers,  I could not get my brownie oreos out of the pan successfully. Maybe I had too little batter my Oreo's wouldn't stay together,  I drowned my pan with spray,  so they couldn't stick, but still did. I also did the knife trick.  I was as reading her comments and I guess many people had the same problem and it all has to do with the size of your muffin tin.  it is regular size, but  guess they all vary slightly.. Not mini tins*

  So here I hope you feel better we all have kitchen mishaps and not everything turned out perfect.  Just keep cooking!

ps they still tasted good. I was going to throw out the not so pretty ones and Rina my exchange student said her friends would eat them.She took them with her today and at lunch she opened the container and everyone swarmed her and gobbled up  20 of them before she even got one herself.  They fully approved and thought they were perfect!
  If you would like to try them I am sure you could have better luck than I did and like I said they tasted great! here is the recipe

Brownie Covered Oreos

1 Brownie mix (or use your own brownie recipe)
1 package Oreos, I used the mint ones (jenny used the red holiday)
White chocolate, melted for drizzle, or Wilton White frosting pen works great
White nonpariels Sprinkles
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare brownie batter according to package directions.  Leave in mixing bowl.  Dip Oreos in brownie batter then place in bottom of cupcake tins that have been generously sprayed with cooking spray.  Bake for 12-15 minutes, until brownies are cooked through (doesn’t take long).  As soon as you remove, take a plastic knife and run along edges, (this is VERY important so you get the cookie out with brownies not stuck to pan
2.  Let cool for 5 minutes, remove drizzle with melted white chocolate or the Wilton White icing pen, sprinkle with nonpariels and EAT!  Enjoy
Makes entire package of Oreos
* TIP*   a cute friend of mine  Missy made  these last night for my cookie exchange party.  She figured out the problem was I did not have enough batter under the oreo.  she put a small spoon of batter down then dipped oreos and they came out like a dream.  Thanks Missy.  Yours were pretty and yummy!

4 step chicken

I have mentioned that I love Melissa d'Abrabian .  This was the recipe she showed on her show a while ago.  I made it then and loved it and I have made it a ton since then with different additions it is  a very versatile.  It is so lemony and delicious.  I could drink the sauce.  I like to serve it over brown rice with some other vegetable.  When I serve it over rice I double the sauce.  I also added mushrooms,  again they are so good for you and I love them and so do my kids  they honestly fight over them and eat them first off their plates.  don' let my very caramelized brussel sprouts deter you they were good too.  it was a fun way to try vegetable we do not eat often.  i will post them later.

lemon rustic chicken
Printer Friendly Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, sliced in half crossways (butterflied, cut all the way through)
•  plus 1 small bunch fresh thyme, leaves chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 pound baby bella mushrooms
• 1/2 cup white wine, optional (if no wine increase your broth)
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 3 lemons, juiced
• 1 to 2 tablespoons butter

Directions

Season chicken with dried thyme and salt and pepper. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat and add the oil. Dredge the chicken in flour, add to the hot oil and saute until cooked through. Set chicken aside to rest on plate tented with foil.
In same saute pan, over low heat, add onions and fresh thyme, quartered mushrooms and cook until aromatic.
In a measuring cup, measure out wine, if using, and broth, and add the lemon juice. Turn the heat up to high, and deglaze the pan with the broth mixture until starting to reduce.
Remove the pan from the heat and finish the sauce by whisking in butter. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Place a bed of cooked spinach on a serving platter or rice, top with the chicken. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve.