Chicken Marsala

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You know those chef competitions that are so popular right now (Top Chef, Master Chef, etc)? At some point or another, they are usually asked to prepare their signature dish. Id’ have to say that chicken marsala would be mine. It’s one of the first recipes that I’d ever tackled back in my newlywed days, it was even the first post I made here on the blog. This was the also the first recipe I’d ever tried from Cook’s Illustrated, which quickly became my go-to recipe source. So many good things I associate with this recipe!

Which is why I figured I’d take a new shot for you guys when I made this last week. I’ve probably made this dinner 100 times, and it still never ceases to “wow” us. It’s perfect for company too – impressive, but much of the prep work can be done beforehand, which is great for dinner parties. When browsing through the ingredients list, the sweet Marsala might throw you a bit. Who wants a sweet wine in their savory sauce, right? But trust me, the sweetness is balanced out with plenty of fresh lemon juice. I’ve tried it with dry Marsala as well, but it’s just not as flavorful – sweet definitely wins out. If you can’t find sweet Marsala, use dry but omit most of the lemon juice. Paired with a pile of fettuccine and a nice green salad, this is truly a perfect meal!

Chicken Marsala

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
kosher salt
ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 slices of bacon, chopped
2 cups white or cremini mushrooms
2 large garlic cloves, minced (about 1 tbsp.)
1 tbsp. minced shallot
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1  cup Marsala wine (sweet)
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 lemon, juiced
6 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley leaves

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position, place large heatproof dinner plate on oven rack, and heat oven to 200 degrees.  Meanwhile, pound the chicken breasts to a 1/2 inch thickness in between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Pat chicken breasts dry. Place flour in shallow baking dish or pie plate. Season both sides of chicken cutlets with salt and pepper. Working one piece at a time, coat both sides of chicken breasts with flour. Shake to remove excess flour, and set aside.

Heat oil in 12-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until very hot (you can hold your hand 2 inches above pan surface for 3 to 4 seconds), about 3 minutes.  Place floured cutlets in single layer in skillet and cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Using tongs, flip cutlets and cook on second side until golden brown and meat feels firm when pressed with finger, about 4 minutes longer.  Transfer chicken to heated plate and return plate to oven to keep warm.

Return skillet to low heat and add bacon; saute, stirring occasionally and scraping pan bottom to loosen browned bits until bacon is brown and crisp, about 4 minutes. With slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel–lined plate.

Add mushrooms and increase heat to medium-high; saute, stirring occasionally and scraping pan bottom, until liquid released by mushrooms evaporates and mushrooms begin to brown, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and shallot and saute for 1 minute. Add tomato paste, and cook until paste begins to brown, about 1 minute.

Add Marsala and chicken stock, and increase heat to high.  Scrape browned bits from pan bottom, and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer until sauce is slightly syrupy and reduced to about 1 1/4 cups, about 5 minutes.

Off heat, add lemon juice and any accumulated juices from chicken in the oven; whisk in butter 1 tablespoon at a time.  Season to taste with salt and pepper, and stir in parsley. Return chicken breasts to pan and simmer in sauce for a few minutes before serving.

Source: adapted from Cook’s Illustrated, May 2000

Cannoli Cupcakes

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18 comments

“Leave the gun, take the cannoli” – such time treasured advice. I love cannoli, but they can be a mess to make as well as incredibly time consuming. So, when I saw these cupcakes in Theresa Guidice’s cookbook, I knew I wanted to try them. A fun twist on the classic Italian dessert, these cupcakes are filled with a light cannoli cream, then frosted with a delicious cocoa whipped cream frosting.

I was a little hesitant about the cupcake batter, where I’d not used yogurt in a cupcake recipe before, but they turned out great. A little bit of a denser texture than my usual vanilla cupcake recipe, but that was good, because it needs to hold up to the cannoli filling. These are adorable, and different, and everyone enjoyed them. If you’re missing the crunch from the shell, try garnishing with some broken up sugar cone pieces. Or, take the more traditional route and top with mini chocolate chips.

Cannoli Cupcakes

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup low-fat yogurt
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup ricotta impastata*
1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
1-2/3 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips for decoration (optional)

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Put paper liners in a standard 12-cup muffin pan. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar together for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.

With the mixer on low, add the eggs one at a time, followed by the yogurt and vanilla – scraping the sides of bowl as necessary. Add in the dry ingredients and mix on medium speed for 1 minute.

Divide the batter evenly among the cups. Bake until the cupcakes are golden brown and a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to a wire cooling rack and let cool completely.

For the cannoli cream: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the ricotta, confectioner’s sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla until smooth. Stir in the 1/4-cup mini chocolate chips. Transfer to a quart-sized resealable plastic bag. Using scissors, snip off 1/2-inch from a closed corner of the bag. You will use the plastic bag as a pastry bag to fill the cupcakes.

Using a small knife, cut a deep, inverted cone out of the center of each cupcake. Set cones aside. Use the plastic bag to fill the cupcakes with the cream. Use a knife to smooth the top of the filling flush with the cupcake.

To make the cocoa whipped cream: In a chilled medium bowl, combine the heavy cream, confectioner’s sugar and cocoa powder and beat with an electric mixer on high speed until the cream forms stiff peaks.

Snip 1/2-inch from a closed corner of a gallon-sized resealable plastic bag. Insert a large star tip (such as Ateco 825) in the bag and poke it through the snipped end. Transfer the cocoa cream to the bag. Pipe swirls of cocoa whipped cream over each cupcake. Sprinkle each with about a teaspoon of mini chocolate chips. Refrigerate, uncovered, until ready to serve.

* Ricotta impastata is an Italia cheese found in specialty shops. It’s dryer and lighter than traditional ricotta. Of course, I couldn’t find it – so I let a 15 oz container of whole milk ricotta set in a cheesecloth lined strainer overnight to reduce the liquid content. Then, I pureed it in the food processor for about 3 minutes to whip to make it lighter. Worked like a charm!

Souce: adapted from Fabulicious! by Teresa Giudice

Rosemary-Black Pepper Dinner Rolls

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When I moved from Annapolis, here to the Eastern Shore, in my senior year of high school – it was kind of a culture shock. It wasn’t the rural life, or the small town atmosphere. For me, school itself was the biggest difference. I went from a graduating class of 600, to 37 (and that was a BIG year for Chincoteague!). And the food, it was REAL food with REAL silverware – no more plastic sporks!

They made these giant trays of homemade yeast rolls. They literally melted in your mouth they were so pillow-ey and soft. I couldn’t believe it – fresh baked bread? The rolls we got with my old school lunch were like rocks. One of my dear friend’s mom worked in the school cafeteria, just recently retired actually, and managed to share with me the school bread recipe. It makes like 200 rolls though, so I’m looking forward to scaling it down and trying it out. Making homemade dinner rolls is something to really take pride in, at least I think so.

This recipe is from my buddy Shawnda. I’ve made them twice now, and they have come out perfect both times. It makes 2 pans of rolls, which is nice. I made a big pot of chicken soup to take to my book club on Friday night, and these rolls were perfect alongside. You could also do one pans worth to freeze. Just cover well and stick it in the freezer after the first rise – then remove a few hours before you need to bake, and continue to bake. I did add a bit of garlic powder to the butter before brushing it on, and I liked the garlic-ey kick it gave the rolls. It fit in nicely with the rosemary and black pepper. Will make these again and again!

Rosemary-Black Pepper Dinner Rolls

Ingredients:
1 package (2 1/4 tsp) yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
2 tablespoon oil (vegetable, canola, or olive) plus more for greasing bowl
1 large egg
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
3 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Add the water to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and sprinkle the yeast over the top. Allow to sit for 10 minutes until the yeast becomes frothy. Add the oil, egg, sugar, pepper and rosemary to the bowl. Add the flour and mix on medium-low speed for about 2 minutes, just until the dough comes together. If the dough doesn’t clear the sides of the bowl, continue adding flour 1 tablespoon at a time.

Increase speed to medium and knead the dough for 5 minutes. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and allow to rest for 20 minutes. Add the salt and mix on low speed for an additional minute. Transfer the dough to a large, lightly greased bowl. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Grease the bottom and sides of 2 8-inch baking pans. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide in half. Equally divide each half into 7 pieces about the size of a golf ball (2 ounces each if you’re weighing). Gently roll into rounds and place in the pans, leaving about half an inch of space between them. If freezing, wrap pan tightly in foil and place in freezer. Thaw and rise for 2 to 2 1/2 hours the day of baking and continue. Cover rolls and allow to rise for at least 20 minutes, or until they’ve expanded to fill the pan.

Preheat oven to 350º. Combine garlic powder and melted butter in small bowl. Brush with each pan with half of the melted butter and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

Source: adapted from The Pastry Queen via Confection’s of A Foodie Bride

Chicken Gyros

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66 comments

I had to do a double check to make sure I hadn’t posted this one yet. This is a dinner that we’ve eaten pretty much every other week for the past 3 years, and still never tire of it! It’s relatively quick and easy dinner too, that doesn’t heat up the whole house.

My husband grew up working in Greek family restaurants, so he’s always loved gyros. I stayed away from them for a long time, due the flat grey meat that is usually lurking inside. Then, my favorite internet Greek resident, Elly, shared her recipe for chicken gyros. It was like a revelation! I made them once years ago, and our whole family has been loving them since.

The chicken is marinated in lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and oregano. Then grilled, sliced, and piled into a warm pita with plenty of cool, creamy tzatziki and fresh veggies of your choosing. I like lettuce, tomato, sliced cucumber, and red onion. Perfect for an evening dinner outside in the backyard, which we love to enjoy this time of year.

I usually like to serve a Greek (think garlic & oregano!) seasoned oven fry or Greek salad with them, but with the abundance of gorgeous tomatoes in my backyard right now I decided to make a cucumber tomato feta salad. Amazeballs! If you haven’t made this Greek favorite already, just go ahead and do so. I can say with certainty that it will probably go onto heavy menu rotation on your dinner menus!

Chicken Gyros

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken (breasts or thighs)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lemon, juiced
2 tsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp dried oregano
kosher salt and pepper
1 batch tzatziki sauce
sliced tomatoes
sliced onions
sliced cucumbers
lettuce
4 (pocketless) pitas

Whisk together the garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, oil, oregano, and 1 teaspoon salt in a small bowl and add to Ziploc bag. Add in chicken pieces and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour, turning halfway through.

Preheat the grill (or pan, or broiler).  Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides, and then grill over indirect heat until cooked through, about 8 minutes per side, depending  what size/type chicken you are using. Allow the chicken to rest for a few minutes before slicing into strips.

Meanwhile, warm your pita bread. I have a gas stove, so I just spray them with a little bit of oil and stick them right on the burner for a few seconds per side. Top the pita with the chicken, tzatziki, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and lettuce.

Souce: slightly adapted from Elly Says Opa!