Laura’s Quick Chicken Marsala

04/25/2020 by Laura 2 Comments

This is one of the more frequently served meals from our repertoire of quick chicken breast dishes. It looks far fancier then it actually is. It’s great for a weeknight but is also a worthy dinner party option.

This recipe includes one of my “dirty little secret” ingredients. British gravy granules Bisto. Bisto has been around for over 100 years and is used to color and thicken gravies and sauces. It adds a tiny bit of flavor, but not a lot. I add it to stews, sauces, and gravies that need a little thickening. I use it here to tighten up and finish the sauce in this Chicken Marsala. You can usually find it in the British/Irish section of the grocery store, or at many online retailers.

Ingredients, for 2-3 servings

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1/2 cup flour

salt and pepper

olive oil for sauteing

1 Tablespoon butter, for sauteing

3/4 pound mushrooms, cleaned, stems removed and sliced

2 large cloves garlic, finely minced

1 cup sweet marsala wine

1 cup chicken stock

2 Tablespoons Bisto

1 Tablespoons fresh chopped parsley for garnish

Pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes (my preference) for serving

Place the flour in a zip lock bag. Season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken breast, dredge and pound the chicken into a flat filet. Repeat with the other pieces of chicken.

Heat 2-3 tablespoons of oil over medium heat in a heavy skillet. I use my cast iron skillet for this recipe. Brown the chicken on both sides. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add the garlic and saute until soft. Add the mushrooms and saute until soft and a little brown. (You may need to add a little more oil or a pat of butter.) About 5 minutes.

Add the Marsala wine. Bring to a simmer and reduce the wine, about 5 minutes.

Add the chicken stock. Return to simmer and add the chicken. Simmer on low heat for at least 15 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.

Finally, add two tablespoons of Bisto to the simmering sauce, to thicken it up. (Alternatively, you could use a couple tablespoons of corn starch dissolved in a little stock.)

Reduce heat to warm, while you prepare your pasta, rice or potatoes. Garnish the chicken with a little fresh chopped parsley.Serve with a fresh vegetable and a lovely, dry white wine.

Have a lovely evening. Thanks for stopping by.

MSLS

Our Favorite Coq Au Vin

02/19/2018 by Laura Leave a Comment

Our crazy Seattle weekend weather demanded warm comfort food. So between the repeating rounds of snow, wind, sunshine, and hail, I made one of my favorite dishes, Coq au Vin. I first fell in love with Coq au Vin when Mom and I made the recipe from the Time Life Foods of the World: Cooking of Provincial France. I loved making something so “exotic”! During my high school years, we frequented a little French café, and it was always my entre of choice. The entre was so popular, you actually had to reserve it when making your dinner reservation. I’ve had many versions of Coq au Vin from random French restaurants, during my travels. One of my favorites is from Anthony Bourdain’s restaurant in NYC, Les Halles. My recipe is from his cookbook of the same name. Bon appétit

Ingredients

1 liter, plus one cup of dry red wine

1 onion, cut into 1 inch dice

1 carrot, cut into 1/4 inch slice

1 celery rib, cut into 1/2 slices

4 whole cloves

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

1 bouquet garni (instructions below)

1 3.5-4 pound organic whole chicken

2 tablespoons olive oil

6 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon flour

1/4 pound slab bacon cut into small lardons, about 1/4″ by 1″

1/2 pound small, white button mushrooms, stems removed (I could not find tiny mushrooms, so I quartered the ones I bought)

12 pearl onions, peeled (I hate peeling these – I used peeled, frozen pearl onions)

pinch of sugar

Boquet Garni

1 sprig flat leaf parsley

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

1 small square cheesecloth

1 small piece of twine

Lay the herbs on the square of cheese cloth. Gather up the corners and tie with the string.

Equipment

3 large, deep bowls

plastic wrap

fine strainer

large Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot

tongs

wooden spoon

small sauté pan

small sauce pan

1 sheet parchment paper

whisk

deep serving platter

DAY ONE

Combine the bottle of red wine, diced onion, sliced carrot, celery, cloves, peppercorns and bouquet garni in large, deep bowl. Add the chicken and submerge it in the liquid so it is completely covered. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

DAY 2

Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry. Put it aside.

Strain the marinade reserving the liquids and the solids separately. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil and 2 tablespoons of butter in the large Dutch oven. Sear the chicken on all sides turning with tongs, to evenly brown on all sides. Once brown, remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the reserved onions, carrot and celery to the pot and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir to coat evenly. Stir in the reserved marinade liquid and the bouquet garni. Bring to a simmer and add the chicken back into the pot. Simmer very low, slightly covered for about 90 minutes, or until thigh temperature reaches 165′ on a thermometer.

While the chicken cooks, sauté the bacon lardons in a small pan over medium heat until lightly brown. Remove to paper towel to drain. Reserve about 1 tablespoon of the bacon drippings and sauté the mushrooms in the same pan until golden. Set them aside.

In the small saucepan, combine the pearl onions, a pinch of sugar, a pinch of salt and 2 tablespoons of butter. Add just enough water to cover the onions, then cover the pan with a circle of parchment paper the same size as the pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until all the water has evaporated. Remove the paper and cook until the onions are golden brown. Be careful as this happens fast!

Remove the onions from the pan, set aside. Add the remaining cup of red wine. Reduce by about half or until thick and syrupy. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

When the chicken is cooked through, carefully remove it from the liquid to a deep serving dish.

Add in the bacon, mushrooms and onions to the stockpot. Bring to a gentle simmer. Adjust the sauce for seasoning and swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Pour the sauce over the chicken. If the sauce is not a thick as you like, tighten up with a beurrre manie.

We typically serve this dish with fluffy mashed potatoes. Enjoy with a Washington Syrah and an arugula salad!

I hope you’ll give this recipe a try. You will be happy you did.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderful evening.

Laura

Rigatoni with Sausage, Eggplant, Mushrooms and Tomatoes

03/26/2014 by Laura Leave a Comment

One of my favorite resources for quick, weeknight meals is Saveur Magazine’s weekly email of Simple Weeknight Meals. Sourced from previously published recipes, they often call for ingredients that you probably have on hand. Today’s recipe, inspired by traditional pasta alla norma, is a great example. I made a couple of modifications to suit our taste. You could easily omit the sausage to make a hearty, vegetarian pasta dish.

pasta alla norma Laura, inspired by Saveur Magazine, Oct. 10, 2013, Rigatoni with Eggplant, Tomatoes, and Spicy Sausage

For the pasta

1 medium eggplant, cut into ¾″ cubes

5 tbsp. olive oil

12 cremeni mushrooms, sliced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 tsp. crushed red chile flakes

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb. ground spicy Italian sausage, we like Isernio’s Italian Chicken Sausage

1 (28-oz.) can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, undrained and crushed by hand

16 fresh basil leaves, torn by hand

8 oz. rigatoni

2 – 4 oz. Pecorino Romano or parmesan, grated

Heat oven to 500°. (Yes that is correct.) Put eggplant and mushrooms into baking dish and drizzle with 2 tbsp. oil. Toss to combine and season with salt and pepper. Bake, turning occasionally, until soft and caramelized, about 20 minutes. Turn oven down to 325′.

Roasting the eggplant and mushrooms at this high temperature brings out a wonderful rich, smoky flavor.

Heat remaining oil in a 6-qt. saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add chile flakes and garlic and cook, stirring, until garlic softens, about 3 minutes. Add sausage and cook, using a wooden spoon to break up into small pieces until browned, 16–18 minutes

Add tomatoes and half the basil, season with salt, and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until just al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain pasta and transfer to tomato sauce. Stir in reserved eggplant and mushrooms and toss to combine. Stir in remaining basil and season with salt.

Transfer the mixture to the baking dish you roasted the eggplant and mushrooms in. Top with grated cheese. Bake at 325′ for about 15 minutes. Serve with a tossed green salad and a big bold Chianti.

Curried Flank Steak with Mushrooms and Low-Carb “Mock” Mashed Potatoes

01/10/2014 by Laura Leave a Comment

I am a big fan of cutting carbs to lose a few pounds. I have looked at the “Mock” mashed potato recipes every time I have dieted, and thought “eeeewwww”. I finally got around to giving them a try and I am thrilled to admit I was wrong about them. This is an absolutely delicious, low carb way to satisfy that, all too frequent, diet craving for something rich and creamy and comforting! We served them along side one of our all time favorites: Curried Flank Steak with Mushrooms and roasted Brussels sprouts.

Curried Flank Steak, inspired by The Seattle Classic Cookbook, Junior League of Seattle, 1983

For the Flank Steak

1 large flank steak, or flat iron steak (2 pounds or so)

6 tablespoons of soft butter

3 tablespoons of Dijon style mustard

1 tablespoon curry powder, I like Madras style

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon coarse ground pepper

1/2 -3/4 cup dry sherry

1 cup sour cream

1 pound sliced mushrooms

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Make a paste of the soft butter, Dijon, curry powder, Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Lay the flank steak in a large glass container. Spread each side with the paste, and season with salt and pepper. Pour the sherry over the steak. cover with plastic wrap and marinate at least 4 hours in the refrigerator. turn the meat at least once. Let come to room temperature for 1 hour prior to preparing the steak.

Slice and sauté the mushrooms in the 2 tablespoons of butter. Add a little sherry if more liquid is needed. Set aside. Preheat the oven to broil. Broil the meat 5 – 6 minutes per side on an oven proof broiler pan, until medium rare. Remove the meat to a cutting board. Cover with foil to keep warm. Scrape the drippings from the broiler pan into the mushrooms. Sauté until the liquid has reduced a bit. Reduce the heat and add the sour cream. Slice the steak with a very sharp knife, diagonally against the grain. Serve three to four slices per serving. Top with the mushroom sauce and garnish with parsley.

“Mock” Mashed Potatoes, inspired by The South Beach Diet Super Charged Cookbook

For the Mock” Mashed Potatoes

1 large head cauliflower, broken into small florets

14 ounces chicken stock

2 tablespoon cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup grated cheese, I used low fat white and yellow cheddar

2 cloves minced garlic

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

freshly ground salt and pepper

chives or green onions, sliced for garnish

Place the cauliflower in a stock pot pour in the chicken stock and cover with lid. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 15 minutes until tender. Drain liquid. Return pan to stove to ensure all liquid has evaporated, about 2-3 minutes. (You may want to drain on paper towels to ensure all liquid is removed.) Mash the cauliflower with a hand mixer or immersion blender. Add the remaining ingredients and mash again. Adjust for seasoning. Keep warm over very low heat until ready to serve.

Laura’s Boeuf Bourguignon

07/24/2013 by Laura Leave a Comment

I was flipping through recipes at the NY Times website when I came across Mark Bittman’s Boeuf Bourguignon recipe. What caught my eye was: TOTAL TIME 2 HOURS. “No way”, I thought. Most of the BB recipes I have made in the past require an overnight marinade, and 6 hours of cooking. Since it was Mark Bittman’s recipe, I decided to give it a whirl, with a few adaptations of my own, of course!

Ingredients

Olive oil for sautéing

1/4 pound slab bacon, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (Regular “Sunday” bacon is ok too!)

2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1 1/2 to 2 inch cubes

Salt and Pepper

1 large onion, diced

1 large carrot, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

4 sprigs of thyme

3 bay leaves

2 cloves crushed garlic

1/2 cup chopped, fresh parsley leaves, plus extra for garnish

1/2 bottle dry red wine, pinot noir preferred

12 small, button mushrooms, trimmed and cut in half

12 pearl onions – I like the convenience of the frozen ones

Cook the bacon cubes in a little oil in a heavy Dutch oven that has a lid. When bacon cubes are crisp, remove from pan and set aside. Add meat in batches, not overcrowding the pan, and brown on all sides over medium high heat. Season with salt and pepper while cooking. Remove from pan and set aside.

Turn heat down to medium and add onions, carrots, celery, thyme, bay leaves, garlic and parsley.

Cook until all vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes. Add wine and simmer about 5 minutes.

Return meat to pan. Bring back to a slow simmer. Cover and cook about an hour. (Because I had extra cooking time available, I continued this phase about two hours. You could also transfer this to a crock pot and cook on low, 6 hours at this stage.)

Add the onions, mushrooms and bacon to the pan. Return to simmer and cook an additional 30-40 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

I chose to thicken the stew up a bit with the Buerre Manie technique below.

Buerre Manie for thickening

2 Tablespoons of flours

2 tablespoons of butter

Knead the flour into the butter with your fingers. Make tiny, pea sized balls. Add two – three at a time to the simmering stew, until desired thickness is achieved.

Extra instructions here:

http://www.saveur.com/article/Techniques/saveur-100-beurre-manie

Mashed potatoes for serving – we like red potatoes. We do not remove the peels.

Enjoy!

PS – I hope you are noticing the improvements in the photos! I took an awesome (and FREE) Food Photography class on line at CreateLIVE this weekend. What an amazing resource. Check them out at www.creativeLIVE.com.