Chicken Marsala with Fettucine

Chicken Marsala is a dish I've heard about for years but never made, I could never find the Marsala wine. When I was shopping and happened to see it at the grocery store I knew I had to make this dish. The sauce had a great flavor and it's a great spin on a chicken with pasta dish. My husband and I LOVED the flavors of this dish so I know I'll be making it again. 

Ingredients:

4 boneless chicken cutlets
2 tbsp. olive oil
5 tbsp. butter, divided

1/2 cup grated parmesan
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 cup sliced baby bella mushrooms
1 tbsp. chopped garlic
1 cup Marsala wine
2 tbsp. heavy cream
1 tbsp. dijon mustard
1 tbsp. chopped parsley
12 oz. fettucine 

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook fettucine according to package directions. Drain pasta and return to pot. Add in 3 tbsp. butter and parmesan cheese. Stir until pasta is well coated. Do these steps as you are searing the chicken (step 2). 

2. Sprinkle the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside. 

3. Lower heat to medium-high. Add 2 tbsp. butter to the same skillet. Add in shallots and saute for 1 minute until softened. Add the mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes. Add in chopped garlic and cook for 1 minute. 

4. Add the marsala wine and simmer until liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cream and mustard. Return the chicken and any juices back into the pan with the sauce. Simmer over medium-low heat until the chicken is fully cooked through and the sauce has slightly thickened, about 4 minutes. Stir in chopped parsley and serve over the cooked fettucine. Make sure to spoon some extra sauce over the chicken and pasta. 

Fried Chicken

 I first tried this fried chicken as part of a sandwich from Giada. The sandwich itself was good with mozzarella, argula, and pesto but I ended up falling in love with the fried chicken. She added panko breadcrumbs to the standard flour dredging and it added a ton of crispy texture. 

Ingredients:
4 chicken cutlets
1 cup buttermilk, 
1/2 lemon, sliced
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 tsp. salt
Grapeseed or avocado oil for frying

Directions:

1. Combine chicken cutlets, buttermilk, and lemon wedges in a large plastic bag. Make sure chicken is coated all over with the buttermilk. Allow to marinade at least 4 hours or up to over night. 

2. Mix together the flour, breadcrumbs, and salt in a shallow bowl. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil to cover the bottom of the skillet. 

3. Remove the chicken from the buttermilk, removing as much of the buttermilk as possible. Coat chicken in the flour mixture, making sure to cover completely in a light coating. Place immediately in the hot oil. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Fry on the first side until golden brown and there is a ring of cooked chicken around the edges, about 5 minutes. Gently flip the chicken and continue to cook on the second side until evenly golden brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes. 

4. Once the chicken is cooked, allow to rest on a paper towel lined plate. Sprinkle warm chicken with a pinch of salt. Serve warm or at room temp with the sides of your choice. 

Brie en Croute

It was Super Bowl last weekend and while I'm more of a hockey girl I do like to watch it every year. It's mostly an excuse to eat a lot of snacks and sort of watch some football. This Brie en Croute is just a fancy name for pastry wrapped brie cheese. It's like having the cheese and crackers but all in one package. What's great about this appetizer is that it can be made in advanced and baked right before the game. 

Ingredients:
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
1 wheel brie cheese, top and bottom rind sliced off
1 tbsp. fig jam or honey
2 tbsp. candied pecans
1 egg + 1 tsp. water

Directions:

1. Preheat over to 425. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

2. On a lightly floured surface gently roll out the puff pastry. You want it to be about a 12 inch square. 

3. Cut the top and bottom rind off of the brie. Coat top of brie with a thin layer of the fig jam or honey. Top the honey or jam with the candied pecans. Place brie onto the puff pastry with the side with nuts face down so when it's baked they will be on top. 

4. Crimp the puff pastry around the brie, bringing the edges up and meeting in the middle. You can get fancy here if you like but the important point is sealing in the brie so when it bakes it doesn't spill out of the pastry. 

5. Place puff pastry onto the baking sheet with parchment paper. You want the crimped side on the bottom. You can decorate the top with any extra puff pastry like leaves but I did a small football for superbowl. 

6. In a small bowl mix together the egg and 1 tsp. water to make an egg wash. Lightly coat all of the puff pastry with the egg wash. 

7. Bake puff pastry for about 20 minutes or until the puff pastry is golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes. Serve warm with crackers and/or fruit and enjoy!

Cacio e Pepe

Cacio e Pepe is an incredibly simple but incredibly flavorful dish. Cacio e Pepe literally means Cheese and Pepper. This pasta features, you guessed it, cheese and pepper. Since it's such a simple dish please make sure to use good pepper, freshly ground if you can. This is a great dish for a quick meal or a budget friendly meal. 

Ingredients:
6 oz. spaghetti
3 tbsp. butter, cubed and divided
1 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper. 
3/4 cup finely grated parmesan
1/3 cup finely grated pecorino

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water up to a boil. 

2. Cook spaghetti in the boiling water until almost al dente, about 2 minuets less than the box directions. 

3. Melt 2 tbsp. butter in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the pepper and cook until toasted, about 1 minute. 

4. Reduce heat to low. Add pasta to pan with pepper with 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking liquid. I like to use tongs to scoop the pasta into the other pot instead of draining the pasta completely. This way you have enough pasta water. 

5. Add the parmesan to the pasta and stir until everything is well coated. You may need to add a little more pasta water if sauce gets too thick. 

6. Remove the pasta from the heat and add the pecorino. Transfer pasta to a bowl and top with extra cheese and fresh cracked black pepper. Serve warm. 

Hashbrown Eggs Benedict

I think this is the best breakfast I've ever made. It combines my love of bacon, eggs, and of course POTATOES! And then to top it off with a rich buttery hollandaise? How can that be bad.

Ingredients:
(makes 1 plate)
1 egg, fried over easy
2 strips bacon, cooked until crispy
1 cup hashbrowns
Hollandaise sauce - my quick recipe here. 

Directions:

1. Cook bacon over low heat until crispy and most of the fat has rendered out. 

2. Preheat waffle maker. Spray with cooking spray or coat lightly with butter. Cover waffle maker with an even layer of the hash browns. Season with a pinch of salt. Cover and cook until crispy, about 4 minutes. 

3. Make hollandaise sauce in the blender. Set aside. You'll want to make this pretty close to serving so it stays warm. 

4. Fry egg in a small saute pan with butter. I like my yolks runny so I fry it until it's over easy but cook your eggs to your preference. 

5. To plate put hashbrown waffle centered on a plate. Top with fried egg. Add crispy bacon bits. Finally drizzle as much hollandaise sauce as you like. I topped mine with some fresh parsley for some color and freshness but this is optional. 

Potato Fondant

As I've said before, I love potato. I've heard of potato fondant on tv and finally decided to make it. I served it with a filet mignon and lobster tail and made my kitchen feel like a high end steak house. 

Ingredients: 
3 large russet potatoes
2 tbsp avocado or canola oil
3 tbsp butter
4 sprigs fresh thyme 
1/2 cup chicken stock

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425.

2. Cut off the ends of the russet potatoes, stand potatoes on end, and peel potatoes from top to bottom with a sharp knife to make each potato into a uniform cylinder. Cut each cylinder in half crosswise to make 6 potato cylinders about 2 inches long. 

3. Place potatoes into a bowl of cold water for about 5 minutes to remove the starch from outsides. Pat dry with paper towels. Do not do these steps too early before cooking for the potatoes will brown. 

4. Place a heavy oven-proof skillet (like a cast iron skillet) over high heat. Pour in oil. Heat until the oil is hot and slightly shimmers. 

5. Place potato cylinders with best-looking ends into the hot oil, lower heat to medium high and pan-fry potatoes until well browned, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. 

6. Flip the potatoes onto the opposite ends. As they cook, use a paper towel held with tongs to carefully blot out the oil from the skillet. Add butter and thyme sprigs to the skillet. 

7. Pick up the thyme sprigs with tongs and use it to paint butter over the top potatoes. (you can use a spoon to baste the potatoes as well) Cook until butter foams and foam turns white to a pale tan color. Season with more salt and pepper. Pour chicken stock into skillet. 

8. Transfer skillet to the preheated oven and cook until potatoes are tender and creamy inside, about 30 minutes. If potatoes aren't tender, add 1/4 cup more stock and let cook 10 more minutes. 

9. Place potatoes on a serving platter and spoon butter remaining in skillet over potatoes. Garnish with thyme sprigs. Let cool about 5 minutes before serving. 

Make Ahead Breakfast Caserole

This is a great dish for the holidays or if you have guests staying over. Make it anytime the day before, refrigerate overnight and simply bake it in the oven while hanging out with friends of family. What's also great about this dish is you can change the vegetables and seasonings. I like to start with a egg, bacon, and potato base and then change up the toppings. You could do a country style like I did with peppers and onions or go for a vegetarian version without the bacon and adding in broccoli and mushrooms. 

Ingredients:
1 lbs. bacon, cut into 1/2 inch strips
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
1 red bell pepper, seed removed and finely diced
12 large eggs
1 cup milk
3 cups frozen diced potatoes (no need to thaw or cook the potatoes)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
salt and pepper
2 green onions, chopped 

Directions:

1. In a large skillet cook bacon over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cook until crispy. Remove bacon to a paper lined towel. 

2. While bacon cooks, whisk eggs and milk in a large bowl. Add in 1 cup of the cheese, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, and half of chopped green onions and whisk to combine. 

3. Drain bacon fat from skillet but leave 1 tsp. in pan. Add onion and bell pepper. Season with a small sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cook until vegetables are tender and slightly charred, about 4 minutes. Turn off heat and set vegetables aside. 

4. Thinly coat a large baking pan or casserole with butter. Add potatoes evenly to the pan. Top potatoes with the cooked vegetables. Add a thin layer using half of the bacon bits. Top everything with egg mixture. Gently stir everything in the pan with a fork to make sure everything is evenly distributed and coated with the egg mixture. Top with the remaining cheese. 

5. At this point you can either cover the casserole over night until ready to bake or bake it right away. If refrigerating, make sure to cover the top of the casserole directly with plastic wrap. Then cover with aluminum foil. 

6. When ready to cook the casserole, preheat the oven to 350. Cook in the oven, uncovered for 20 minutes until the eggs start to set. Carefully add remaining bacon to the top of the casserole. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes until the eggs are firm and the top is slightly golden brown. Let stand for 5 minutes. Cut into squares and serve warm.