A Twist on Chicken Marsala

I am going to try and give you the best recap I can of this recipe but I definitely didn't measure much so it's all an approximation. Cooking is rarely precise so I am sure you can figure it out if you decide to replicate it!

Ingredients (may want to double mushroom and onion sauce)

Grilled Chicken Tenderloins (2-3 per serving)
Portabella Mushrooms
1 large vidalia onion
2 tbsp Olive Oil
2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1 tsp of roasted garlic
1/2 cup of marsala wine
1 cup of reduced sodium chicken broth
1 tsp of flour
2 sprigs of fresh thyme-chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste

Begin by heating olive oil and garlic on medium high heat. Add onions. Cook until beginning to brown and onions are softened.

Add half of marsala wine, half of chicken broth, mushrooms, and thyme. Keep cooking as mixture reduces. Add flour.

Slowly add remaining marsala and chicken broth continuously scraping the bottom of the pan to release flavor.

Meanwhile, grill chicken tenderloins. I marinated mine in balsamic vinegar, marsala wine, and a splash of pure maple syrup.

Top chicken with mushroom and onion sauce and serve with your favorite veggie!

Mini Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecakes

These were so wonderful and had all the flavors of the holidays! Adapted from Picky Palate

Ingredients


8 Oreos, finely ground in food processor

1 1/2 Tablespoons melted butter
8 oz softened cream cheese
1/2 Cup granulated sugar
1/2 Cup pumpkin puree (Libby's)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1 package of low-fat or fat-free caramel dip

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat mini muffin pan with cooking spray. Combine ground oreos with melted butter in a bowl. Spoon into mini muffin pan to create a base of for the cheesecake. Press down to make flat. Partially bake for 10 minutes.

With an electric mixer beat the cream cheese,  sugar and pumpkin until smooth.  Beat in egg, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg until combined.  Pour evenly into the mini muffin pan until about 3/4 way full.  Spoon about a teaspoon of caramel into the tops of each filled cup and swirl with a toothpick gently.  Bake for 25-28 minutes or until cheesecake is cooked through.  Let cool completely.

Remove mini cheesecakes from pan and top with an additional spoonful of caramel. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

So we haven't posted anything in FOREVER! It probably will continue to be this way since Colleen and I are both super busy with school and work. Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year. Here is a recipe I made a few weeks ago for delicious chicken enchiladas! Adapted from Food.com

Ingredients

1lb boneless skinless chicken breast (diced)
1 medium onion (diced)
1 tbsp olive oil
8 flour tortillas (8 inch size, I accidentally bough x-large)
2 cups of cheese (mexican blend or monterey jack)
1/4 cup of butter
1/4 cup of flour
1 can of reduced sodium chicken broth
1 cup of light sour cream
1 can of chopped green chilies

Preheat Oven to 400 degrees.

Begin by cooking chicken and onion in pan until chicken is just done. Then fill tortillas with chicken and onion mixture, divide evenly between all tortillas. Add between 1-2 tablespoons of cheese to each tortilla. Roll tortillas and place seam side down in a non-stick 9X13 pan (may also want to spray with cooking spray).

Next in a saucepan over medium-high heat melt butter. Stir in flour to make a roux, continue stirring and cooking until bubbly. 

Next gradually add in chicken broth and bring to a boil, stirring continually. 

Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and green chilies. Then pour sauce over rolled enchiladas. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted.

Enjoy!!!

Creamy Mushroom Pasta

I've been dreaming of Fall and cooler weather, instead Florida is currently very wet and muggy. At least with food I can create whatever season I want, so here it so being warm and full :)

Ingredients:

1 package of sliced portabella mushrooms
1 medium sweet onion diced
1 tbsp of roasted garlic
3/4 cup of regular cream
1/3 cup of chicken broth, reduced sodium
2-3 cups of spinach
1/2 cup of your favorite alfredo sauce (I used Classico's Mushroom Alfredo)
Pasta of choice
1-2 tbsp of flour
Olive Oil (or Grapeseed Oil, see below)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Being by sautéing onions, mushrooms, and garlic in oil until onions are softened and mushrooms are browning.

I choose to sauté with grapeseed oil because it has a higher smoke point and doesn't break down the fats in the oil when cooking at high temperatures... read more here: The Health Benefits of Cooking with Grapeseed Oil

Next add chicken broth, cream, and alfredo. Allow to simmer for 5-7 minutes. Add flour to thicken as needed, allow to simmer while your pasta is cooked al dente. 

When pasta is ready get another pan and toss in desired amount of pasta and sauce together for your meal. Then add in desired amount of spinach, a few handfuls should be about right. This is the best trick to get your pasta to really come together. Cook sauce and pasta together for a few minutes over medium heat.

Transfer to a bowl or plate, sprinkle with parmesan and enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

We have our very first guest blogger! My soon-to-be-married and very-great--friend Ashley Hare!

Check out her delicious muffins below :)

Pumpkin Pie Spice Muffins

Recipe adapted from Tasty Kitchen- They were originally Pumpkin Spice Donut Holes, but I didn’t have a mini muffin pan, so I made them regular muffins. Also, the donut holes are rolled completely in the cinnamon sugar mixture, but I just dipped the tops of the muffins in it. It’s best to dip the muffins in the coating the same day you’re going to eat them because the muffin can make it a little soggy after a day or so.

Ingredients

For Muffins
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoons ground cloves
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup canned plain pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup low-fat milk

For Coating
1 stick of unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven 350°F. Spray each cup in a 24-cup muffin tin with baking spray or butter generously.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and spices (through cloves).

In a separate, large bowl whisk together oil, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, pumpkin and milk until smooth. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until just combined- don’t over mix! !

Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. For larger muffins, baking time may need to be increased. Mine took about 15 minutes.

While the muffins bake, melt butter in one bowl and combine granulated sugar and cinnamon in another bowl.

 Remove muffins from oven and cool for 2 minutes, or until just cool enough to handle. Dip each muffin top in melted butter, then dip in cinnamon sugar to coat the muffin top. Enjoy!

Broccoli and Cheddar Soup

This recipe was adapted from Mangio da Sola

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
1/2 chopped onion
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup flour
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup milk
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 lb fresh broccoli, chopped
1 cup carrot, shredded and chopped
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cardamom
8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese
4 ounces grated Colby jack cheese 
Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté the onion and garlic in the butter over medium heat. Remove the onions (you can actually leave the onions in there) and add in the flour, stirring constantly. Add in the half and half, milk, and chicken stock. Bring to almost a boil.
Add the onions back in, along with the broccoli and carrots. Simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes.
Season the soup with the salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cardamom. Stir in the cheeses (and you can play around with the amounts; use however much or little you like) and let simmer for 10 minutes longer before serving.

Roasted Tomato Soup

So, it has been awhile since I have posted anything and I am sorry, with having a new job and juggling school, Easton, and house work it has been a little overwhelming. I am finally getting on a schedule though so recipes should be coming more frequently now.

This recipe was adapted from Sprouted Kitchen
Ingredients:
1 1/4 lb. Ripe Tomatoes (about 4 Large Tomatoes)
1/2 Medium Yellow Onion
3 Garlic Cloves
1 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp. Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper
1 Tbsp. Chopped Parsley
1 1/2 Cups Low Sodium Vegetable or Chicken Broth
1 Tbsp. Organic Tomato Paste
1/4 Cup Heavy Cream or Half and Half, optional
Fresh Oregano + Basil for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 350′. Cut the tomatoes and the half of an onion into wedges. Use your finger to push out some of the seedy parts of the tomatoes, but this is not a huge deal, just get out the big seedy parts, a bit intact is fine. Spread them on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle the salt, a generous amount of pepper, the chopped parsley and gently toss it with your hands. Tuck the garlic cloves somewhere in a tomato, so they don’t burn. Roast on the middle rack for 30-40 minutes until the tomatoes have broken down and reduced to about half their size. Remove and cool slightly.
2. Warm the broth and stir in the tomato paste to dissolve. Add the all of the ingredients from the roasting pan into the broth and let it gently simmer for 5-10 minutes. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup in the bowl, or with a food processor or blender. The soup should be smooth, with some texture. If you don’t like any texture at all, you could run it through a fine mesh sieve. Return it back to the pot, and add the cream to taste, if using. Taste for salt and pepper.
3. Serve with some toasted bread, or broil a few slices with a piece of mozzarella on top. Garnish with fresh chopped basil and oregano.