Drunken Chicken

Learning is a process, and learning how to cook has been an exciting process—especially when I have an audience (David) and a kitchen of my own. When I lived on my own, I typically resorted to pastas and frozen food that just needed to be plopped into a pot and stirred consistently. Buying fresh produce and working my fingers threw them makes me appreciate food in an entirely new light. I never really used to cook with wine because, in all honesty, I have no clue about wine. I do own a Wine for Dummies book, and attempted to learn about them, but I never really acquired a love for wines and so the book is now on sale on Amazon.com. Anyhow, cooking with wine makes me feel sexy, sophisticated and profound… It makes me feel all grown up! I am a big kid now and in today’s dish I used Marsala wine to kick my mushrooms and Chicken into one delightful dish.

When I first began to learn how to make Chicken Marsala, I tried a variation of recipes I found on my favorite website, foodnetwork.com. Many called for Prosciutto, which I do not cook at home (kosher chickens don’t appreciate pork juices). I tried to substitute the pork for slices of onions but they became over powering. After playing around with the recipe I realized that I like the taste of onion and garlic but I didn’t want to see it in my dish when I ate it, so I made way for my food processor. Kitchen Aid’s mini chopper works wonders and it really saves time when I need to chop things to minuscule bits.

If you do not have Marsala wine do not fret. I have used a mixture of red and white wine and the sauce came out delightful. You just can’t call it Marsala, you’ll have to call it Chicken –insert wine name here-.

Today’s recipe was pretty quick and an easy clean up, which makes me an even happier camper. ____________________________________________________
Chicken Marsala

Feeds: 2-3 people
Prep Time: 45 Minutes Tops

Ingredients:
6 pieces of thin cut chicken cutlets
2 cups of flour
¼ cup of olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 cup of Marsala Wine
1 package of portabella mini mushrooms
1 Cup of Chicken Broth
2 table spoons of flour (optional, if you want to thicken sauce)
1 small onion peeled, use a food processor or chop the onion as small as possible
3 cloves of garlic peeled and minced
Parsley (optional, I am not a fan of parsley but if you are go for it)

Directions:

Preparing the chicken: Wash your cutlets and pat them dry. Pour the 2 cups of flour into a flat play. Lightly sprinkle salt and pepper into the flour and mix with your fingers. Dunk both sides into the flour, making sure it is thoroughly covered.

Frying the chicken: In a large/ wide sauce pan heat the olive oil. When the oil is VERY hot place the flour covered chicken down into the oil and do not touch it. Let it fry for 4-5 minutes. Sneak a peak into the bottom to see the chicken has begun to brown. If it has, then flip it over and wait the same time for that second side to cook and brown. Remove the chicken and place onto a plate. Do not layer them, as they will stick together.

Marsala Sauce: In the remaining oil place the mushrooms to fry. Hopefully your sauce pan is large enough that your mushrooms have space and are not on top of each other. When the mushrooms have space, they tend to brown better. However, if you do not don’t worry your dish won’t be ruined. Do not touch them either while they are browning. Give them a few minutes and then flip the mushrooms over. Once they are cooked on both sides, add the minced garlic and the very-chopped onion. Let that fry. Sprinkle the two tablespoons of flower with a pinch or two of salt and pepper over the vegetables and stir.

Next step, add 1 cup of the Marsala wine and let it cook for 1 minute to diminish the alcohol. Then add 1 cup of the chicken broth, stir and allow the sauce to simmer for 20 minutes. Lower the heat so the simmer is steady but its not boiling the sauce.

[At this time, I washed all the dishes, and threw out the remaining flour that I used to dunk the chicken. By the time I was done, the sauce was ready!]

Now, add the chicken back into the pot and let it sit in the pot for 3-5 minutes so the chicken can absorb the sauce. (The flour’s main reason for existence in this dish is to absorb the sauce!)

Dinner is served! =)

Heaven is Seduced by Balsamic & Honey

David’s friend was over today and came into the kitchen right when I began to prepare dinner. He stated that every time he sees me, I am in the kitchen cooking. I hope that’s a good thing… Today was one of those days; Pouring rain in the morning and a very gloomy rest of the day. I was, however, very excited to start my journey today, as it has become the main topic of my telephone conversations. Last night as I laid in bed I made a list of all the dished I have to write about first. We are going to be eating so well for the next few weeks!

Last night I asked my mother to buy me a Pyrex set for my birthday so I can be more eco-friendly and stop using all of these disposable aluminum trays. She was shocked at my request. “I was hoping to buy you something not something for your kitchen.” I laughed and said, “The kitchen is a part of me, buying something for my kitchen means buying something for me.” She agreed and went onto the Bed Bath & Beyond website and found me the most wonderful set they have to offer. I will soon be in Pyrex Heaven! This morning, my mom phoned me and I explained my new blog project to her. I think she thinks I’m crazy or very bored because she doesn’t seem to get why I am doing this. I hope I become like Julie and become famous and then have her feel really silly about her quizzical commentaries. I even told her that in the movie Julie’s mom wasn’t very enthusiastic about her project but when she received her book deal she was dumb founded. Just sit and wait Mom =)

Today’s meal was inspired by my need find a new savory way to prepare lamb. I was never really a big fan of lamb but this recipe turned my life around. This is a sweet dish, so if you are not much for honey infused dishes, stay away. The balsamic vinegar gives the dish a tangy taste as well. I added mint to the salad dressing to give a bit of differentiation between the meat and the salad, remember the more you add of something the more it will dominate so give and take where ever you see fit. If you do try this recipe out PLEASE let me know how it went!

___________________________________________

Lamb Chops and Minty Fresh Salad

Serves 2-4 people (it matters how much you all eat…)

[Total Prep Time: 50 minutes tops… it matters how quick you work]


Ingredients:

6-8 pieces of lamb chops (You can use baby lamb or regular, but make sure it comes with the bone).
¼ cup of canola oil for brushing(you can really use any oil, vegetable, canola, corn or even olive for this part).
1 cup of balsamic vinegar
2 cups of olive oil
1/3 cup of rosemary (Dried or fresh chopped)
4 gloves of garlic, minced
½ cup of honey (if you like it really sweet, like me go for more)
Pre-packaged mixed greens (that are washed and ready to eat)
15-20 leaves of mint
1 bunch of asparagus
1 can of sliced beets (ready to eat)
1 can of baby corn
¼ cup of slivered almonds
Salt and pepper

Directions:

Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette[PREP TIME 5 MINUTES]: In a wide pot, under a low flame whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey rosemary , garlic and a few pinches of salt and pepper. Wisk it till it comes to a simmer. Take ½ cup of the vinaigrette and put aside, add the mint leaves and cover with foil let it sit. (This will be the salad dressing). (Do not try to taste the dressing from the whisk; it will burn your tongue… This is from experience…woops).

Lamb Chops [PREP TIME 30 MINUTES]: Wash the lamb chops in cold water and then pat dry each one with a paper towel. Take a brush and lightly brush one side with oil and lightly sprinkle salt and pepper. Using a grilling pan or a double burner griller put the oiled side of the lamb down to grill. Make sure your grill pan is very hot. (Put it on the stove top and let it heat up for 5-8 minutes). While the first side is grilling, brush the visible side with oil and lightly sprinkle salt and pepper. After 3-5 minutes (when you see visible grill marks) flip it to the other side and allow it to cook for 3-5 minutes more. Turn the grill off and place the lamb chops in the Honey Balsamic vinaigrette. Let the pot simmer with the meat on a low flame for at least 20 minutes. You can leave it to simmer more, it will tenderize the meat even more. Every 5 or so minutes turn the pieces over so both sides are evenly marinated. However you must monitor it so it does not burn. (You can also place the pot into the oven for the same amount of time on 300 degrees. I’ve done it both ways and it comes out superb.)

Salad [PREP TIME 15 MINUTES]: Take a baking sheet and place the almonds on it. Place it into a toaster oven or the oven (put it on 350 degrees). Let it toast for about 5-8 minutes or until it becomes golden.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Prepare a bowl of cold water with a ton of ice in it. Take the asparagus and chop 1 inch of the ends off. Throw the bunch into the pot of boiling water. Let it boil for 3 minutes, you will see that the asparagus turns into a bright green color. Quickly take it out and throw it into the iced bowl. Let it stay for 10-15 seconds and take them out and place them on a paper towel. This will ensure that the asparagus stays nice and crisp.

Place the mixed greens in the center of the plate. Chop the asparagus where only the tops are left (if you like the entire asparagus you can chop them and add them to your salad, I am not a big fan. I just like the top spiky part.) Open the can of beats and pour them into a strainer, wash them and let them sit for a moment so all the water drips out. Do the same for the baby corn. Place the three vegetables surrounding the greens. Place the toasted almonds in the center above the greens. Take the Balsamic-Honey-Mint salad dressing and remove the mint leaves. With a spoon, drizzle the salad dressing over the entire thing. Feel free to put more or less, as you desire.

Enjoy!

Tomorrow is Day 1

It is a few minutes to tomorrow and I am near the end of watching Julie & Julia. I have been interested in watching this film for inspiration into my own journey in cooking and blogging. After moving in with my boyfriend and then getting engaged, I was determined to make dinner every night and make something that is amazingly delicious and beautiful to the eye. My mission each dinner is to make David, (my fiancé), growl at the plate I serve him in happiness. I have been planning to start writing my blog about my journey in the kitchen for months, and I have finally been inspired thanks to Julie/a. Starting Monday, a few days shy of my 24th birthday, I will begin my blog journey where I will share my recipes, my cooking, my disasters and my tips in making dinner and baking and making it easy. I want it easy and I need it easy because as much as I love cooking and baking I do not want or need to be in the kitchen for hours. I want to make my food and have enough energy to eat it.

A few more things I am going to aim at:
-Cooking healthier
-Cutting down on the amounts of dishes I use when I cook (at times my kitchen looks like a tornado hit it).
-Cooking for a smaller crowd (when I make food, I typically have enough to feed an army if not at least 12 people.)
-Taking measurements when cooking so I can put the recipe on my blog for everyone to try and cook themselves.

Anyhow readers, I look forward in this journey and I hope to hear feedback from you all.

Tomorrow is a brand new day!