Showing posts with label entertain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label entertain. Show all posts

Monday, June 14, 2010

Marsala Chicken

This is tenderized chicken breasts. They get really big. I put them in a breading and then brown them in olive oil. I use extra virgin.

You have to watch them a lot... as they will brown quickly and you don't want them to burn. This is how I like mine.

These are the only other items you need... other than salt, pepper, garlic powder or fresh garlic.

This is how it will look before you add the flour to thicken it....
The end result. It is good. I usually serve with a side of pasta and mizithra cheese and browned butter. However, when you have a five year old that loves mashed potatoes and marsala wine, you just pick your battles.

Recipe

*Three to five chicken breasts tenderized
*Breading to dip breasts in
*Olive oil for the pan to brown them in
*3 Tbl butter
*Sliced mushrooms. It depends on how much you like them. I would say a half pound to a pound for us... sliced.
*1 tsp fresh garlic
*Two cans of chicken broth. I use 99% fat free.
*About a cup of marsala wine. (you will find it in the grocery store near the vinegar)
*3 Tbl flour

Brown the breaded chicken breasts in the olive oil. Remove from the pan when they are browned to your desire.

In the same pan, melt the butter and saute the mushrooms in the butter and garlic. When they are starting to turn color to a medium brown, add chicken broth but saving a half cup of it for thickening later. Also add the marsala wine at this time. After mixing well in the pan, add the chicken breasts back into the pan. Let simmer until the chicken breasts are cooked so there is no longer any pink.

Take the remaining chicken broth and add the flour to it. Add to the pan with the chicken and the breasts. It will thicken the sauce as you stir it. Add more flour and water if needed to be even thicker.

**you can increase or decrease the marsala wine as needed for your own tastes. It is sooooo good. Enjoy!!! Ciao

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Bacon and Zucchini Stir Fry


I really love G's mom. She is the sweetest lady and a fantastic cook still and she is in her 80's. She puts so much love in her food and has for years. This is one of the things she taught me to cook. It is one of my favorites to cook for the kids. Aside from the bacon it is so healthy. HA... but the bacon is what makes it so good. Dang! There are no exact measurements on it either so anything goes. My kind of recipe... and often why blogging is hard for me... I just throw things together a lot with no attention to how much I put in of an ingredient. Anyhow... enjoy... so good... and the veggies are so abundant during the summer months.

Bacon and Zucchini Stirfry:

6 to 8 slices of bacon cut into pieces
1 tsp minced fresh garlic
salt and pepper to taste
1 large onion
10 mushrooms
3 zucchini
1 yellow squash
fresh diced tomatoes




Place the bacon, garlic and onion in the pan to cook. I like to cook it well enough to be edible at that point but still limp.


I then add the zucchini, yellow squash, and mushrooms. My squash is cut in medium size medallions as if they are too thin they will get soggy and not so good for my taste buds. If too thin, the mushrooms will overcook while you wait for the squash to finish. No good either... Stir fry this until desired doneness of he squash, while adding salt and pepper to taste. Turn heat completely off at this point and add add the fresh tomatoes. Serve. This is a great dish.

Could this be a sickness????


I always prepare more than enough for dinner. That is for sure. If anyone is to stop by we would easily be able to feed them. Due to me liking to entertain, I have so many plates. We have had very LARGE crowds before, for holiday and for summer bbq's. LARGE crowds... ha! And we have never one time, not had enough plates. I have three sets of dishes in my cupboards. Oh my... perhaps it is too many!

Saturday, May 22, 2010

German Chocolate Upside Down Cake


When G had his birthday he had just gotten out of the hospital. We did take him to Olive Garden but he wasn't able to eat much. Today I made my promise to Carlie and made his birthday for him. I had to go to the grocery store... which seems like a small task...but when you have a daughter who lollygags... and gets distracted... it is a long process. I also cooked with her which is priceless, but also slows me down. All in all, I would rather be cooking with her at a slower pace than not cooking with her. So.... it all works out and we had a lot of laughs and giggles today... (and I only pulled out one handful of my hair)... KIDDING!!!

The site for the day... See Jane in the kitchen. I used two of her recipes today... perfect for us... check her out... great site...

Find the recipe here... German Chocolate Upside Down Cake

The cake is like a southern butter gooey cake recipe I have from Paula Dean, just a little different. It is superb and you will love it. It is a moist cake with a crust that is hard... but... it is perfect!!! Enjoy!!!!

German Chocolate Upside Down Cake

1 german cake mix, prepared according to box directions
1 cup coconut
2 cups chopped pecans... I used walnuts... always love walnuts...
1 cup melted butter
1 pound powdered sugar
8 ounces cream cheese
1. Spread greased 9x13 pan with 1 cup coconut and 2 cups (or so, depending on preference) chopped pecans.

2. Prepare german cake mix according to directions and pour over nuts and coconut.

3. Mix butter, powdered sugar and cream cheese together and pour over cake. Swirl with knife.


Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.








This is after pouring cake batter over coconut and walnuts.


Putting the cream cheese, powdered sugar and butter on cake mix.


Marbling the cream cheese mix into the cake...


Right out of the oven... smells so very good...


Ready to eat. It is so very good... to die for...


Potato Fingers


My grandpa tried to convince us when we were little that potatoes were the most universal food and could be prepared so many ways. Maybe this is where the carb obsession grew for me. I to this day find comfort in mashed potatoes... mmmmmmmm.... and loaded baked potatoes might be considered a best friend if I really wanted to go there... So today I ran into a recipe at a website and had to try it. It was a tad different than a recipe I already had for these, but I like variety... so I gave it a try.

Her blog is here and you must check it out It is called See Jane in the kitchen

The recipe is called potato skins

Enjoy... so very good. She has another recipe that I tried out that is similar to a southern gooey butter cake. You will love it... I will be visiting her often.

Potato fingers


8- 10 small baking potatoes, baked
3 TBS. oil
2 TBS. fresh grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder (I added this... not in original recipe) always a need for bad breath
1/4 tsp black pepper
grated cheese
sliced green onions
bacon
sour cream


Cut baked potatoes in half and scoop out the middle then cut them in half again so each potato will make four skins. In a bow, mix oil, cheese and seasonings. Brush the skins with the oil mixture on both sides. Bake in a 475 degree oven for 7 minutes, remove from oven, turn over the potatoes and bake for 7 more minutes. Take out of oven and top with cheese and bacon, bake for another minute or two. Remove from oven and top with onions and sour cream.

The best shimp dip...



One of the greatest inventions by man is......... CREAM CHEESE! I can't get enough of the stuff... and you will see it in my home at ALL times. All of my family (with the exception of Amanda, and she is picky about sooooo many foods...) loves seafood as well. So this is one of our favorites. I first had this in the eighth grade when my Aunt Linda took it to the Lilac Parade on an outing with my folks... NO KIDS allowed... yet, she sent the left overs home with my mom. I think it is best served with wheat thins, yet, I think wheat thins are the second greatest invention by man... maybe.

Enjoy this recipe.

Easiest and best shrimp dip.

2 80z pkg cream cheese
1 can of olives drained and chopped
1 can of tiny shrimp drained
3 green onions or scallions chopped, greens only

Mix all ingredients and serve with assorted crackers... OR... WHEAT THINS... pure heaven. If you want to be lazy and have a kitchen aid mixer, I don't even chop the olives. I just put them in and turn it on high with the whisk and it chops them while it mixes the dip for you. From time to time I put a dash or two of pepper sauce in it... just to get people dancing!