Chicken Marsala

I made this today for a family Christmas party and was a little nervous never having made it but I think it came out great and people seemed to like it.

6 chicken breasts, halved
olive oil, small amount to cook the chicken
3 eggs
water (to mix with eggs for dipping)
1.5 to 2 cups italian style bread crumbs
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 10 oz. packages baby bella mushrooms sliced
1.5 cups marsala wine
1.5 cups chicken broth
6 TBSP flour

Preheat the oven to 375. Mix the eggs and water in a large bowl and place the bread crumbs in a separate plate for dipping. Add a tablespoon or two of olive oil to the pan and heat. Dip each chicken breast in the egg mixture, then into the bread crumbs. Cook on each side for 3-5 minutes or until browned. Place the chicken on a separate plate.

When the chicken is done, using the same pan, cook the onions for 3-5 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook another 5-7 minutes. Pour in the marsala wine and chicken broth. Mix in the flour and boil approx. 5 minutes until thickened. Place the chicken in a baking dish (I used 3 for this many) and cover with the marsala sauce. Bake for 20 mins at 375.

To cook for less people, just decrease the amounts (4 chix, 1/2 cup marsala wine, 1 cup broth, 3 TBSP flour, 1/2 cup onion, 1-2 cloves garlic)

Broccoli, Bacon, and Cheese Quiche

I've never made a quiche before and I decided on this concoction for a quick weeknight dinner. It was awesome! I combined ingredients from a few different recipes so I could make a light version. No picture, as we ate it too fast, LOL!

1 premade pie crust (I used the Pillsbury refrigerated kind)
3 egg whites
3 eggs
1 Cup fat free half & half
1 bunch (about 1.5 cups) broccoli
1 Cup jarlsberg lite cheese, shredded
1 Cup, colby jack cheese, shredded
3 pieces of bacon, cooked and broken up

Preheat oven to 350. Cook the bacon first and set aside. Place the pie crust into a pie plate, then put in the dry ingredients: broccoli, bacon, and half the cheese. Whisk together the eggs and half & half and pour over the dry ingredients. Top with the rest of the cheese. Bake 40 minutes at 350. Before eating make sure to ensure it's fully cooked by putting a toothpick in the center and making sure it's dry when you pull it out.

Old Fashioned Beef Stew

Great make ahead for a meal during the week. I used a recipe out of Mable Hoffman's Crockery Cookery (great crockpot cookbook, I highly recommend it.) I didn't use the crockpot though and instead am just cooking it on low on the stove. Smells yummy!















2 lbs of beef stew meat, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 bay leaf
1 TBSP of worcestershire sauce
4 cups of beef broth
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
4-5 carrots peeled and sliced
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
4 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8ths
15 white pearl onions, peeled
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1 package of frozen peas (10 oz), thawed

Combine the beef, bay leaf, worcestershire sauce, 1 cup of the broth, pepper, salt, sugar, carrots, celery, potatoes, and pearl onions, in that order. Pour the remaining 3 cups of broth over the mixture. Cook 8 to 10 hours on low in the crockpot (or cook on low 4-5 hours on the stove). When finished, dissolve the cornstarch in water, and add it to the stew to thicken it. Remove the bay leaf, add the peas. Cook another 10 to 15 mins and serve.

Homemade Hummus

Today I made some hummus and it came out really good. I used sesame paste I had bought in the Asian aisle and it worked out perfectly. Next time I'll add some roasted red peppers in for more flavor but this is a good, classic hummus. Great for dipping!

Ingredients

4 garlic cloves
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added chickpeas (garbanzo beans), undrained
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons tahini (sesame-seed paste)

Preparation

Drop garlic and parsley through food chute with food processor on, and process until minced. Add the remaining ingredients, and process until smooth.