Cheesy Chicken and Mushrooms

As I have mentioned before, chicken marsala is one of my favorite dishes (Chicken Marsala). Well this recipe is a little different. You still have your chicken and mushrooms, but this time around the chicken is in a white wine sauce and topped with melted cheese. If your also a chicken marsala fan, try this recipe and you just might have a new favorite.

Recipe yields 4 servings

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs chicken breast, pounded thin
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup olive oil
16 oz white mushrooms
2 cups white wine
1 1/3 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup green onions
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with a coat of non-stick cooking spray and set aside. Season chicken with salt and pepper and cover with a light coat of flour.

In a large pan, melt butter and add olive oil. Add chicken to the pan and cook until golden and crispy on each side. About 4-5 minutes per side. (It is alright if the chicken is not cooked through, we are going to bake it later. We just want to get the outside crispy at this step.)

Remove chicken from the pan and set aside. Slice mushrooms and add them to the same pan. Cook for 5-6 minutes or until tender.

Add white wine and chicken broth to the mushrooms. Bring to a boil and cook until sauce is reduced by half.

Place chicken on the prepared baking sheet. Pour mushrooms and sauce over all the chicken. Top the chicken with shredded mozzarella, grated parmesan and chopped green onions.

Bake for 15-18 minutes. Serve & enjoy!

Feta Baked Shrimp

Looking for a quick and easy dish to impress? Well this is it. It has all the signs of a complex and time consuming meal from a seasoned chef, but it is done in under 30 minutes and it is simple enough that anyone can do it. I served mine with a garlic infused rice pilaf, but it also goes great over pasta or with vegetables. Either way, your guests (whether it be your dinner party of friends or just your roommate) are sure to rave about this one.

Recipe yields 4 servings

Ingredients
16 oz shelled and detailed large shrimp
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup yellow onion
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cup tomatoes
2 tbsp white wine
3 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup crumbled low-fat feta cheese
1 tbsp parsley

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Chop the yellow onion and garlic. Dice the tomatoes. Mince the parsley. In a medium bowl, toss the shrimp with the lemon juice so that all shrimp is coated. Set aside.

In a medium saute pan, add olive oil and chopped onion. Saute onion for 2-3 minutes until onions are translucent.

Add diced tomatoes, white wine, chopped garlic, oregano, salt and pepper to the saute pan. Stir to combine all ingredients. Cook for 5-6 minutes until the mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 5 minutes.

Add shrimp to the saute pan and cook for about 1 minute.

Transfer contents of the pan to a baking (or casserole) dish. Top with the crumbled feta cheese. Place in the oven and bake for 12-14 minutes or until shrimp is cooked through and cheese has started to melt.

Remove dish from the oven and sprinkle with parsley. Serve right out of the dish and enjoy!

Pecan Crusted Chicken

If your anything like me, you eat your fair share of chicken. Well, no matter how good it is, regular baked chicken can get boring sometimes. This recipe mixes things up. Adding pecans to your breadcrumb mixture adds extra protein to your dish along with added crunch and flavor. If you are looking for a way to shake things up in your normal routine, you have to try this!

Recipe yields 4 servings

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs chicken breast, pounded thin
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup egg whites
3/4 cups bread crumbs
4 tbsp pecans
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. Finely chop the pecans. In a bowl, combine bread crumbs, chopped pecans, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine all ingredients.

Place flour in a small bowl.

Place egg whites into a separate bowl.

In assembly line fashion, coat each piece of chicken with the flour, then dunk it in the egg whites and finally coat with the bread crumb mixture. Place finished piece of chicken on the prepared baking sheet.

When all chicken is prepared, place baking sheet in oven. Cook for 8 minutes and then flip chicken over. Cook for an additional 8 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Arrange chicken on a plate or platter to serve. Enjoy!

Chocolate Peanut & Pretzel Bark

Sweet and salty is a combination that has stood the test of time. This recipe takes things up a notch by doubling up your sweets and salty. You have your salty pretzels and peanuts mixed with your sweet chocolate and butterscotch. These flavors are sure to pack a big punch! This is super easy to make and is a great snack. You could even pack it in a cute box and give it for a gift!

Recipe yields 1 tray of bark

Ingredients
2 cups thin pretzels
1 1/2 cups dry roasted peanuts
1 cup butterscotch morsels
1 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels

Line a baking sheet with wax paper. In a double broiler (or the microwave) melt butterscotch morsels and chocolate morsels together. Whisk to combine.

Break pretzels into bite-sized pieces. Do not crush, just break them into smaller pieces.

Once chocolate and butterscotch are thoroughly melted, add broken pretzels and peanuts to the mixture. Stir to combine and fully coat all ingredients.

Drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto your wax paper and use a spatula to spread out into an even layer.

Allow to rest until it is hardened, about 4-5 hours. If you are inpatient like me, throw it in the refrigerator for about 45-60 minutes to speed up the process.

Once the bark has hardened, break into pieces to serve. Enjoy!

Arborio and Escarole Soup

Today in New York it is dark and rainy and all I could think about for dinner is a nice warm bowl of soup. Additionally, with fall in full swing, soup season is officially here! Today's soup makes for a great meal because of all the vegetables. Additionally, the arborio rice adds a lot of substance to the soup making it just right to fill you up.

Recipe yields 4-6 servings

Ingredients
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup carrots
1 cup celery
1 cup yellow onion
6 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup arborio rice
2 cups escarole
1 lemon
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Prepare carrots, celery and onion with a small dice (about 1/2"). Rough chop the escarole.

In a large stock pot, heat the butter over medium until hot but not browned. Add the chopped carrots, celery and onion. Mix to coat all vegetables with the butter. Reduce heat to low and cover pot. Cook for about 8 minutes, or until vegetables begin to soften.

Add the chicken stock and a pinch of salt to the vegetables. Bring to a boil.

Add rice and return to a boil, stirring frequently. Cover the pot and cook for 10-15 minutes, until the rice is cooked. Rice should be al dente.

Add escarole and juice from one lemon. Stir and adjust seasoning as necessary with salt and pepper. Additionally, I like to add some zest from the lemon for a stronger flavor.

Transfer to soup bowls and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese. Serve & enjoy.