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Creamy Chicken & Mushroom Cavatappi

Creamy Chicken & Mushroom Cavatappi

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with Parmesan & Scallions

Yield: 2

Pan-roasted chicken strips seasoned with Italian herbs, springy cavatappi spirals, a creamy sauce, and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and scallions.
Prep: 5 Cook: 25

  • 4oz button mushrooms
  • 6oz cavatappi pasta
  • 4oz cream sauce base
  • 2scallions
  • 1clove garlic
  • 10oz chicken breast strips
  • 1TBS Italian seasoning
  • 1oz mushroom stock concentrate
  • 3TBS Parmesan cheese
  • salt & pepper
  • 2tsp olive oil
  • 2TBS butter

Prep:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry produce.

Trim and thinly slice mushrooms (skip if your mushrooms are pre-sliced!). Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from greens. Peel and mince or grate garlic.

Cut chicken into bite sized pieces.

Cook pasta:

Once water is boiling, add cavatappi to pot. Cook until al dente, 9-11 minutes.

Reserve ½ cup pasta cooking water, then drain.

Cook mushrooms:

Meanwhile, heat a drizzle of olive oil and 1 TBS butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and softened, 2- to 3-minutes.

Push mushrooms to one side of pan, add another drizzle of olive oil to empty side.

Cook chicken:

While mushrooms cook, pat chicken dry with paper towels and season all over with Italian Seasoning, salt, and pepper.

Once mushrooms are browned and softened, add chicken to empty side of pan, cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is browned and cooked through, 4- to 6-minutes.

Stir in scallion whites and garlic, cook until fragrant, 1 minute.

Make sauce:

Add cream sauce base and stock concentrate to pan. Stir to combine.

Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low. Season with salt and pepper.

Finish & serve:

Add drained cavatappi, half the Parmesan, and 1 TBS butter to pan, toss to coat. If needed, stir in reserved pasta cooking water a splash at a time until pasta is coated in a creamy sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Divide between bowls, top with scallion greens and remaining Parmesan. Serve.

Kabobs, Steak and Vegetable

Kabobs, Steak and Vegetable

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Yield: 2 servings

Scott Nowell

Wow, chunks of tenderloin will give you a happy face 😊. You can use other steak cuts if you must. Everything comes off the grill tender and delicious.

Update: Electric grill and broilers just don’t have enough power. I’ve been using the broiler indoors with mixed results. Flavor is great, but the crispy edges are missing. Next try it will be skip the skewers and do it in a skillet or cast iron pan. Vegetables need more time than meat.

  • 12oz beef tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 8 pieces.
  • Italian dressing
  • 1red bell pepper, seeded, cut into 1½-Inch pieces
  • 1green bell pepper, seeded, cut into 1½-inch pieces
  • 1sweet onion, peeled and cut into 1½-inch chunks
  • 1zucchini, trimmed and sliced into ¾-inch thick rounds
  • 8oz mushrooms, whole or cut in half if larger than the other veg pieces
  • Kosher salt
  • Fresh ground black pepper


Marinate beef:

Place the beef pieces in a plastic bag and add enough Italian dressing to coat all the pieces. Message them through the bag and refrigerate for 45 minutes to overnight.

Remove from refrigerator up to an hour before cooking. Drain marinade and pat the pieces dry with paper towel.

Skewered:

Heat your grill of choice.

Thread the skewers with pieces of red onion, beef, zucchini, mushroom, and bell pepper. You can alternate the order.

Spray with cooking spray and season top side well with salt and pepper.

Place the kabobs, top side down on the preheated grill. Spray and season the now top side and cook about 5-7 minutes per side. The kabobs are done when the steak is cooked your desired temperate and the vegetables are lightly charred, about 15 minutes.

No Skewers:

Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add a TBS or two of cooking oil and heat until it ripples. Then add in the steak and sauté to medium rare (or desired doneness). Remove to a dish and loosely cover with foil.

Add all the vegetables and sauté to almost done and return the steak to the pan. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Serve.

Hunan Beef

Hunan Beef

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Yield: 4 Servings
Scott Nowell

I am trying to duplicate the great Hunan Beef at Peking Garden in Carlsbad, CA (closed in 2017) which they describe as: Tender sliced beef sauteed with bell pepper, onion, mushroom in spicy Hunan sauce. I thought it also had zucchini.

Beef:

  • 1lb flank steak

Tenderize: (optional)

  • ¼tsp baking soda
  • 3TBS water

Marinade:

  • 1egg white
  • 1pinch white pepper
  • ¼tsp salt
  • 1-2½TBS of corn starch
  • 1TBS of oil

For the vegetables:

  • 1small green bell pepper
  • 1small red bell pepper
  • 1zucchini sliced ½-inch thick and quartered, optional
  • 8oz mushrooms, quartered
  • 8whole dried chili peppers
  • ½tsp granulated sugar
  • 2TBS hot water
  • ½tsp Chinese black vinegar

Sauce

  • 2tsp chili bean paste, (spicy Doubanjiang)
  • ½cup chicken broth
  • 1½TBS soy sauce
  • 2TBS oyster sauce
  • 2tsp rice wine vinegar
  • 1tsp sugar, optional
  • 2tsp cornstarch

Beef:

Note: Tenderize the beef with a Jaccard before slicing. (optional)

Slice the beef with the blade tilted 45 degrees to get a thin cut through the grain.

Tenderize: (optional)

Mix 1/4 tsp baking soda and 3TBS water in a small bowl. Add beef and let sit for at least 30 minutes.

Marinate:

In a bowl, add the beef, egg white, white pepper, salt, Mix well. Add 1 to 2 TBS of corn starch and mix well. Add 1 TBS of oil and mix again. Set aside for 15 to 30 minutes.

Premix sauce:

Mix all the sauce ingredients together in a small container and set aside.

 Prep:

Cut the bell peppers into ¾-inch dice. Cut the zucchini length wise to quarter, then slice into ½-inch thick pieces. Quarter the mushrooms.

Stir fry:

Heat a wok and add a tablespoon of oil until just smoking. Add beef and stir fry until browned. Remove to bowl.

Add more oil to the wok, then add the bell peppers, zucchini, mushrooms and dried chilies. Stir fry for a minute then add sugar, water and black vinegar. Stir fry until tender crisp. Remove to the bowl with beef.

Sauce:

Mix the sauce a little and then pour into the wok. Cook until thickened and return beef and vegetables to wok and mix to coat. Stir fry to heat through.

Serve.

Pork Medallions with Mushroom Gravy

Pork Medallions with Mushroom Gravy

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Yield: 4 Servings
Carlsbad Cravings

This pork medallions recipe is hypnotic! It transforms pork tenderloin into juicy, golden, spice rubbed pork medallions that pan sear to tender perfection in minutes! The seared pork medallions are then enveloped in silky, umami rich mushroom gravy that deserves its very own encore. This pork medallions recipe may look and taste gourmet (perfect for special occasions like Mother’s Day!) but is simple to make with a cook time of less than 30 minutes once your ingredients are prepped. Serve these pork medallions over a bed of mashed potatoes with honey roasted carrots or Parmesan asparagus and you have a swoon worthy dinner everyone will love!

Pork

  • 1pork tenderloin (1 to 1½ lb)
  • 3TBS flour
  • 1tsp salt
  • ½tsp garlic powder
  • ½tsp onion powder
  • ½tsp pepper, paprika
  • butter
  • olive oil

Mushroom gravy

  • 12oz baby bella/cremini mushrooms sliced ¼-inch thick
  • 1shallot, minced
  • 4garlic cloves, minced
  • ¼tsp red pepper flakes
  • ¼cup flour
  • 2½cups reduce sodium beef broth
  • 1TBS Worcestershire sauce
  • 1TBS reduced sodium soy sauce
  • 1tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1tsp beef bouillon (see notes)
  • 1tsp dried parsley
  • ½tsp dried oregano
  • ½tsp dried thyme

Prep pork: Trim silver skin from the pork tenderloin and cut crosswise into 12 medallions. Press each medallion with the palm of your hand to flatten to a about ½-inch even thickness. Whisk the flour and all pork seasoning together in a shallow dish. Dredge each medallion in the mixture, shake off any excess, then transfer to a dry surface.

Cook pork: Melt the 2 TBS butter in 2 TBS olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add HALF of the pork medallions in a single layer and cook for approximately 3 minutes per side. Pork is cooked through when internal temperature registers at 145˚F. Cooking time will also depend on the thickness of the medallions. Transfer pork to a plate, tent with foil and repeat with remaining pork.

Caramelize mushrooms: Melt 2 TBS butter with 1 TBS olive oil over medium heat. Increase temperature to medium-high and add half of the mushrooms. Give them a stir to evenly coat in the butter then arrange mushrooms in a single layer. Cook mushrooms for 3 minutes per side or until golden. Once evenly browned, season mushrooms lightly with freshly cracked salt and pepper and give them a stir. Remove mushrooms from skillet and repeat with remaining mushrooms; transfer all mushrooms to a plate.

Gravy: To the now empty skillet, melt 2 TBS butter. Add shallot and sauté over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes to soften. Reduce heat to medium, add garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for 30 seconds. Add flour and cook for 1 minute, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to low and slowly whisk in beef broth. Add soy sauce, Worcestershire, Dijon, beef bouillon, and all seasonings. Bring to a simmer until thickened.

Assemble: Nestle the pork medallions into the pan and spoon some gravy over top. Cook over medium for a few minutes to warm through. Taste and season with salt and/or pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired. Serve over mashed potatoes (recommended), rice or pasta.

Cooking tips for success

Silver skin: The silver skin is part of a sinew on one side of the pork tenderloin and looks like thin, silvery fat. You will need to remove it because it can become tough and chewy when cooked. There really isn’t anything special about removing the silver skin. To remove, slip a sharp knife in between the silver skin and the meat to create a “tab.” Angle the knife so the blade is facing toward the silver skin way from the meat. Finally, hold the tab taught while you cut the silver skin with a sawing motion until it’s cut free.

Beef bouillon: You can use granulated beef bouillon, one beef bouillon cube or better than bouillon. If using a cube, crush and add it directly to the gravy, don’t dissolve in water first.

Mushrooms: You can use virtually any flavorful mushrooms for this pork medallions recipe other than white mushrooms (unless you would like a super mild flavor) such as Portobello, shiitake, or oyster mushrooms or more exotic mushrooms such as chanterelle, morel, enoki or king oyster mushrooms. You can even mix and match different varieties of mushrooms, just make sure to cut them the same size.

Make ahead. See post for how to prep the pork, mushrooms and aromatics ahead of time.

How to store and reheat

To store: Pork medallions should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for three to five days.

To freeze: Let the skillet cool completely then transfer the contents to a freezer safe bag and squeeze out excess air to prevent freezer burn or transfer to an airtight freezer safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator completely before reheating.

To reheat in the microwave: Heat for 1 minute, then at 30-second intervals until warmed through. Don’t overcook or you’ll dry out the pork!

To reheat on the stove: Transfer to a skillet and heat over medium heat, flipping the pork medallions halfway through cooking. Heat just until warmed through.

To reheat in the oven: Transfer the medallions to an oven safe dish and cover with foil. Bake at 350°F for 10-15 minutes or until warmed through.

Chicken Chop Suey 2

Chicken Chop Suey 2

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Yield: 2 Servings
Adapted from Wei’s Red House Kitchen

People from China might have no idea what chop suey is, but it’s no doubt one of the most popular dishes in Chinese restaurants/takeaways (takeout) outside China. Believed to be an invention by Chinese immigrants in the US, it’s a quick stir-fry dish consisting of a protein ingredient, such as chicken, pork, beef, shrimp, egg, etc., a variety of vegetables and a soy sauce-based thick sauce.

For the chicken

  • 1chicken breast, about 6-8-oz
  • ½TBS cornstarch
  • 1TBS water
  • 1drop cooking oil

For the sauce

  • 1TBS light soy sauce
  • ½TBS dark soy sauce
  • 2TBS oyster sauce
  • ½tsp sesame oil
  • 1TBS cornstarch
  • 1pinch salt
  • ¼tsp ground white pepper
  • 4TBS water

For the vegetables

  • ½onion, sliced
  • 2cloves garlic, sliced
  • 1small carrot, thinly sliced
  • 1handful snow peas, strings removed
  • 3baby corn, diagonally sliced
  • 3button mushrooms, sliced
  • 1handful mung bean sprouts
  • 1½TBS neutral cooking oil, divided

Marinate the chicken: Cut chicken breast crosswise into thin slices (about ¼-inch). Put into a bowl. Add corn starch and water. Stir well to evenly coat the chicken. Then add a drop of oil and mix well. Set aside for 20-30 minutes.

Mix the sauce: In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients for the sauce. Set aside.

Cook the chicken: Heat up a wok over high heat until it smokes. Pour in 1 TBS of oil. Slide in the chicken. Remove it out as soon as it loses the pinkness (Do not overcook). Set aside.

Combine the dish: Pour the remaining ½ TBS of oil into the wok. First, stir-fry onion and garlic over high heat until fragrant.

Add carrot and fry for 15 seconds or so. Then add snow peas and baby corn. Stir-fry for another 20 seconds.

Put the chicken back into the wok, along with mushrooms and mung bean sprouts. Cook for 30 seconds.

Give the sauce a good stir (in case the starch sits at the bottom) then pour over. Mix well.

As soon as you see the liquid thickening, transfer everything to a serving dish. Enjoy immediately with plain rice or as a topping for noodles.

Moo Goo Gai Pan

Moo Goo Gai Pan

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Mushroom Chicken Stir Fry
Yield: 4 Servings
Adapted from WoksOfLife

Moo Goo Gai Pan is a Cantonese dish and translates directly to “mushrooms and sliced chicken.” I’m not a fan of bok choy, so I substitute snow peas and bean sprouts. If you prefer bok choy, replace snow peas and bean sprouts with 4 – 5 cups bok choy (washed and cut into 1 inch by 2 inch rectangles).

  • 12oz chicken breast, sliced
  • 3TBS water
  • 1tsp cookingoil (plus 3 TBS, divided)
  • 2tsp cornstarch
  • salt and white pepper
  • 6thin slices fresh ginger
  • 2scallions (the white portion only, sliced at an angle into ½-inch pieces)
  • 2cloves garlic (thinly sliced)
  • ½cup sliced cremini mushrooms
  • 8oz straw mushrooms (canned, drained and rinsed in warm water, optional)
  • -or-
  • 8oz white mushrooms, sliced or quartered.
  • 8oz bamboo shoots (canned, rinsed in warm water and drained)
  • 8oz water chestnuts (canned, rinsed in warm water and drained)
  • 4oz bean sprouts
  • 4oz snow peas
  • 1TBS Shaoxing wine
  • 1½cup chicken stock (chicken stock should be hot when added to wok)
  • ¼tsp sugar
  • 1tsp oyster sauce
  • ½tsp sesame oil
  • 1½TBS cornstarch (mixed with 2 TBS water to form slurry)


Marinate chicken:

Place the chicken and 3 TBS of water in a medium bowl. Massage the chicken with your hands until the water is absorbed by the chicken. Next, add the rest of the marinade ingredients: 1 tsp cooking oil, 2 tsp cornstarch, 1/4 tsp salt, and a pinch of ground white pepper. Mix well and set aside for 20 minutes.

Stir-fry chicken:

Heat the wok over high heat until it just starts to smoke. Coat the perimeter of the wok with 1 to 2 TBS of cooking oil, and spread the chicken in one layer around the wok. Let it sear for 20 seconds. Turn the chicken and let the other side sear for another 20 seconds. Turn the heat off, and transfer the chicken back to your marinade bowl. The chicken should be about 60% done.

Stir-fry veg:

Turn the burner back on to high heat, and add another TBS of cooking oil, along with the ginger slices. Let the ginger infuse the oil for about 10 seconds. Add the scallions and garlic and stir fry for another 15 seconds. Next, add the mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and water chestnuts. Stir fry for 30 seconds, and add the (snow peas and bean sprouts or bok choy).

Return chicken:

Next, add the Shaoxing wine and stir-fry for another minute. Then add the seared chicken slices and the hot chicken stock. It’s important to add hot or even boiling chicken stock to keep the wok up to temperature. Most stove burners at home don’t generate enough heat for a good stir-fry, so this is especially important for home cooks!

Make sauce:

While the mixture is coming to a boil, add about a tsp of salt and a pinch of white pepper, along with the sugar, oyster sauce, and sesame oil. Stir until well-combined. Taste the sauce with a spoon and re-season to taste.

Thicken sauce:

Give the cornstarch slurry a quick stir, as the water and starch tend to separate, and add slowly to the wok while stirring constantly. You can add more or less slurry, depending upon how thick you like your sauce to be, but don’t over thicken, this is a sauce, not a coating. After a minute, the sauce should be thickened. Serve immediately with steamed rice!

Beef Stew (IP)

Beef Stew (IP)

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Yield: 4 to 6 Servings
Adapted from PressureCookRecipes

Classic American Beef Stew Recipe adapted to Instant Pot: Make this soul-satisfying beef stew. Tender & moist cubes of chuck roast and vegetables immersed in an umami rich, hearty, sauce.

Note: The pot may be Instant, but this will take 2 hours to prepare.

Note: The Instant Pot is not the best at browning the meat. You can sauté the meat, mushrooms and vegetables separately in a skillet and get better results. Just sauté until desired browning and set aside. Pick up the Instant Pot directions at the Pressure Cook the Vegetables step.

Updated to increase stock from 1½ cups to 2-3 cups.

Note: The pot may be Instant, but this will take 2 hours to prepare.

  • 2-3lb Chuck Roast
  • 3medium garlic cloves, crushed and minced
  • 8oz white mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 2small onions, thinly sliced
  • 2-3celery stalks, cut in 1 inch chunks
  • 2-3medium carrots, cut in 1 inch chunks
  • 8small Yukon gold or Russet potatoes, quartered
  • ½cup frozen peas
  • ¼cup of dry sherry or Shaoxing cooking wine
  • 2bay leaves
  • ¼tsp dried thyme
  • 1TBS flour
  • Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
  • Chicken Stock Mixture
  • 2-3cups chicken or beef stock
  • 1TBS Worcestershire sauce
  • 1TBS soy sauce (not dark soy sauce)
  • 1TBS fish sauce
  • 3TBS tomato paste
  • Slurry
  • 2TBS corn starch
  • 1TBS water

Prepare the Instant Pot: Press SAUTE button and click the adjust button to go to SAUTE HIGH function. Wait until the Instant Pot says HOT).

Brown Beef: Season both sides of the chuck steak generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add 1 – 2 tablespoons olive oil to Instant Pot. Ensure to coat the oil over whole bottom of the pot. Carefully place the chuck roast in the Instant Pot. Brown for 6 – 8 minutes on each side.  Leave it alone until it’s time to flip the meat. Remove and set aside in a large mixing bowl.

Make Stock Mixture: While the chuck is browning in Instant Pot, mix 1 TBS Worcestershire sauce, 1 TBS soy sauce, 1 TBS fish sauce, 3 TBS tomato paste with 1½ cup chicken stock.

Sauté the Mushrooms: Add sliced mushrooms in pressure cooker. Sauté, stirring occasionally until all moisture from the mushrooms has evaporated and the edges are slightly crisped & browned. Roughly 6 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Sauté the Vegetables: Add 1 TBS of olive oil in Instant Pot if necessary. Add thinly sliced small onions and sauté until softened and slightly browned. Add minced garlic and stir for roughly 30 seconds until fragrant. Add all celery and carrots. Sauté until slightly browned. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper if necessary.

Deglaze: Pour in ¼ cup sherry wine and completely deglaze bottom of the pot by scrubbing the flavorful brown bits with a wooden spoon. Let the sherry wine reduce to allow some of the alcohol to evaporate.

Pressure Cook the Vegetables:

Note: If you used a pan to saute the meat, etc., add the vegetables to the Instant Pot at this time.

Add 2 bay leaves, ¼ tsp dried thyme, quartered potatoes, and stock mixture to the pot. Mix well. Close and lock lid.  Press MANUAL on the Instant Pot and adjust time for 4 minutes. When done, use Quick Release process. Open the lid. Remove the carrots, celery and potatoes from Instant Pot and set aside.

Cut the Beef: While the vegetables are pressure cooking. Cut the chuck steak into 1 to 1½ inch cubes on a large chopping board. Place all stew meat and the flavorful meat juice back in the large mixing bowl. Add 1 tablespoon flour in mixing bowl and mix well with the stew meat.

Pressure Cook the Beef: Place beef stew meat and all its juice in the Instant Pot. Partially submerge the meat in the liquid without stirring, as you don’t want too much flour in the liquid at this point. Close and seal lid.  Select MANUAL on the Instant Pot, HIGH PRESSURE and adjust time to 32 minutes.  Let sit for 10 minutes Natural Release. Turn off the heat. Release the remaining pressure. Open the lid.

Thicken Beef Stew and Add Vegetables: Select SAUTE on the Instant Pot button and set to medium. Mix corn starch and water to form slurry and when the sauce is boiling, add and stir a little at a time to the Instant Pot to thicken the stew. Add frozen peas, sautéed mushrooms, carrots, celery and potatoes in the pot. Taste and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper if necessary.

Flaky Chicken Hand Pies

Flaky Chicken Hand Pies

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Yield: 9 Servings
Adapted from David Tannis / NY Times

Chicken potpie to go.  Very similar to the other hand pies here, but this one is made with store bought puff pastry.

  • 4whole boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts (about 2 lb)
  • Salt and pepper

Filling:

  • 2TBS butter
  • 1large onion, diced (about 1½ cups)
  • 2small cloves garlic, minced
  • 1tsp chopped fresh thyme
  • 8oz brown or white mushrooms, chopped (about 4 cups)
  • 2TBS all-purpose flour
  • 1cup chicken broth or stock
  • ½cup crème fraîche
  • 6scallions, white and green parts only, chopped
  • 3TBS freshly chopped parsley

Crust:

  • 1sheet (about 10-by-15 inches) frozen puff pastry, thawed in the refrigerator
  • 1egg, beaten with 1 TBS water


Prepare chicken:

Heat oven to 375°F. Season chicken generously with salt and pepper. Roast, uncovered, for 30 to 45 minutes, until cooked through. Set aside until cool enough to handle.

Chop chicken roughly into 1/2-inch chunks and set aside or refrigerate, covered, for up to 2 days.

Make filling:

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until softened, stirring, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, thyme and chopped mushrooms. Season mixture with salt and pepper and reduce heat to medium.

Cook, stirring, until onions have colored slightly and mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with flour and stir to coat. Add broth and cook, stirring, as mixture thickens. Add chicken, turn heat to low and cook 5 minutes more. Stir in crème fraîche, turn off heat, and set aside to cool. Stir in scallions and parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Assemble:

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Unfold puff pastry on a lightly floured (or parchment-paper-covered) work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll out into an approximate 15-inch square. Use the tip of a knife to cut into 9 equal squares. Spoon about 3/4 cup chicken mixture into the center of each piece, then divide any remaining mixture evenly on top, so each has the same amount.

Brush two adjacent edges with egg wash. Pick up and fold the dry corner of pastry over the filling to make a triangular pie. Press and pinch both edges together tightly to seal. Divide on the prepared pans.

Bake:

Brush the tops with egg wash and bake until deep golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Serve warm.

Chicken Marsala

Chicken Marsala

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Yield: 2 to 4 Servings
Adapted from a faux Olive Garden recipe

There are lots of Marsala recipes around. The striking difference is about half call for sweet Marsala and half call for dry. Depends on your personal taste. I much prefer the dry. Make sure you get a decent Marsala, preferably imported. Supermarket “cooking Marsala” is an abomination and shouldn’t be used for anything.

  • 4chicken breasts, boneless & skinless
  • ½cup AP flour
  • salt & pepper
  • 3TBS oil
  • 4TBS butter, room temperature
  • 8oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
  • 1shallot, peeled and minced
  • ¾cup dry Marsala wine (see note below)
  • ¾cup chicken stock
  • 1packet unflavored gelatin (2½ tsp)

Prepare sauce:

Combine Marsala and stock in a mixing bowl or large measuring cup and sprinkle gelatin all over surface. Set aside.

Prepare chicken:

Add flour, salt and pepper to a shallow bowl and mix to combine.

Pound chicken breasts between sheets of plastic wrap until about ¼” thickness.

Season chicken with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour, knocking off excess.

Cook mushrooms:

Heat 1 TBS oil in a skillet over medium heat.
Add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt to the pan and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until nicely browned. Set aside. Optional: Push mushrooms to one side and add a finely diced shallot to pan, cook until softened. Remove both to a dish and set aside.

Cook chicken:

Add 2 TBS oil and cook chicken breasts on medium heat for about 3 minutes on the first side, until lightly browned. Turn breasts over to cook other side until they are around 145°F internal temperature.
Return mushrooms to pan and add Marsala-stock-gelatin mixture around chicken pieces. Cover and simmer for about 5 minutes. Check chicken temperature for 160°F. Remove chicken to serving plate.
Remove pan from heat. Add butter to the remaining sauce, stir butter until it is melted and an emulsion is made.
Distribute sauce over chicken breasts and serve immediately.

Side dish suggestions:

Vegetables Starches
Green Beans Wide Noodles
Broccoli Risotto
Asparagus Boiled/Steamed Potato

Note: Marsala wine is a fortified wine from Sicily and can be either dry or sweet; it’s used to create a rich caramelized flavor to the sauce. The wine is added to the chicken and mushrooms with butter to create the rich brown sauce for that authentic Italian taste. Chicken Marsala is best served with a starch like potato or over pasta.

Mushroom and Asparagus Risotto

Mushroom and Asparagus Risotto

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Yield: 4 Servings
J. Kenji Lopez-Alt / Serious Eats

Turning a classic mushroom risotto into a mushroom and asparagus risotto is as easy as it sounds: just add asparagus. The only key is to add that asparagus right at the end for the best flavor and texture.
A touch of soy sauce and miso paste brings out the rich, savory character of the mushrooms.
Washing the rice with the stock creates a starchy liquid that delivers maximum thickening power during cooking, resulting in a creamier final dish.

  • 1½cups (about 13 ½ oz) risotto-style rice (see note)
  • 1quart low-sodium homemade or store-bought chicken stock
  • 1cup white wine (optional; can be replaced with additional broth)
  • 2TBS butter, plus more for finishing, if desired
  • 2TBS extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2medium cloves garlic, grated on a Microplane (about 2 tsp)
  • 2small shallots, finely minced (about 2 TBS)
  • ¾cup heavy cream, whipped to stiff peaks
  • 3oz finely grated Parmesan cheese
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Chopped herbs or other garnishes, as desired


Combine rice, chicken stock, and wine in a large bowl. Agitate rice with fingers or a whisk to release starch. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer set in a 2-quart liquid cup measure or another large bowl. Allow to drain 5 minutes, stirring rice occasionally.

Heat butter and oil in a heavy 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until foaming subsides. Add rice and cook, stirring and tossing frequently, until all liquid has evaporated, fat is bubbling, and rice has begun to take on a golden blond color and nutty aroma, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and shallots and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until aromatic, about 1 minute. Give reserved broth a good stir and pour all but 1 cup over rice. Increase heat to high and heat until simmering. Stir rice once, cover, and reduce heat to lowest possible setting.

Cook rice for 10 minutes, undisturbed. Stir once, shake pan gently to redistribute rice, cover, and continue cooking until liquid is mostly absorbed and rice is tender with just a faint bite, about 10 minutes longer.

Remove lid and add final cup of stock. Increase heat to high and cook, stirring and shaking rice constantly, until risotto is thick and creamy. Off heat, fold in heavy cream and cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir in herbs as desired. Serve immediately on hot plates.