Showing posts with label Cooking and Recipes. Show all posts

Crockpot Chicken Marsala


One of my favorite dishes to order when I go to an Italian restaurant is Chicken Marsala so when I stumbled on a slow cooker recipe (original recipe here), I had to try it out for myself. Luckily the only ingredient I didn't have was Marsala cooking wine so it turned out to be an inexpensive and easy dinner to prepare.


I made some minor changes to the ingredients based on my taste but I think it turned out to be almost as good as restaurant quality, considering slow cookers result in a different texture of cooked chicken breast (not pounded but easy to shred).

Ingredients:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Ground black pepper & salt to taste
Poultry seasoning
Nonstick cooking spray
2 cups mushrooms
2 tsp minced garlic
1 1/2 cup Marsala cooking wine
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup water

Serving size: 4 - 6 people



For the sides, I went with Whole Grain Penne Pasta and Pear Gorgonzola Salad. Both really excellent with this dish.
 

What To Do:
1. Lightly grease your crockpot with cooking spray and then place chicken breasts in there. Season chicken with poultry seasonings of your choice, black pepper and salt. (I actually never use salt in my recipes but I include it for those that like it).

2. Add minced garlic, mushrooms and the Marsala cooking wine to the crockpot and cook on low for 5 hours covered.

3. While the chicken cooks, prepare your side dishes and set aside.


4. After 5 hours, remove the chicken breasts from crockpot using a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate or bowl. Mix together water and cornstarch using a whisk until fully dissolved and then add to the crockpot.


5. Return chicken to the crockpot, increase heat to high and cooking for another 30-45 minutes until sauce is thickened. 


Enjoy!

Cooking times may vary based on your slow cooker. I find my crockpot cooks a lot quicker on low setting than what some recipes recommended so adjust the temperature and cooking time based on the crockpot you are using.
 

Summer Grilling Recipes


Grilling season is here and I love trying new recipes. I've made several variations of kabobs which are always good cooked on the grill but I was looking for some other options to experiment with this year and here's a few I stumbled on while browsing Pinterest.

Healthy Spring Salads: Part 2

Last week I shared some delicious salad recipes of the sweet & savory variety and I've since stumbled on a few more to add to my weekly meal plan so I thought I'd share again in hopes that it may help with ideas for healthy & homemade meals. The salad titles are clickable if you want to view the recipe.

Grilled Chicken & Grape Spring Salad w/ Goat Cheese & Honey Balsamic Dressing




Ultimate Spring Salad with White Balsamic Maple Dressing




Pear, Raspberry & Pistachio Salad with Poppyseed Dressing













I hope these recipes can offer some inspiration for anyone wanting to eat clean and healthy. Let me know if you happen to try any of the recipes. I'd love to hear your feedback!

Sweet & Savory Spring Salads

I've been looking for new ways to get those healthy greens in and Pinterest is always to the rescue for some inspiration and adventure, so to speak. I recently started pinning different salad recipes since the two that I have on rotation are getting a little old.

Let's look at some delicious salads that are perfect for the warmer days ahead. The titles are clickable if you want to venture over to get the recipe.



 


 






     



 
 
If you happen to try any of these recipes please let me know your thoughts or feedback.

Enjoy!

PS: I incorrectly announced on Friday that our Wanderlust Wednesday link up was tomorrow. It's not. The link up is actually next week Wednesday (April 13th). Can you say hot mess express over here or what! Sorry if I misguided anyone but I do hope you'll link up your favor wanderlust adventures or dream destinations next week.

Easter Entertaining & Favorite Recipes


On Sunday I hosted our annual Easter party for friends who don't have family in the area to come and enjoy a nice meal plus it gives me an excuse to dust off my entertaining ware that never gets used. K likes to cook a turkey in the oil-free turkey fryer we got as a wedding gift and I bake a ham which both take around 2 hours to cook each.



I usually try to host Easter dinner on a Saturday so we have Sunday to clean up and relax but since we already had plans to go to St. Augustine, we had no choice to host it on Sunday but luckily a few friends were able to make it while many others already had plans.


Since it was a small group I kept the appetizers minimal and served mini chicken pot pies from Trader Joe's and Andrea's amazing Slow Cooker Island Kielbasa recipe, which is so easy to whip together with only 4 ingredients (I used pineapple juice but not the chunks). Everyone raved about how good the kielbasa was!


For Easter decorations, I kept it simple and put together some Pinterest-inspired mason jar flower arrangements and added slices of lemon to the water.


Easter Dinner Menu:






Garlic mashed potatoes and gravy were pre-made from the store because I was worried about not having enough time to cook all of this on Sunday morning so decided to take a couple shortcuts.


For dessert, Kate made some amazing Pistachio cupcakes and another friend made some S'mores Rice Krispies Treats Pinwheels. Both desserts were incredible and we have tons leftover which is slightly dangerous. 


Finally, K concocted some Moscow Mules for a refreshing evening cocktail.


I'd say the Easter dinner party was a success this year spent with good friends and a delicious spread. Lola also enjoyed all of the attention!