Chicken Marsala October 26, 2011

“Spa Chicken”

• 4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, trimmed of fat

• Salt & Pepper

• 1 1/2 cups water

• 4 cloves minced garlic

• Thyme

• 2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce

Mushroom Marsala Sauce

• 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

• 8 oz mushrooms, white or portabella

• 1 clove minced garlic

• 2 tsp minced fresh or dried thyme

• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

• 1/2 cup dry marsala

• 1 Tbsp water

• 1 tsp cornstarch

• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter

Directions:

Chicken:

Season the chicken lightly with salt & pepper. Combine the water, garlic, thyme and soy sauce into a large skillet. Add the chicken then bring to a simmer over medium-low heat (do NOT allow the water to boil or the chicken will get tough). Allow the chicken to cook for 10-15 minutes, flip the chicken and cover. Continue to cook until chicken is done (about 10-15 minutes longer). Transfer the chicken to a plate and tent loosely with aluminum foil, let rest for 5 minutes. ( You will not need the broth the chicken was in for anything else.)

Sauce:

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt, cook until browned (about 15 minutes). Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Whisk in the chicken broth and Marsala, bring to a simmer. Whisk the water and cornstarch together then stir into the sauce. Simmer the sauce until thickened (about 5 minutes). Remove the sauce from heat, whisk in the butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over pasta.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins October 26, 2011

For the filling:

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened

• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar

For the muffins:

• 3 cups white-wheat/all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1 tsp ground nutmeg

• 1 tsp ground cloves

• 1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 4 large eggs

• 2 cups sugar ( I used less)

• 2 cups pumpkin puree

• 1¼ cups vegetable oil

Directions:
To prepare the filling, combine the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl and mix well until blended and smooth. Refrigerate the mixture while you make the muffins to allow it to cool and thicken slightly.

For the muffins, preheat your oven to 350˚ F and line or spray your muffin pans. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking soda then whisk to blend. In a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium-low speed combine the eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree and oil until blended. Add the flour and spice mixture.
Fill each muffin pan with just enough batter to cover the bottom of each well (about 1-2 tablespoons). Scoop a small amount of the cream cheese mixture into each muffin well, then top each with the remaining batter, covering the cream cheese completely.
Bake for 20-25 minutes (30-35 for large muffins).