March | 2015 | onedadskitchen

Checking in With a Classic – Chicken Marsala

There’s been a lot of work coming my way lately, which is a good thing because it keeps me working, but it also keeps me from doing extra things like blogging. After spending 10-12 hours a day on the computer writing it is hard to find the energy to get back on and write for the blog. Today I have a little bit of a break during the day so I have time to share a recipe I recently tried out at home. Sometimes it is nice to get back to the classics for recipes and I had wanted to make chicken Marsala for a while now and had just not gotten around to it. I finally happened to be down near our local liquor store the other day and made the conscious effort to go in and get a bottle of Marsala wine so that I could make the chicken. I decided to try out this recipe from America’s Test Kitchen, which strays from a number of other recipes in that they do not make use of chicken broth in the recipe. I figured I would give it a try to see how it came out.

Chicken Marsala

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup all-purpose flour

Table salt

Ground black pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 1/2 ounces pancetta or bacon (about 3 slices), cut into pieces 1 inch long and 1/8 inch wide

8 ounces white mushrooms, sliced (about 2 cups)

1 medium clove garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon)

1 teaspoon tomato paste

1 1/2 cups Marsala wine

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice from 1 small lemon

4 tablespoons butter cut into 4 pieces, softened

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and place a large heatproof dinner plate on the oven rack, and heat the oven to 200 degrees. Heat a 12-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until it is very hot (you can hold your hand 2 inches above the pan surface for 3 to 4 seconds), about 3 minutes. Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Halve the chicken breasts horizontally and then cover the chicken halves with plastic wrap and pound the chicken to an 1/4-inch thickness with a meat pounder. Meanwhile, place the flour in a shallow baking dish or pie plate. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper; working one piece at a time, dredge the chicken in the flour to coat both sides. Lift the chicken piece from the tapered end and shake it to remove any excess flour; transfer the piece to a large plate and repeat the process with the remainder of the chicken. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in the heated skillet until it is shimmering. Place the floured cutlets in a single layer in the skillet and cook the chicken until it is golden brown on the first side, about 3 minutes. Using tongs, flip the cutlets and cook them on the second side until they are golden brown and no longer pink, about 2 to 3 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to heated plate and repeat the process with any remaining chicken pieces. When all of the chicken is cooked, return the plate to the oven.

Cook the pancetta or bacon in the now-empty skillet over low heat, stirring occasionally and scraping up any browned bits, until it is crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the pancetta with a slotted spoon and transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate. Add the mushrooms to the now-empty skillet, increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are softened and lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste and the crisp pancetta or bacon and cook until the tomato paste begins to brown, about 1 minute. Take the skillet off the heat and stir in the Marsala wine, scraping up any browned bits. Return the skillet to the heat and bring the mixture to a vigorous simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened and measures about 1 1/4 cups, about 5 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice and any accumulated chicken juices. Whisk in the butter, 1 piece at a time. Stir in the parsley and season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve.

I have to say I have had chicken Marsala a number of times and very often the chicken is overcooked and the mushrooms are slimy and the sauce is watery. none of those things occurred with this dish. the chicken was tender with great flavor and the sauce came out perfectly. The mushrooms were not overcooked or watery and came out perfectly and the pancetta (or bacon, which I used this time) was a nice touch to the dish. I served this with noodles for Michelle and Sean and had it over rice myself and it was done perfectly. I even had some leftovers the next day for lunch and it was delicious. I would use this recipe again to make this classic. It is not one I had made in a long time so it was nice to try it again.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on March 13, 2015 in Cooking, Dinner, Poultry, Sauce

Tags: America's Test Kitchen chicken Marsala, americas test kitchen, chicken breasts, chicken marsala, Chicken Marsala recipe, classic chicken marsala, Marsala wine

Essential Recipes and Tips Your Mother Should’ve Taught You : Food Network

12 Mar

Essential Recipes and Tips Your Mother Should’ve Taught You : Food Network.

There are always some basic recipes everybody should try to know so that you can make some great tasting but easy dishes anytime that you want. Food Network has put together 10 essential recipes and tips that you should know how to do in the kitchen that can help you to make some great meals. Check it out!

hopefully I will have time to post a new recipe tomorrow!

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Posted by MikeG on March 12, 2015 in Beef, Breakfast, Cookies, Cooking, Cooking Tips, Cooking Websites, Dessert, Dinner, Dressings, Eggs, Gravy, Potatoes, Poultry, Salad, Seafood, Side Dishes, Stir Fry

Tags: 10 recipes you should know how to make, basic recipes and tips to know, essentail recipes you should know, essential recipes and tips your mother should've taught you, food network

Take a Turn at Teriyaki Pork Stir Fry

10 Mar

When you need a fast and easy dinner it has not to think of making a stir fry. It does not matter what type of protein you have on hand (or none at all if you want a nice vegetable stir fry), all you need is a good sauce to use and some vegetables and you are good to go. I have always found that sir fry dinners work really well with leftover vegetables much like it is when you want to make a hash. At any rate, since Mondays are hectic days around here (although lately they all seem pretty hectic), a stir fry was a very easy way to go for dinner that could be done quickly. I had a pork tenderloin on hand and decided this would be the perfect foil for a nice stir fry meal so I found this recipe at food.com for a simple pork teriyaki stir fry, rounded up my ingredients and went ahead with the recipe.

Teriyaki Pork Stir Fry

2/3 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 pound boneless pork loin chop or 1 pound pork tenderloin

1 red, yellow or orange pepper, cut into thin 1-inch strips

6 ounces snow peas

4 green onions, chopped

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 (8-ounce) can bamboo shoots, drained

White or brown rice, for serving

In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar and cornstarch until the mixture is smooth and well blended. Add the ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes and whisk again to blend the ingredients. Cut the pork into thin strips and add it to the soy sauce mixture. Toss the pork to coat it well in the sauce and cover and refrigerate the pork for at least 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the white or brown rice according to the package directions and set the rice aside.

Heat 1/2 teaspoon of the sesame oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat until it is smoking. Remove the pork from the marinade and add the pork strips to the skillet, reserving the marinade for later. Stir fry the pork for 2 to 3 minutes until it is no longer pink. Remove the pork from the skillet with a slotted spoon to a bowl and cover the bowl to keep the pork warm. Add the remaining sesame oil to the skillet. Add the bell pepper, snow peas and green onions and stir fry the vegetables for 2 to 3 minutes until they are crisp-tender. Return the pork to the skillet with the vegetables and stir in the reserved marinade and the bamboo shoots. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Remove the stir fry to a large bowl or platter and serve with the warm rice.

Of course the great thing about a stir fry is that you can use any vegetables you have on hand. I had some multi-color peppers so I went with red, yellow and orange and I also had a pack of frozen stir fry vegetables on hand that I added to the vegetables at well to make it a full meal. the sauce was perfect for the pork and the vegetables and everything smelled great and tasted even better. As a matter of fact, there was very little left over from the meal, just enough for Michelle to take for lunch with her. it’s a fast one pot meal (well 2 with the rice) that you can have made in under 30 minutes for any night of the week.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on March 10, 2015 in Cookbooks, Dinner, One Pot Meals, Pork, Sauce, Stir Fry, Vegetables

Tags: Food.com, one pot meal, pork stir fry, pork teriyaki stir fry, stir fry, stir fry dinner, stir fry vegetables, teriyaki pork stir fry, teriyaki sauce

Monday’s a Great Day for Beautiful Buns (Burger Buns, That Is)

09 Mar

Work has been overwhelming the last few days and I have barely had time to breathe, let alone cook and blog. I have a little bit of time right now as I have gotten caught up between projects, doing laundry, trying to get the house clean, picking Sean up from play practice and dealing with a wife and son that both have some type of virus so they sound like frogs. On top of that I really need to find time to go and get my haircut in all of this mess! Anyway, when I have found time to cook over the last few days I have been able to try out some recipes and one of them was perfect for when I made some pulled pork for dinner. I decided I wanted to make my own rolls for this one and found this great easy recipe from King Arthur Flour for beautiful burger buns. it is a very simple recipe that gives you great soft buns that are perfect for any type of sandwich and you can have them done in a couple of hours. With he breadmaker, they are even easier.

Beautiful Burger Buns

1 cup lukewarm water

2 tablespoons butter

1 egg

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon instant yeast

3 tablespoons melted butter, for topping (optional)

Mix and knead the water, butter, egg, all-purpose flour, sugar, salt and yeast together – by hand, mixer with a dough hook attachment or by breadmaker making a basic dough – to make a soft and smooth dough. Cover the dough and let it rise for 1 to 2 hours or until the dough has nearly doubled in bulk. If you are using the breadmaker, you can use the rise function during the basic dough course for this.

Place the dough on a cutting board or work surface and gently deflate the dough and then divide the dough into 8 pieces. Shape each piece into a round ball and then flatten the ball so it is about 3 inches across. Place the buns on a lightly greased or parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Cover the buns with a damp kitchen towel and allow them to rise for about an hour until they are noticeably puffy.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Brush the buns with about half of the melted butter, if desired. When the oven is up to temperature, bake the buns in the oven for 15 to 18 minutes until they are golden brown. remove the buns from the oven and brush them with the remainder of the melted butter, if desired. This will give the buns a satiny, buttery crust. Cool the buns on a wire rack before using.

If you want to make slightly smaller buns, which is what I did, divide the dough into 12 pieces instead of 8 and bake them for 12 to 15 minutes instead of the 15 to 18 minutes. you could go over even smaller if you wanted slider buns and cut the dough into 24 pieces and bake them for 12 to 15 minutes if you like. I have to say the resulting buns were really good. they were perfectly browned and cooked, soft on the outside with a nice crust and ideal for the pulled pork that we had for dinner. These would also be great for hamburgers or really any type of sandwiches that you might like to serve on them. they are so easy to do you could put them together just about any weekend that you have time to do them and then freeze some to use the rest of the week when you need them. Sean is already planning on his lunches for the rest of this week with them.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe (hopefully it will be tomorrow). Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on March 9, 2015 in Breads, Sandwiches

Tags: beautiful burger buns, burger buns, burger buns recipe, burger rolls recipe, King Arthur Flour, King arthur Flour burger buns

Our Best Irish Recipes – Bon Appétit

04 Mar

Our Best Irish Recipes – Bon Appétit.

St. Patrick’s Day is under 2 weeks away so now is a good time to start planning out some of those great Irish recipes in advance of the day that is everything Irish. Bon Appetit has put together 18 recipes that are Irish-inspired recipes to help you celebrate the day with great drinks, corned beef and fun desserts. Check it out!

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Posted by MikeG on March 4, 2015 in Appetizers, Beef, Beverages, Breads, Cakes, Cooking, Dessert, Dinner, Holidays, Potatoes, Sandwiches, Side Dishes

Tags: best Irish recipes, bon appetit, Bon Appetit Irish recipes, corned beef and cabbage, guinness, Irish food for St. Patrick's Day, Our best Irish recipes, St. Patrick's Day, St. patrick's Day recipe ideas

A Sweet Treat for Dinner – Pineapple Sweet Ribs

03 Mar

Ribs are always one of my favorite meals no matter what time of year it may be around here. many people may equate making ribs for dinner along with the summer time and barbecues, but most of the time I make my ribs in the oven anyway so I can just as easily make some ribs in February as I can in August. When I saw some baby back ribs on sale at the store recently I picked some up and then set about trying to find a good recipe to do something a little different. I had also picked up a fresh pineapple that same day and was looking for a way where I could combine some of the flavors and came across this recipe from Taste Book for pineapple sweet ribs. Their recipe makes the ribs over a grill so I adapted the recipe to fit into my use in the oven and I went about making some fine tasting ribs.

Pineapple Sweet Ribs

2 racks baby back ribs

1/2 cup beef stock

For the Dry Rub:

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons paprika

1 tablespoon garlic salt

1 1/2 teaspoons onion salt

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

3/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon cumin

For the Glaze:

1 cup pineapple juice

1 tablespoon dry rub mix

1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 cup barbecue sauce

To make the dry rub, combine the brown sugar, paprika, garlic salt, onion salt, chili powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper, oregano and cumin together in a small bowl and mix well. Set aside 1 tablespoon of the dry rub mix for the glaze mixture and apply the remaining rub generously to the front and the back side of the ribs. Pat the rub gently to ensure that the rub adheres well to the meat. Marinate for at least one hour at room temperature or up to overnight covered in the refrigerator.

Heat the oven to 300 degrees. Place the ribs in a large baking or roasting pan along with the beef stock and cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil. Bake the ribs for 3 to 3 1/2 hours in the oven until they are tender.

While the ribs are cooking, make the glaze. In a small saucepan, add the pineapple juice, 1 tablespoon of dry rub mix, balsamic vinegar, minced garlic and barbecue sauce until it is well blended. Heat the mixture over medium heat, bring it to a simmer and turn the heat down to low and allow the glaze to simmer for about 5 minutes until it thickens.

Remove the baking pan from the oven and take the foil cover off of the ribs. Brush all sides of the ribs with the glaze until they are well coated. Place the ribs bake in the baking pan and turn on the broiler. Broil the ribs to caramelize the glaze on the ribs, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the ribs from the oven and place them on a cutting board. Cut the ribs into single or double portions and place them on a platter and serve with any of the remaining glaze.

I really liked the sweetness of the pineapple to go along with the glaze and the balsamic really helped to top things off. The ribs came out perfectly and were falling off the bone, just the way I like them. The combination of pineapple and pork goes so well together that it makes a great glaze that would probably work well on pork chops as well. I actually served some diced pineapple along as one of the side dishes with some baked beans, corn and boiled potatoes. it was a nice meal that made us think of the summertime as we freeze here in February.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on March 3, 2015 in Cooking, Dinner, Pork, Sauce

Tags: baby back ribs in the oven, baby back ribs recipe, dry rub for ribs, pineapple baby back ribs, pineapple glaze, pineapple ribs, pineapple sweet ribs, TasteBook

The Easiest Cookies You Will Ever Make – Brownie Crinkle Cookies

02 Mar

When it comes to eating cookies, I have my classic favorites. I love homemade chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies and even just plain sugar cookies. I even venture out a little bit and enjoy the Heath bar brickle cookies for a little bit of an extra flavor. When it comes to cookies in the house Michelle and Sean are the real experts and lovers of all things cookie and Michelle is always on he lookout for a new cookie to try or make. Sometimes you want a recipe that you can put together really easily and have done fast, as was the case last week when Michelle was looking to bring some cookies into her office one day. She had used the chocolate crinkle cookie recipe in the past and really loved it and I had never seen her make it before until I was amazed at what was in it and how quickly it all came together. I had seen her make these from Martha Stewart’s recipe at Christmas time, but never like this.This recipe comes from the Best Ever Cookie Collection and uses only 4 ingredients to get it all together.

Brownie Crinkle Cookies

1 package of boxed brownie mix

1/4 cup water

1 egg

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet with nonstick spray or use parchment paper or a silicon baking mat on the cookie sheet. In a large bowl, mix the dry brownie mix, water and egg together with a spoon. Mix for about 50 strokes or until the ingredients are well blended. Place the powdered sugar in a separate shallow bowl or dish. Shape the dough by rounded teaspoonfuls into balls or use a small cookie scoop to make the dough balls. Roll the balls in the sugar until they are well coated. Place the cookie balls on the prepared cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes or until almost no indentation remains in the center of the cookie when it is touched lightly. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for 1 to 2 minutes before removing the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

The recipe yields about 3 dozen cookies, give or take and if you ever wanted a nice brownie in cookie form this is it. It has that great chocolate flavor you get from a brownie in just a little cookie form and the powdered sugar is the perfect touch. I could see making these even just a little bit larger and putting some ice cream between them to make some awesome ice cream cookie sandwiches. I am not a milk drinker myself but Sean swears you have to have them with a cold glass of milk to finish them off. Michelle left a few at home for us and brought the rest with her to the office where they were quickly devoured and gone. This recipe gives you a great alternative way to use that box of brownie mix you have sitting in the closet if you don’t feel like having brownies and want a cookie instead.

That’s all I have for today (it’s Monday – busy work day!). Check back next time for another recipe. until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on March 2, 2015 in Cookies, Cooking, Dessert

Tags: Best Ever Cookie Collection, brownie crinkle cookies, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate crinkle cookie recipe, chocolate crinkle cookies, cookie recipes, easy brownie crinkle cookies, martha Stewart crinkle cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies

50 of Our Favorite Cake Recipes (Yep… 50!) Slideshow – Bon Appétit

01 Mar

50 of Our Favorite Cake Recipes (Yep… 50!) Slideshow – Bon Appétit.

It’s the weekend and perhaps you have some free time to do a little baking this week to make a nice dessert for Sunday dinner. You can never have too many great cake recipes to fall back. You need different cakes for different occasions, so here Bon Appetit has put together 50 of their favorite cake recipes for you to cover everything from special occasions to a simple coffee cake or pound cake and everything in between. Check it out!