Chicken Marsala done the Crystal Chef way

The challenge was actually to use the Parrano cheese BEFORE eating it all. Challenge accepted. I had not made my Chicken Marsala in years so I decided this would be the perfect time to roll that recipe back out. It is one that I have not added to the list  and it needs to be here for my children so they know how to make it when I am gone.

My ingredient list started with the following items from the grocery store:

1 wedge of Parrano Originale Cheese

1 package of Parma Prosciutto Di Parma

1 package of thinly sliced chicken breasts (tonight I am only using 3)

8 ounces of sliced button mushrooms

1 good bottle of Marsala wine

If you can't find Parrano in your area, you can go here:

Parrano Cheese

It starts with my homemade seasoning mix. In a teacup I add the following:
1 - tablespoon of black pepper
1 - tablespoon of onion powder
2 - tablespoons of salt
2 - tablespoons of garlic powder
1 - tablespoon of dried leaf oregano
1 - tablespoon of cayenne
1/8 - tablespoon of chipotle chili powder
Mix well.

Add one heaping teaspoon to 1/2 cup of flour and combine well.

Heat approximately 3 tablespoons of olive oil on medium high in a skillet until very hot but not smoking and then add 3 tablespoons of butter.

Dredge three pieces of thin sliced boneless chicken breast in the flour mixture and place in the hot skillet (be careful as it may pop). Cook approximately three minutes each side until golden brown on  then transfer to a plate.

Add three more tablespoons of butter to the pan and then add the 8 ounces of chopped mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently until the mushrooms are golden brown and have given off their liquid.

Add 1 cup of a GOOD Marsala wine. Trust me on this one. If you use a cheap one, it will taste cheap. The one I used was imported straight from Italy...hey, I'm Italian! What did you expect? Bring the Marsala wine to a boil, scraping the bottom to remove any browned yummy bits. Let this continue until it has reduced by half.

Next add 1 cup of chicken stock. Cook for about three more minutes until the sauce starts to thicken up. Lower your heat and settle your chicken back into the skillet. Spoon a bit of the sauce of the chicken. Next is the FUN part. Turn down the heat to medium low.

Open your package of Citterio prosciutto di parma and lay about one half of a slice on top of each piece of chicken. Next slice your Parrano Originale cheese and put two generous pieces on top of each piece of chicken.

Add two more tablespoons of butter to the sauce. As it melts, swirl it around in the sauce. Continue to spoon some of the sauce around and on top of your chicken. This will help melt the cheese and enhance the flavor of the the prosciutto.

Now, I know, I should have made a side of pasta or some smashed potatoes to go with it. I chose asparagus because it cooked itself in the oven. My meat and potato man was not very amused with me but I had not made this in so long I wanted to focus on getting it right. He survived. I put the leftover sauce in a container in the fridge. It was so good I could seriously just drink it. I might just do that tomorrow for lunch....with the leftover Parrono cheese.

Quick Alfredo Sauce

I know that this sauce is kind of simple. I mostly am blogging about it to preserve it for my kids when I am gone so that they know how to make it. If you have ever bought Alfredo sauce at the grocery store, this one will put it to shame. The best part about it is that it only takes about 15 minutes.

Please, for the sake of all things sacred, DO NOT use the green shake bottle of shelf-stable Parmesan cheese. That's just gross. If you decide to do that I would urge you to stop now and just buy a jar of Alfredo sauce. Call me a cheese snob (which I admit) but it just will not taste as wonderful.  My favorite Parmesan cheese comes from the fine folks at Sartori.

I know, if you have read any of my previous posts, you will already know that I think this is just the best ever. Why mess with perfection?

Here is what you need:

(1) stick of REAL butter (equals 1/2 cup) - please do not use margarine...just no.
(2) cups (or 1 pint) of heavy whipping cream
(1 1/2) cups of Sartori Grated Parmesan cheese
(1/2) teaspoon Fresh grated nutmeg (yep, I do not use a shake bottle of nutmeg that has been sitting around in my cabinet for centuries getting dull)

On medium-low heat, melt butter in a saucepan. Quick tip: I cut my butter up into slices to help it melt faster. When butter is melted, add the whipping cream. Whisk to combine well. Next add all your grated Parmesan cheese. Whisk to combine.

I cooked this on the stove top and stirred very frequently. You don't have to stir non-stop but don't neglect it. Keep stirring and checking until you can put a spoon it, take it out, and then draw a line down the middle of the spoon with your finger and the lines do not join back together. Be careful, this will most likely be hot.All total it takes about 15 minutes. Don't worry about it being too loose as it will thicken up as it cools.

That's it....how is that for easy? Pour it over pasta, chicken or whatever! I am convinced you will not go back to store-bought Alfredo sauce ever again.

"Italian" Meatloaf

I struggle lately with using ground beef. I am becoming more and more vegetarian as I get older. I am not exactly sure why, it's certainly not because of the animal factor. My body just seems to be rejecting the majority of it. BUT despite the fact that I am not all that interested anymore, I still have a house-full of people who DO eat meat.

Tonight I decided to make a meatloaf but I did not feel like making it my usual way with a combination of ground chuck (poor chuck!) and hot Italian sausage, mostly because the sausage was still frozen! Inspiration struck, however and I went at it with a couple of my other favorite Italian items.

It started with about a pound to a pound and a half of ground chuck. Next I added two packages of dry Italian dressing.

And then, to me, the most important ingredient is the Parmesan cheese. You can do it if you want, BUT I highly urge you not to...use that awful green container of shredded "Parmesan" cheese that is shelf stable. Yuck! Don't do it! For just about a dollar more you can get REAL GOOD Parmesan. And here is my favorite:

This is Sartori grated Parmesan cheese. You can get it at the specialty cheese section at your local grocery store.  I highly recommend it. It is a mellow yet perfectly wonderful Parmesan. Here is the web link to their website:

Sartori Cheese

I used approximately 1/3 cup of the Parmesan. I added the cheese and the dry Italian dressing into the raw ground chuck (poor chuck!). Then I formed them into small meatloaves because I wanted it to cook faster than a large hunk of meat would.

Make sure to knead the spices and the cheese into the ground chuck very well. I put them in on of my favorite Pyrex blue 9" x 13" pans and put in a pre-heated 350 degree oven. Bake until no longer red in the middle, approximately 35 minutes (times will vary depending on your loaf size and oven! Check the middle before stopping the oven for doneness)

About 20 minutes after the meat was in the oven, I put a new bag of Schwan's bow-tie pasta and veggies in to heat and serve with the meatloaf. I probably should have made more but I just really did not think there was anything else I could add except, maybe, for bread.

When the meatloaf was finished, it was so moist and tender. I believe it was the Parmesan that kept it so amazing.

This is what it looked like....not a whole lot on the plate but the family ate it up! And the asked for seconds. It turned out wonderful and I even ate it. I'm telling you honestly, my secret weapon in a lot of my food is that wonderful Sartori cheese.