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.

Creamy pasta with Broccoli and Ham

This recipe has quickly become a family favorite and is perfect for those times you feed a family in need of meal in your church or circle of friends.  It is also excellent for those hot summer days when you don't want to turn the stove on. For me, it requires a little bit of planning during grocery shopping because one of the main ingredients I don't typically keep on hand: heavy cream.

This is not an original Crystal Chef recipe. I stumbled across it one day when looking for new ideas to feed my family. Here is the original recipe and all credit belongs here:

Creamy Pasta Shells with Broccoli and Ham

I will admit to two things on this recipe that I do NOT like to substitute. I am a pasta snob....I prefer Barilla pasta.

This is my admitted favorite. You can use any kind of pasta you want. The recipe calls for the shell shape but I hardly every buy that type. I keep Barilla Elbows as a staple in my pantry. I make macaroni and cheese A LOT in this house so this little blue package is a requirement.

The next thing is the cheese I use. Please, for the love of all things Italian, do not use the Parmesan cheese in the little green shake container. You know what I am talking about. That just won't do. It is not that expensive (a small bag costs maybe $1.00 more than the green shaker) and Kroger will grate it fresh for you. I am talking about Satori Parmesan cheese.

This cheese is the REAL deal. It's flavor and texture will make you ashamed if you ever think of picking up that shelf stable green plastic jar. THIS is heavenly.

The recipe is as follows:

Salt and pepper
1 pound of pasta (I use elbows but the original recipe calls for small shells)
4 cups small broccoli florets (I use a bag of frozen chopped broccoli)
2 tablespoons butter (recipe calls for unsalted but I only keep salted butter in my house)
1 small onion, finely chopped (take the time to do this, it needs to be small)
4 ounces cooked ham, chopped (Okay, maybe I am a ham snob too because I will only use Smithfield chopped ham.....hey, I am a Virginian and Smithfield is what's up!)
3/4 cup heavy cream, warmed (30 seconds in the microwave did it for me)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan (and some more for the top as you serve)

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente (read the box, its right on front). BEFORE I drain the pasta, I throw in my frozen broccoli to heat it up. It saves time and water and works perfectly. Drain and return to the pot.

While pasta is cooking, melt butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Add onion and saute until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the chopped ham and cook, stirring 2 minutes longer. Stir in cream, bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes.

Scrape cream mixture into the pot with the drained pasta and broccoli. Add Parmesan cheese and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately. Sprinkle some more Parmesan cheese on top as you serve.

The actual key to this recipe is to have your ingredients gathered before you start the pot of water. I typically chop my onion before starting anything else. If you have all the ingredients where you can reach them quickly it helps make this a quick meal for a hungry family.

I hope you try it! It is tasty and truly there is not a whole lot of butter or heavy cream to make it unhealthy. It is just perfect. My hat is off to the creator of this recipe! My family loves it and we have it at least once a month.

Open-Faced Tostadas - Vegetarian and Non-Vegetarian

Nothing beats a fast dinner that is really tasty. Even better when you plan ahead and have the ingredients on hand.  One of our favorite fast meals is what we like to call "Open-Faced Tostadas" Is it really a tostada? Beats me! That is just what our family calls it!

It starts with a flour tortilla on a cookie sheet sprinkled with some shredded marble cheddar cheese (or whatever cheese you like) and put in a 350 degree oven for the cheese to melt and the tortilla to heat up and curl just a bit.

What happens next is up to you. My family prefers the Non-Vegetarian route. Before I heat my tortillas up, I brown one pound of ground chuck (poor chuck) in a skillet with one half of a medium yellow onion, chopped. When it is browned, I drain and add one package of taco seasoning per the directions. I have also used shredded chicken seasoned with onions and peppers in lieu of ground chuck.

The best part about the tostadas is that you can stack them up with whatever you want. The main ingredients that ours always have is the following:

Broccoli Slaw
Shredded Marble Cheddar Cheese
Grape Tomatoes
Black Beans (rinsed and heated)
Queso Fresco

I have to say that I have tried several different brands of Queso Fresco and I keep coming back to the Cacique brand. No, I am not being paid to endorse them. I just like them the best.

Once you have your meat ready, go ahead and get your tortillas in the oven with the shredded cheddar to start melting so you can begin to prepare the remaining ingredients.

On top of the melted tortilla and melted cheese I stack the meat, a generous handful of black beans, then a little more shredded cheddar, next the broccoli slaw, sliced grape tomatoes, crumbled queso fresco. Sometimes we add a dollop of salsa or sour cream. It all depends on what we have on hand.

For the Vegetarian version - I substitute the meat for sliced and diced Avocado. I never even miss the meat! And the best part of it all is that I generously sprinkle with Celtic Sea Salt.

It was a wonderful dinner, maybe a little heavy on the cheddar but truthfully a totally customizable (is that a word?) meal for each person in your household!

Thai Beef Lettuce Wraps done The Crystal Chef way

The husband and I both enjoy Thai food. We love to go to one particular restaurant in our town every other month or so. He gets the exact same thing each time (Chicken Pad Thai) and I try something different. There must be hundreds of items on the menu and I am determined to work my way through all of them, at least the ones that are not too spicy!

I am also just as determined to learn how to make some of them at home. Tonight's experiment was Beef Lettuce Wraps. Here is what you need to get started:

(1 1/2) pounds of flank steak

Fresh ground black pepper and sea salt (I like Celtic Sea Salt that I get at the local Farmer's Market)

(1) head of Bibb lettuce

(2) carrots

(2) jalpenos

(1) red onion

(2) limes

(2) tablespoons of Thai peanut sauce

(4) tablespoons of fish sauce

Dash of soy 

Sliver of real butter

Fresh cilantro

I am not truly a chef so I like to do my vegetable prep work first so that I can focus when cooking my steak. I have not cooked a lot of steak in my time so focus is important for me. I did go ahead and take my steak out of the fridge while prepping my veggies.

Peel the carrots and shred them. Set aside to use for stuffing in your wrap.

Slice your red onion thinly and set aside for use inside the wrap.

Slice your jalapeno thinly and set aside. At this point, right or wrong? I don't know but I did remove as much of the seeds as I could because I did not want all of the heat from the jalapenos. I wanted the tasty flavor. Be careful cutting your jalapenos and don't rub your eyes! It will hurt! 

Heat a grill pan over high heat for at least 5 minutes. Season your flank steak with the salt and pepper. Depending on the thickness of your steak (REMEMBER, I am not a steak expert!!) cook for about 4 minutes per side until it is firm but yielding to the touch.  The flank steak that I had tonight was rather thick and I had to cook it longer than four minutes. Mine actually took 10 minutes per side. for the thinner side. The thicker side, because I was afraid to over-cook it, I finished it in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes. 

While your steak is cooking it is time to make your sauce. In a sauce pan combine the following:

The juice of (2) limes, the (2) tablespoons of peanut sauce and the (4) tablespoons of fish sauce. Stir over low heat. Add a dash of soy sauce and a sliver of butter. Don't forget to keep an eye on your steak.

When your steak is done, let it rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing against the grain.

Take your Bibb lettuce leaves (rinsed) and layer on your shredded carrots, onion, jalapeno, steak, cilantro and sauce or whatever combination pleases you. Don't forget to drizzle on your sauce and even squeeze on some extra lime juice.

It must have turned out okay because the whole family at every single bite of it! And the best part of all of this is that it was good for them and they don't even know it! They never read this blog anyway, so I think it is safe to put that here!

Cowboy Casserole

It's been a long time since I have posted! I am sorry....life gets busy, family gets sick and the computer takes a backseat! So did my family's dinner menu. I realized I was fixing the same thing over and over again. I have heard it said the average family eats the same five things every week. YUCK! I don't want that for my family! BUT I am tired and I don't have very much time or resources for new recipes!

I decided to pull up my big girl panties and try something new. It was mostly made up out of my head after looking at several old cookbooks and not liking what I saw.  I wanted something quick, in the skillet and that ever one would like. This is what I came up with:

Brown the following in a very large skillet:

(2) pounds of ground chuck (poor Chuck)
(1) medium onion, chopped
(1) medium green pepper, diced

Drain fat from the hamburger after it is completely done and put back in skillet. (Your skillet should be on medium heat.)

Drain the following and add to the hamburger:

(1) can of pinto beans
(1) can of black beans (rinse them first)

Stir this into the hamburger and then add the following:
(1) teaspoon garlic salt
(1) teaspoon chipoltle chili powder
(2) teaspoons chili powder (regular kind, nothing fancy)

Next add to regular size cans of diced tomatoes WITH their juice and stir.
Now add the following:

(2) cups of Minute Rice with (2) cups of hot water.

Stir and bring all to a boil.  Cover and reduce heat, stirring occasionally. Cook for approximately 10 minutes or so until rice is cooked and juices have reduced.

Serve on a plate circled with Frito corn chips and sprinkled liberally with shredded sharp cheddar cheese and shredded pepper jack cheese.