Creamy Chicken Marsala

Italian meals are one my favorites! They are quick, easy to make and yet feel so elevated. Luckily, everyone at home is a big fan of Italian cuisine as well, so its a win-win for me. When I first came across the recipe for Chicken Marsala, I couldn't believe how quick and easy it looked. I thought, it wouldn't turn out restaurant quality - because the instructions were too simple for that. But believe me, this simple dish turns out restaurant quality every single time. I've made it for friends, for weeknight dinners, and its been a winner every single time! I'd probably rank this, in my top 5 under 30 minute recipes. Yeah, you read that right, its ready in under-30 minutes. You can pair this with spaghetti, or with some garlic bread as an accompaniment. If you don't want carbs to go with it, even a salad pairs pretty well with this. I once paired it with Brussel sprouts and mashed potatoes, and that turned out beautiful too. If you're ever cooking to impress someone and don't have enough time to prep, this recipe is one you will see yourself coming back too. I know I always do.

One key note while making this dish, is to make sure your breasts and thinly sliced. This makes it easy to cook the slices, and reduces your time to cook. Thinner slices of chicken cook fast, and also end up tasting juicer. Since, you don't tend to overcook it. If your slices are too thick, it takes a while to ensure they are cooked thoroughly and this sometimes leaves the breast a little dry.

Also, I know the main ingredient for Chicken Marsala is marsala wine, but since I didn't want to use marsala wine, I substituted it with apple cider vinegar. And it worked out perfectly.

Cook Time: 25 mins Prep Time: 5 mins

Creamy chicken marsala over lemon parsley spagetti

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
• salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1½ cups mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• ½ cup chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp ground mustard
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp Mrs Dash seasoning
• 1 tsp Parmesan cheese
• Fresh Chopped Parsley for garnish

Directions:

1. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.  Heat a skillet on medium heat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil and cook the chicken breasts for about 3 mins. Flip over and cook other side until both sides are lightly brown and cooked throughout. This should take a total of 6-8 mins. Remove chicken and set aside. 
2. Add another tbsp of olive oil and cook the mushrooms for approx 2 mins. Add the apple cider vinegar and bring to a boil. Add the chicken broth, heavy cream, mustard, garlic salt and Mrs dash seasoning. Bring it to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer for about 10 mins or until the sauce begins to thicken. Place the chicken back in the sauce and continue to simmer for about 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese once ready to serve. 

Optional: To serve with spaghetti: 

1.  Boil water with a few drops of olive oil. Once boiling, add spaghetti and cook until al dente. Add a few drops of lemon juice once done and let it sit for about 1-2 mins. Now drain pasta in a strainer and run it under cold water. Add chopped parsley and toss in strainer.

I hope this one becomes a regular in your kitchen too, like it has in mine. Please leave me a comment below if you do try it, and let me know how it went for you! Until then, Live, Love, Laugh and Eat.. Oh yes, EAT!

Creamy tuscan garlic chicken

If you are looking for a restaurant quality meal ready under 30 minutes, this should go up on your bookmark right away!!! This valentines day, my husband decided to cook a romantic dinner for us.. and he's great with the BBQ grill, but has minimal skills in the kitchen. Basically, I am trying to put forth how quick and easy this meal is! Just following these simple steps, he was able to create such an amazing meal!
We were recently gifted a panini grill press by our family. And since my husband and I were super excited to try it, we decided to grill the chicken in the grill press. The original recipe stated that the chicken be cooked in a skillet, but the grill cooked the chicken to perfection. It was juicy and beautifully cooked. So that is another preference that you can choose from.
Creamy Tuscan Garlic Chicken had the most amazing garlic sauce with spinach and sun-dried tomatoes. It was a bite-full of goodness one bit after the other. I paired this salad with a beautiful spring salad, with arugula, apples and pecan. I will link the recipe to the salad below as well. But if you like, you could serve this chicken over pasta and enjoy it too! Hoping that you guys give this amazing recipe an attempt! Make it a romantic meal for two like we did, or enjoy it as a family night meal. Either way, your palate will thank you for it.

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

• 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
• PAM Olive oil spray
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning (or my go to Mrs Dash seasoning)
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 cup spinach chopped
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes

Directions:

1. Sprinkle the chicken breast with salt and pepper on each side and let it sit for about 5 mins. In the mean time, heat up the panini grill press. Turn the press to the panini grill setting and heat the grill. Once heated, spray the gray with a little olive oil spray. Cook each side for about 7 mins or until brown on each side and cooked until no longer pink in center. If you are using a skillet, put 2 tbsp olive oil in the skillet and cook the same way on each side. Remove chicken and set aside on a plate. 
2. In the same skillet, add heavy cream, milk and boil for 2 mis. Then add the garlic salt, seasoning, and parmesan cheese. Whisk over medium high heat until it starts to thicken. Add the spinach and sundried tomatoes and let it simmer until the spinach starts to wilt. Add the chicken back and cook for another 2 mins. 

Put this meal at the top of your must make list! It was one of our best home cooked romantic dinners. Pair it with a beautiful salad (link attached) or serve over pasta. If you are going to serve this over pasta and like your pasta a little saucy, double the sauce. Feel free to comment with questions or to let me know if you enjoyed this recipe. Share this lovely recipe with your loved ones.. until then,  Live,  Love,  Laugh and Eat.. Oh yes, EAT!!   

Apple & Spiced pecan salad - http://diaryofafoodiekid.blogspot.com/2018/07/apple-spiced-pecan-salad.html

Stuffed Chicken Breast with Spinach and Ricotta

Quick recipes for working women.. This was my inspiration behind revamping my blog and starting to write again.. I am sure most of us working people, men and women.. would love to enjoy a fancy dinner but are worried about getting over ambitious on a weekday, and end up eating takeout, boring food, or pre prepared meals from the weekend..

To be honest, I am guilty of being one of those as well, I do most of my cooking on Sunday, and make meals ready for the weekdays.. but lately I decided to do all my meal prep on Sundays instead, and finish my cooking on the day of. This makes me feel like I am having fresh food on the weekdays instead of the feeling like I am having leftovers from the weekends. Also, to be fair, I haven't achieved this for all the days of the week. I still make about half of my meals for the week on Sunday, but I am experimenting with the other half. So follow along with me on my journey, and I will help you with my experiences, hurdles and of course share the victories.. So today, I am going to share this quick Stuffed Chicken breast recipe with you all. It was a straight out winner with my husband. Quoting him, "This feels like we've ordered food from an italian restaurant." I am super excited to share this find with you guys..

Hope you guys enjoy my recipes and my bantering.