Recipe of the Week! Chicken Marsala

Ok, so we have the basic ingredients here: CHICKEN and PASTA. There you have it! A feel good meal without too much fuss and there's nothing like making your own 'comfort' food. Delicious!

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter, divided
• Cooking spray
• 1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
• 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup dry Marsala wine
• 1/2 cup frozen green peas
• 2 tablespoons half-and-half
• 4 cups hot cooked fettuccine (about 8 ounces uncooked pasta)

Preparation

Place 3 tablespoons butter in a small glass measuring cup. Microwave butter at MEDIUM-HIGH 45 seconds or until melted. Let stand 1 minute. Skim foam from surface, and discard. (Mixture will appear separated.) Pour melted butter through a fine sieve over a small bowl, and discard the milk solids. Set the clarified butter aside.

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat; add mushrooms, shallots, and garlic. Cook 3 minutes or until moisture evaporates; remove mushroom mixture from pan. Set aside.

Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to a 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Place flour in a shallow dish; dredge chicken breast halves in flour.

Add clarified butter to pan, and place over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Remove chicken from pan. Return mushroom mixture to pan; add broth and Marsala, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until reduced to 1 cup. Stir in peas; cook 1 minute. Add 1 tablespoon butter, half-and-half, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper, stirring until butter melts. Return chicken to pan; cook until thoroughly heated. Serve chicken and sauce over pasta.

Recipe of the Week! South Western Pasta Salad

Here it is folks, that itching for the Grilling Season to hurry up and get here! Potlucks, Camp Outs, Picnics, Birthday's and Bonfires.... Oh yeah, bring on the goods. Nothing says summer like a great cold pasta salad... Here is a version sure to please.

South Western Pasta Salad

• 32 oz cooked and cooled elbow macaroni
• 2 lbs Cherry Tomatoes / halved or quartered depending on size
• 2 cups Frozen Corn
• 2 medium Green Peppers / chopped
• 2 small Red Onions / chopped
• 2 small cans of Black Olives / sliced
• 1 cup Lime juice
• 1/2 cup Olive Oil
• 2 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
• 2 Tbsp Chili Powder
• 2 Tbsp Cuman
• 2 tsp Sugar
• 2 tsp Salt
• 2 tsp Garlic Powder

Cook pasta according to package directions. Cool completely by running it under cold water. Add vegetables to the pasta. Combine remaining ingredients and whisk well. Pour over pasta and vegies and toss to coat. Refrigerate.

NOTES: Letting the pasta 'rest' in the fridge for a couple hours before serving will allow all the flavors to meld together and taste even better!

Recipe of the Week! Spring Fruit Tart

Spring Fruit Tart
Serves 16-20

• 1 package (20 ounces) refrigerated sugar cookie dough
• 1 package (8 ounce) cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 2 Kiwi fruit, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 (15 ounce) can tropical fruit, drained, reserve juice
• 1 (15 ounce) can Mandarin Oranges, drained
• 1½ teaspoons corn starch

Preheat oven to 375°F. Pat cookie dough into an ungreased jelly roll pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes until browned; cool.

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla until smooth. Spread over the crust. Arrange fruit on top.

In a saucepan, bring reserved juice and cornstarch to a boil, stirring constantly for 2 minutes or until thickened; cool slightly; brush over fruit.

Store tart in refrigerator.

Cakes! Cakes.

Just as reminder : Country Catering & Cakes is more than happy to work with you on your cake designs. Weddings in general are as unique as the couple getting married, so why have a 'Cookie Cutter' cake that looks like all the rest you've seen lately?

Call Paulette with your ideas. Schedule a consultation. Schedule a TASTING! Yum! There are sooo many more flavors out there than the 'marble' standby. Ick! Wow your company with fillings and textures! Oh the possibilities!

Recipe of the Week! Shamrock Cookies

With St. Patrick's Day right around the corner, what a fun way to feel a little lucky! Send some treats home with a friend, or if you didn't want to bake at all... Call Paulette. She can set you up with some yummy cookies sure to please.

Turn THIS:

Into THIS!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter softened
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon no-color almond extract
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Kelly Green Icing Color
  

Makes: Each cookie serves 1.

instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. In large mixing bowl, cream butter with sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add in egg, vanilla and almond extracts. Mix flour, baking powder and salt; add 1 cup at a time to butter mixture, mixing after each addition. Stir in Green Food Coloring to desired shade of 'Luckiness'...

3. Do not chill dough.

4. Divide dough into 2 balls. On a floured surface, roll each ball into a circle approximately 12 in. wide and 1/8 in. thick. Dip cookie cutter in flour before each use.

5. Bake cookies on ungreased cookie sheet on top rack of oven for 6-7 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned.

6. Cool on rack. Frost as desired.

Recipe may be doubled.

Think Spring!!

Easier said than done sometimes, but regardless!

Check out these super cute little cakes! These would make an awesome addition to a baby shower or your Easter Dinner putting one at each place setting. Make sure you call Paulette for details on how to jazz up your spring flings!

Recipe of the Week! Shrimp Scampi

Now in the Lenten Season where many of us choose not, for religious purposes, to eat meat on Fridays... Here is a classic that is easy to prepare with only a few simple ingredients.

• 1 1/2 lbs Medium Shrimp in Shells (thawed if frozen/uncooked)
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Parsley
• 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 2 medium Green Onions, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
• Parmesan Cheese, grated, if desired

Peel shrimp. Make a shallow cut lengthwise down back of each shrimp; wash out vein.

In 10-inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Cook shrimp and remaining ingredients except cheese in oil 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently until shrimp are pink and firm; remove from heat. Sprinkle with cheese.

Serve with your favorite pasta side dish or Risotto. Also, serve with steak for a 'Surf & Turf' meal sure to please.