Making Tuesday Tasty-Chicken Madeira

This is supposed to be a copy of chicken madeira served at Cheesecake factory. I'm making it tonight so we shall see. Either way, these ingredients are all delish together!!!!!!

Edit: I made this tonight so here is my take. You should really pound/tenderize the chicken because it makes it soft and most like the one served at Cheesecake factory. The second is that it definitely took longer than 20 minutes to reduce the sauce, so keep that in mind when you're making your meal. Also, I used provolone cheese and it was lovely with the sauce, so you can definitely play with that. The sauce had too much wine in it to taste. It calls for more wine than broth and though the madeira wine has a distinct, yummy flavor, it also is very acidic and was a little more than I would have liked. I think I would go with 2 cups of the madeira and 3 cups of the broth next time I make it. I served this with mashed potatoes which is how they serve it at CF(roasted garlic mashed). If you don't like asparagus, I think this would be really yummy with some spinach sauteed in butter and garlic. So yummy!

CHEESECAKE FACTORY CHICKEN MADEIRA

CHICKEN:
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets
8 asparagus spears
4 mozzarella cheese slices

MADEIRA SAUCE:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
3 cups madeira wine
2 cups beef stock
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Heat up 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cover each chicken breast with plastic wrap then use a mallet to flatten the chicken to about 1/4-inch thick. Sprinkle each fillet with salt and pepper.

Sauté the chicken fillets for 4 to 6 minutes per side, or until the chicken has browned just a bit. Remove chicken fillets from the pan and wrap them together in foil to keep the fillets warm while you make the sauce. Don\'t clean the pan. You want all that cooked-on goodness to stay in the skillet to help make the sauce.

With the heat still on medium, add two tablespoons of oil to the skillet. Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté for about two minutes. Add the madeira wine, beef stock, butter and pepper. Bring sauce to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until sauce has reduce to about 1/4 of its original volume. When the sauce is done it will have thickened and turned a dark brown color.

As the sauce is simmering, bring a medium saucepan filled about halfway with water to a boil. Add a little salt to the water. Toss the asparagus into the water and boil for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of your asparagus spears. Drop the asparagus in a bowl of ice water to halt the cooking. The asparagus should be slightly tender when done, not mushy.

Set oven to broil. Prepare the dish by arranging the cooked chicken fillets on a baking pan. Cross two asparagus spears over each fillet, then cover each with a slice of mozzarella cheese. Broil the fillets for 3 to 4 minutes or until light brown spots begin to appear on the cheese.

To serve, arrange two chicken breasts on each plate, then spoon 3 or 4 tablespoons of madeira sauce over the chicken.

Servings: 4

*no source named on the recipe*

Making Tuesday Tasty-Crispy Baked "fried" Chicken

It's the new year so I'm trying to post some interesting, tasty, healthy choices! Enjoy

Ingredients

8 chicken pieces (preferably 2 breasts, 2 thighs, 2 legs and 2 wings)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 cups cornflakes
2/3 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
3/4 teaspoon ground sage

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place a rack in a roasting pan or on a baking sheet.

Rinse the chicken in cold water; pat dry. In a wide bowl or on a plate, season the flour with salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Dredge each chicken piece through the flour so it's fully coated, tap against the bowl to shake off excess flour and set aside. Discard the flour.

Here comes the part kids like best: Crush the cornflakes by placing them in a big resealable plastic bag, carefully pressing the bag to push out the air. Seal up the bag (with as little air inside as possible) and run over the flakes with a rolling pin. Open the bag and pour the crushed flakes into a wide bowl or onto a plate.

In a large bowl (big enough to dredge the chicken pieces), mix the buttermilk, mustard, cayenne pepper, paprika and sage. Give each floured chicken piece a good buttermilk bath and then roll in the cornflake crumbs.

Arrange the chicken pieces on the rack and place in the hot oven. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, lower the heat to 375 degrees and cook for another 25 to 30 minutes, until cooked through and crispy. The juices should run clear when the meat is pierced with a knife. Serve with Easy Greens.

Per serving: Calories 520; Fat 22 g (Sat. 6 g; Mono. 9 g; Poly. 5 g); Cholesterol 136 mg; Sodium 1,040 mg; Carbohydrate 41 g; Fiber 1.5 g; Protein 40 g

*recipe courtesy of Foodnetwork.com*

Making Tuesday Tasty-Chicken Cacciatore

Here's another healthy Ellie Krieger recipe. Super yummy and you can edit out those things that you don't like. I like the flavor of red bell pepper sometimes but, most of the time it doesn't agree with me. So, I would probably replace it with another veggie like summer squash or something like that.

Ingredients

4 skinless chicken breast halves on the bone, about 2 pounds
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 pound white mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can whole tomatoes in juice, chopped and juice reserved
1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes or more, to taste

Directions

Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a saute pan over moderately high heat. Brown the chicken on both sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. Reduce the heat to moderate. Add the onion and pepper, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to brown. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half. Add the tomatoes and juice, oregano, red pepper flakes and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and simmer the mixture covered for 10 minutes.

Return the chicken breasts to the pan and simmer, covered, until the chicken is just done, about 20 minutes longer.

*photo and recipe credit foodnetwork.com*

Making Tuesday Tasty-Chicken Scallopini

I LOVE this combination. You can make it ridiculously decadent with a lot more butter or you can be conservative like this one. I love the tang and the creaminess contrast. I also like this with capers. You can vary this to your liking as well but, this is a good base.

Ingredients

¼ c. flour
Salt and pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts pounded to ¼ -inch thickness
2 Tbs butter or margarine
1 Tbs olive oil
1 garlic clove
1 c. chicken broth
¼ c. dry vermouth
¼ tsp. dried marjoram
1 bay leaf
1 can artichoke hearts, drained and halved
8 thin lemon slices

Preparation

1. Combine flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Dredge chicken breasts in flour to coat; shake off excess.

2. In a large frying pan, melt butter in oil over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until lightly browned. Remove and keep warm.

3. Add garlic to pan; cook 1 minute. Add broth, vermouth, marjoram and bay leaf to pan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Return chicken to pan; add artichoke hearts and 4 lemon slices (put in the liquid). Cover and simmer 10 to 15 minutes until liquid just begins to thicken and flavors blended. Discard bay leaf and lemon slices.

4. Arrange chicken and artichokes on serving plates. Pour sauce over chicken. Top each piece of chicken with a fresh lemon slice.

*recipe courtesy of Epicurious.com* *photo courtesy of ehow.com*

Making Tuesday Tasty-Chicken And Dumplings

I grew up eating chicken and dumplings. My mom made it every once in awhile and it was delicious! My mom, like myself, never really used recipes. She would add things to taste and now that she is gone, I don't really have her recipe. Once the air started to get crisp, our home would fill with the smells of chicken and herbs. Beans and hamhocks or bacon, potato soup, vegetable beef and even hamburger soup(ground meat beef veg soup) Here is a modified, quick version that Rachel Ray has adapted. It doesn't include any dark meat, so those of you that like your dark meat flavor will need to adapt this to your liking.

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds chicken breast tenders

1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 turn of the pan

2 tablespoons butter

1 russet potato, peeled and diced

2 medium carrots, peeled and diced or thinly sliced

1 medium onion, chopped

1 rib celery, diced

1 bay leaf, fresh or dried

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning, 1/3 palm full

2 tablespoons flour, a handful

1 quart chicken broth or stock, canned or paper container, preferred brand Kitchen Basics

1 small box biscuit mix(preferred brand Jiffy Mix)

1/2 cup warm water

Handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1 cup frozen green peas

Directions

Dice tenders into bite size pieces and set aside. Wash hands.

Place a large pot on stove over medium high heat. Add oil, butter, vegetables and bay leaf and cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Season mixture with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. Add flour to the pan and cook 2 minutes. Stir broth or stock to the pot and bring to a boil. Add chicken to the broth and stir.

Place biscuit mix in a bowl. Combine with 1/2 cup warm water and parsley. Drop tablespoonfuls of prepared mix into the pot, spacing dumplings evenly. Cover pot tightly and reduce heat to medium low. Steam dumplings 8 to 10 minutes. Remove cover and stir chicken and dumplings to thicken sauce a bit. Stir peas into the pan, remove chicken and dumplings from heat and serve in shallow bowls.

*photo courtesy of myrecipes.com*

Making Tuesday Tasty-Sour Cream Enchiladas

I've made these a couple of times. They feed plenty of people and are really yummy.

2 dozen corn tortillas

3 cans cream of chicken

1 bunch green onions

1 pint sour cream

1 can green chilies(the mild, if you want spicy, add whatever pepper you like)

2 lbs shredded cheese(cheddar, or mexican blend)

Mix together the cream of chicken, sour cream, green onion, and green chili together and put half on the bottom of the pan. Warm your corn tortillas or dip them in hot oil and then fill with the cheese. Roll up and nestle into the sauce mixture. Continue until the pan is full. Top with the remaining sour cream mixture and cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes.

I change this slightly by putting cooked chicken in with the sauce mixture. I would say at least a pound of cooked chicken. I sometimes will add taco seasoning to the meat to add some more flavor. You could also add chili powder, cumin, garlic, onion, oregano to the meat as you're cooking it to add flavor. I'm not a big measurer so, I usually season to my liking.

Enjoy!