Monthly Archives: July 2022

Chicken Marsala

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Hi everyone,

I hope you are all well and staying comfortable and cool dealing with the heatwave we are having.

I knew today was going to be extremely hot so I got up early and decided to cook dinner while the kitchen was still cool. Tonight’s dinner is a favorite of my son and it is Chicken Marsala. Nice and easy and so flavorful and fairly quick to make. I am looking for all shortcuts during the heatwave.

Bob and I have been going out to dinner the past few nights dealing with the heat and not wanting to cook but I am getting tired of eating out and needed a home-cooked meal.

I wanted to share this recipe with you (serves 4) if you needed a new idea for dinner. I am serving this with one of my favorite Summer salads that I have previously posted which is tomatoes, peaches, burrata, and fresh basil with a light lemon/olive oil vinaigrette.

Have a great day and stay cool.

Chicken Marsala

Ingredients:

  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, (approx. 1 ½ lb. pkg – pounded thin- 1/4 inch)
  • ½ cup AP flour
  • 8 oz of baby Bella mushrooms (or assorted mixed mushrooms)
  • 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup dry Marsala wine
  • 1 ½ cups chicken stock
  • 1 yellow onion sliced
  • 3-4 cloves of garlic, sliced thin
  • 3 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large frying pan over medium heat.

Season both sides of the chicken breast with salt and pepper and dredge in the AP flour (shake off excess)

Add the chicken to the pan and sear on each side for 3-5 minutes, turning once until golden brown, remove to a plate.

If needed, add a little more oil and butter to the pan if it is dry. Add the onions and the mushrooms and a dash of salt to draw out the liquid and sauté until the onions are caramelized and the mushrooms are soft (approx. 10 minutes). ADD the garlic and saute for 1 more minute. Season with salt and pepper.

ADD the Marsala wine to the pan and let it reduce to half scraping up all the bits on the bottom of the pan.

ADD the chicken stock and the sauteed chicken with any juices that have accumulated on the plate, bring to a boil, and then reduce to medium and cook for another 10 minutes to cook the chicken through and thicken the sauce.

Remove the chicken to your serving platter and add 1 tbsp of butter that has been dredged in flour to the sauce, cook for a few minutes to thicken, and ADD the chopped parsley. Check for seasoning and serve this sauce over the chicken. Enjoy!

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Until my next post, make every day a celebration!

Stay well,

Diane

Please ask your family and friends to “follow”, “like” “share” and JOIN  DishingwithDiane.com 

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Tuscan Bean Soup

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Hi everyone,

Hope you are well. Once a week before my next grocery shopping, I clean out the veggie bin in my refrigerator and decide what I can make with the leftover veggies from that week before my next shopping trip.

Today I had some cherry tomatoes, one leek, one zucchini, carrots, two bell peppers, a small bunch of kale that needed to be used, and celery. I had a lot of ingredients for either a frittata or a Tuscan bean soup so I decided to go with the soup for lunch.

I also had some leftover ciabatta bread I could grill and I always have beans & broth in the cabinet so I was set. I wrote down my steps as I went along and decided to post this quick recipe. I hope you try it and enjoy it.

And remember, all these veggies can be substituted with whatever you desire or have leftover in your veggie bin.

Have a great weekend and Happy Cooking…..

Tuscan Bean Soup

Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium leek, washed and diced
  • 4 carrots, diced
  • 3 celery ribs, diced
  • ½ lb. of cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1-2 bell peppers, washed and sliced
  • 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • ½ tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped fine
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp oregano
  • 1 bunch Dino/Tuscan kale, washed, stems removed, and leaves chopped (I find this type of kale not so chewy).
  • ½ tsp of crushed Calabrian peppers in a jar OR ½ tsp red chili flakes
  • 1 small zucchini diced
  • 1 tbsp of tomato paste
  • 8 cups of low sodium vegetable broth
  • 2 cans (14 oz) of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Parmesan rind (optional)
  • Grated cheese for serving
  • Ciabatta bread for serving

Instructions:

  • Heat the olive oil in a large pot and sauté the leek, carrot, bell peppers, celery, and zucchini for approx. 8 minutes until they are soft
  • Stir in the garlic and Calabrian peppers and 1 tbsp of tomato paste and cook for an additional minute
  • Add the fresh tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until they break down
  • Stir in the fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, and add the vegetable stock and parmesan rind if using. Stir to combine and add the beans. Bring the soup to a boil.
  • Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes with the LID ON, then stir in the kale. Put the lid back on and continue to simmer for 5 minutes until the kale wilts.
  • Season to taste, and serve with grated cheese and toasted crusty bread.
  • Remove the parmesan rind before serving and any stems from the thyme…

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Until my next post, make every day a celebration!

Stay well,

Diane

Please ask your family and friends to “follow”, “like” “share” and JOIN  DishingwithDiane.com 

Once you become a member, you’ll never miss a post…

Also, continue to send me your comments, I love hearing from you.

Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs & Patriotic Pasta Salad

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Hi everyone,

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I hope you all had a very enjoyable 4th of July. The weather was perfect and we had a lovely day relaxing, eating delicious food, and an evening of watching fireworks and celebrating America.

Bob and I decided that we didn’t want to have the usual hot dogs, hamburgers, and grilled chicken barbecue that we usually prepare every year for this holiday. We wanted to change up the menu along with the side dishes and we decided on having a rack of baby back ribs.

We absolutely love ribs and I found a recipe on Instagram months ago for pressure-cooked pork ribs that I have been meaning to try with only 4 ingredients. Of course, I tweaked the recipe a bit.

The original recipe was by author: Diane Schmidt.

I just bought a new spice rub from Trader Joe’s (BBQ 101)- a little sweet and savory, plus I always have a bottle of Stonewall Kitchen Boozy Bacon Barbecue Sauce in the refrigerator so I was all set.

Cooks Note: the spice rub contains brown sugar, smoked paprika, dried roasted garlic, dried red chile pepper, salt, dried onion, and black pepper.

I even wanted new side dishes along with the traditional potato salad & corn and I decided on red, white, and blue pasta salad with a lemon vinaigrette dressing. I am not talking about the pre-made salad but a homemade Patriotic salad with food dye and pasta (see below– it’s easier than it sounds).

Dinner was fabulous with fall-off-the-bone ribs and we enjoyed every bite and then finished the meal with Patriotic rainbow cookies and ice cream. Just in time to go to a local fireworks display.

I was so impressed with the rib recipe that I just had to share the recipes with you…I hope you try them and enjoy them.

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Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs

Adapted from a recipe by Diane Schmidt

Ingredients:

  • 2-5 lbs. of baby back ribs
  • 1 cup of water or stock
  • Spice rub for the ribs -homemade or store-bought (I use Trader Joe’s BBQ 101)
  • Your favorite barbecue sauce to finish the ribs

Directions:

  • When cooking ribs (baby back or spareribs), remove the membrane or silver skin that covers the bone side of each rack. If it’s left on, it keeps seasonings and smoke from penetrating the meat, and it cooks into an unpleasant leathery skin.
  • Cut the ribs into portions to fit inside the instant pot
  • Be generous when coating the ribs with the spice rub
  • Place the ribs on the rack that comes with the instant pot to keep the meat out of the cooking liquid
  • Add 1 cup of water or stock
  • Place the lid on the pot and CLOSE the pressure regulator
  • Cook the ribs on high for 25 minutes
  • Allow the ribs to naturally release for approx. 8 minutes
  • Place the ribs on a hot grill at 500 degrees or finish cooking under the broiler for 5 minutes on HIGH to crisp up the pork, without drying the meat.
  • Top the ribs with barbecue sauce and serve

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Patriotic Pasta Salad

I boiled my pasta as per the package directions. When finished cooking, I rinsed 2/3 of the pasta and divided it into three bowls.

Before starting with the food dye, I suggest you wear plastic food safety gloves to save your hands from the dye.

To bowl # 1, I added 1 tbsp of water and 1 tsp of blue food coloring and mixed well.

To bowl # 2, I added 1 tbsp of water and 1 tsp of red food coloring and mixed well.

The pasta with the food coloring can be rinsed gently to get rid of excess color before serving

To bowl # 3, I added 1 tbsp of olive oil to prevent the food dye from rubbing and transferring color on the plain pasta and mix well.

Keep the pasta separated until ready to serve with your favorite vinaigrette because the colors could bleed into the plain pasta if sitting too long.

Add-ons could be mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, and cucumbers- have fun with this.

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Until my next post, make every day a celebration!

Stay well,

Diane

Please ask your family and friends to “follow”, “like” “share” and JOIN  DishingwithDiane.com 

Once you become a member, you’ll never miss a post…

Also, continue to send me your comments, I love hearing from you.

USA Flag Pizza

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Hi everyone,

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I hope you are enjoying this long holiday weekend and getting ready for the 4th of July celebrations tomorrow.

I just wanted to re-post the recipe for the “USA Flag Pizza” in case you wanted an idea for something quick while you prep for tomorrow’s big celebration.

(There are other 4th of July recipes on the blog under the 4th of July category in the right-hand column.)

Have a safe and happy holiday and until my next post, make every day a celebration!

Flag Pizza

Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentis

FOR THE SPINACH

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

5 ounces baby spinach, chopped *

1-2 teaspoon kosher salt

TO ASSEMBLE

2 tablespoons flour

1-pound pizza dough

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

3-4 cup pizza sauce

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 tablespoon ricotta cheese**

28 slices of pepperoni***

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 500°F. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven.

Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and the garlic and cook until fragrant and lightly browned. Add the spinach and the salt and cook, stirring often, until the spinach is wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain the spinach in a fine-mesh strainer. Set aside.

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of flour on a clean work surface. Place the dough on top and sprinkle it with the remaining tablespoon of flour. Roll the dough out to a 15 X 10-inch rectangle. Drizzle the oil on a rimmed baking sheet and spread it evenly using a pastry brush. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet.

Spread the sauce over the entire crust. Sprinkle with the mozzarella, creating a 5 X 4-inch rectangle in the upper left corner with slightly less cheese. Squeeze the liquid from the spinach and spread it evenly over the upper left corner. Dot small clumps of ricotta cheese over the spinach to form the “stars. ” Arrange the pepperoni over the remaining surface of the pizza in horizontal rows, slightly overlapping the slices to form the stripes.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and cooked through and the cheese is bubbly.

* you can substitute 4 small purple potatoes for the spinach- sliced thin with a mandolin and sautéed in olive oil until crispy- approx. 7 minutes

**- you can substitute mozzarella pearls for the ricotta

*** – you can substitute grape tomatoes cut in half OR strips of bacon for the pepperoni

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Stay well,

Diane

Please ask your family and friends to “follow”, “like” “share” and JOIN  DishingwithDiane.com 

Once you become a member, you’ll never miss a post…

Also, continue to send me your comments, I love hearing from you.