Gorgonzola Chicken

When did I first make this meal? I have no idea. Was there a special occasion? Maybe. 

What I do know is that I posted this on my other website where my alter-ego lives. It was one of the first recipes that I recorded there. Since then, I've found my voice on that web place, and it isn't merely posting recipes. I explore individual food ingredients, delve into their history, and then find interesting ways to use that specific ingredient. 

So, those "early postings" I will move here. One at a time. This one is (in my humble opinion) pretty good. I hope you enjoy it.

Chicken Gorgonzola with Marsala Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 6 medium boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 strips of bacon or turkey bacon
• 1/2 small onion, minced (about 1/2 cup)
• 2 cups white button mushrooms, sliced
• 1/3 cup marsala wine
• 1 cup half and half
• 1/2 cup Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
• 1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Add the olive oil to an oven-safe  medium sauté pan and heat to medium-high. Place the thighs in the pan and reduce the heat to low. Saute until the underside is beautifully golden, about 7-8 minutes. Turn the thighs over. Transer the saute pan to the preheated oven and roast the thighs until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F, about 5 minutes. Remove the thighs to a plate, cover with foil, and set aside.
3. Next, in the same saute pan cook the bacon, onion, and mushrooms over medium-high heat. Be careful! The handle of that pan is extremely hot! Cook, stirring frequently, until the bacon is crisped and the mushrooms and onions are golden. 
4. Add the Marsala wine. Cook until Marsala reduces a bit then add the half and half. Cook for a few minutes, until the half and half reduced a bit and has a sauce-like consistency. Stir in the Gorgonzola. When it is melted, taste the sauce for seasoning. (The cheese and bacon are salty so you probably won't need any additional salt).
5. Add the spinach and then nestle the chicken thighs into the pan. 
6. When chicken is ready, remove from oven; place one cooked chicken breast on each serving plate and top with mushroom-Marsala-Gorgonzola sauce. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for a few minutes, until everything is heated.
7. Serve immediately over rice, linguine, or whipped potatoes.

What Makes This Recipe Work?

• Boneless, skinless chicken thigh is a healthy, no-waste protein.
• Frozen chopped spinach is convenient, inexpensive, and nutritious; and again, no waste.
• Bacon or turkey bacon lends a smokey, savory note.
• Sauteing the onion removes its hot bite and makes it sweet.
• You deserve the mushrooms; they make any dish "fancy", don't they?
• Marsala wine, half and half, and Gorgonzola marry to make a creamy, sweet, tangy sauce that unites all of the flavors of the dish and makes it rich and luxurious.

Oatmeal Pancakes

How are those resolutions working out for you? If one of your goals for 2020 was to eat healthier, I have a recipe to share with you.

Here's a hearty, healthy pancake that takes a bit of planning (part of the batter needs to rest overnight in the refrigerator), but it's well worth the wait.

Oatmeal Pancakes

Cook Time.

Prep time: 12 hours,

Cook time: 10 min.

Ready in: 12 hours 10 min.

Yields: Who knows? This feeds 4 people in my house

Ingredients

• 2 cups regular rolled oats, not instant
• 2 cups buttermilk, or 2 teaspoons cider vinegar plus enough milk to make 2 cups
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted and cooled
• 1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries, fresh blueberries, chocolate chips, etc.
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

1. In a medium bowl combine oats and buttermilk (or soured milk). Stir to blend. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. In the morning add the eggs, melted butter, and raisins--stir just to blend. In another bowl combine all of the remaining ingredients. Add to the oatmeal mixture and stir just until moistened.
3. Cook on a lightly greased griddle or frying pan over medium-high heat. Use about 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake.

So What are the Health Benefits of Oatmeal?

Oatmeal is truly a "superfood". Packed with soluble fiber and healthy nutrients, oatmeal is a nutritional superhero. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, elevated total cholesterol is a chief risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Soluble fiber-rich foods such as oatmeal are an effective way of reducing elevated cholesterol levels.

Sticking to a diet can be challenging if your appetite isn't under control. According to a study published in the October 2009 issue of "Molecular Nutrition & Food Research" a compound in oatmeal reduces appetite by increasing a hunger-fighting hormone. You can help reduce your appetite even further by consuming fibrous foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables with your bowl of oatmeal.

And then, there is colon cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, almost 50,000 adults die each year from colon cancer. Antioxidants help reduce colon cancer risk by fighting cancer-causing compounds known as free radicals. Oats are rich in a class of antioxidants known as avenanthramides, which may help reduce colon cancer risk (December 2009 issue of "Nutrition Reviews").

Cassoulet - A New Twist on an Old Favorite

I know that some of you are wondering "what is cassoulet"? Does the name sound French? Well, there's a good reason for that—it is. Cassoulet is an all-day-simmered casserole of beans and meats. A Google search of recipes will give you numerous variations made with sausage, veal, venison, and even duck confit. It seems that cassoulet is French for "clean out the refrigerator."

But I digress. Many people traditionally begin the New Year with cassoulet. I don't like veal or venison, don't get me started on duck, and I don't have all day. So here is a Readers' Digest version of cassoulet. To a few this might be sacrilege. To me, it's just good-tasting, nourishing, savory food that doesn't take all day to cook and doesn't break the bank.

This is the recipe I created and posted on my blog at HubPages.

Photo Credit: Nibelle et Baudouin

Recipe: Salmon and Chanterelles

Last week I prepared a celebratory dinner for my older daughter in recognition of her 16th anniversary of working with the same company. Way to go Beth! 

I don't remember where I first got the idea to put these ingredients together, but I know that it sprang from our love for chanterelle mushrooms, a delicacy that can only be gleaned from the forest (they aren't grown commercially) and is available for just a short season (a few weeks to a month) in the Autumn. 

Ingredients 

• 18 ounces of fresh salmon filet
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/2 pound crimini mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 pound chanterelle mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 1 cup half and half
• 1 cup fresh wild berries (we used blackberries) or 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• fresh parsley for garnish
• fresh chopped hazelnuts for garnish (optional)

Chanterelles are all clean and sliced and ready for the pan

Chanterelles and crimini mushrooms sauteeing

Add half and half and let it reduce for a few minutes

Instructions

1. Inspect salmon filet for bones. Heat olive oil and butter in large saute pan over medium heat until shimmering. Place filet, skin side down, in saute pan, cover, and saute until cooked through, about 7 minutes (internal temperature of 145 degrees F.)
2. Remove salmon from pan and set aside; cover with foil to keep warm.
3. Add mushrooms to the same pan and cook until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes.
4. Deglaze pan with sherry then add half and half. Continue to cook until the sauce is slightly thickened. 
5. Break the cooked salmon into chunks (bite-size or a bit larger) and add to the pan. Don't include the skin (it should separate from the cooked meat very easily). Simmer for a minute or two to heat through.
6. Serve over rice and garnish with berries, parsley, hazelnuts. (We added cooked broccoli too).

Makes 3-4 servings

There's the salmon in the pan getting all warm and cozy in the sauce