May 31, 2019 | Main Course, Poutlry, Recipes
I have been in search of the perfect Chicken Marsala for years. I think one of the best ones I’ve had was at the Trevi Italian Restaurant in the Forum Shops in Las Vegas. I’ve yet to find something similar and believe me I’ve tried it at many different restaurants.
Since I can’t exactly fly off to Vegas every time I’ve a yen for Chicken Marsala I did the next best thing. I wend in search of the best Chicken Marsala recipe I could find. I’ve actually found several that were pretty good, but with a bit of tweaking here and there I was able to come up with this delicious recipe which everyone in my family loves. In fact it’s good enough to serve company which is what I did when my daughter’s in-laws came to visit. They loved it too!
First of all a little background on Chicken Marsala. I know it’s a classic Italian dish offered at many chain Italian restaurants like Magiano’s, Carabba’s, and Olive Garden. Like I said everyone seems to have their own version of this dish! But if you go to a local restaurant in Italy and asked for Chicken Marsala I’m pretty sure they won’t know what that is. I can’t recall seeing this dish at any of the restaurants in Italy, sort of like asking for Fettucine Alfedo, they don’t have that there!
Chicken Marsala is actually an Italian-American dish that is more than likely a variation of the traditional Italian Scaloppina dishes of which there are many versions in Italy. Chicken Marsala dates back from the 19th. Century and originated with English families who lived in Italy where Marsala wine is produced.
The dish is composed of thin slices of chicken breasts that are lightly floured and sauteed in a pan. It is then covered with a sauce made from a Marsala wine reduction. Some recipes call for the addition of mushrooms, herbs, and tomatoes. Really the variations are many, but I prefer the simplest variation with just mushrooms so that I can savor the lovely Marsala sauce.
When I make it at home I prefer to serve it with a simple garlic mashed potato side dish, but you can also serve it with a side of Poor Man’s pasta; a simple yet tasty pasta dish.
Delicious Chicken Marsala
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Delicious Chicken Marsala
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Instructions
Combine Flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a shallow dish.
Melt 2 tbs. butter in the olive oil in a frying pan.
Pat chicken dry with paper towel and dredge thru flour mixture
Fry chicken breasts in oil butter mixture until both sides start to turn brown.
Remove from pan and place in a covered dish or pan.
Add 2 tbs. butter to the remaining oil and saute mushrooms until juices come out and mushrooms are cooked.
Add wine, chicken stock, and garlic to the mushrooms and simmer about 10 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half
Add heavy whipping cream and cornstarch mixture to the pan - it should slightly thicken. If it's too thick add up to 1/2 cup of wine to thin to desired consistency.
Return cooked chicken to pan and spoon sauce over it.
Cook on stove top until chicken is heated thru.
Gently stir in 2 tbs. of butter.
Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.
May 9, 2019 | Beef, Main Course, Recipes
Gyros seem to be getting trendy, even the fast food chains are putting them on their menus. Makes sense I guess since Gyro (pronounced YEE-roh) can be considered fast food meaning you can grab a sandwich and eat it on the go. Gyro meat can be either beef, pork, chicken, lamb, or a combination of these meats. The meat is usually ground up and cooked on a vertical spit then thin slices are shaved off as needed to make plates or sandwiches. Having grown up in New York City gyros have always been a familiar food, I remember seeing the big hunks of meat rotating behind a window at the corner deli or diner. Anyway trendy or not we love Gyros, specially beef gyros!
We always grab a gyro or two when we’re in Greece and sometimes in NYC, I mean it’s not like we’re going to set up a huge vertical spit and roast meat for hours. That’s why the Instant Pot is a great addition to my kitchen! I can make Beef Gyros anytime I have a yen for them. The beef gyros made in my Instant Pot tastes pretty authentic and can be made in about half an hour! Doesn’t beat a trip to Athens or Santorini, but it hits the spot!
The Beef Gyros I make in the Instant Pot are tender, juicy, and tasty; in short perfect! We slather the pita with homemade Tzatziki, a creamy cucumber yogurt sauce, then fill it with meat and veggies, delicious!
Here’s the recipe for Instant Pot Beef Gyros and Tzatziki Sauce, hope you love it as much as we do!
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The Beef
Ingredients:
2 Lbs. Chuck roast sliced into thin strips about 1/4″ long – cut meat against the grain
1 Large White Onion thinly sliced
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1 Tbs. Garlic Powder
1 Tbs. Oregano
1 Tsp. Sea Salt
1 Tsp. Black Pepper
1/4 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice
1/2 Cup Beef Broth
Shredded Iceberg or Romaine Lettuce
Sliced Tomatoes
Sliced Purple Onion
Sliced Cucumbers
1 Tbs Apple Cider Vinegar
Fresh Pita Bread or Naan
Directions:
Place all the ingredients except the Pita, Lettuce, and Tomato in the Instant Pot
Cover and make sure the valve is in the “Sealing” position
Turn pot on to Manual – high pressure
Set timer to 30 minutes
Once timer goes off allow the pot to sit for 15 minutes. Then switch the valve to “venting” and allow the pot to depressurize.
Remove cover and stir.
While you’re waiting for the meet to cook make your Tzatziki Sauce and prepare your veggies
Place shredded lettuce, sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions on a dish and sprikle with Apple Cider Vinegar then set aside until ready to use
Tzatziki Sauce
Ingredients:
1 Cup Finely chopped cucumbers – remove seeds before chopping
1 Cup plain whole milk yogurt
2 Tbs Fresh Dill chopped
1 Tsp Garlic finely minced
1/4 Tsp Salt
Directions:
Take the cucumbers and squeeze out the liquid. Squeeze out as much liquid as you can.
Place cucumber in bowl and add in rest of the ingredients and mix very well.
Refrigerate until ready to use.
Sandwich assembly:
Cover pita bread with a damp paper towel and warm in the microwave for about 15-30 seconds
Place one pita bread flat on a piece of aluminum foil
Spread bread with Tzatziki Sauce
Place a layer of shredded lettuce over sauce
Remove desired amount of meat from pot and drain liquid then place over lettuce
Add cucumber, onion, and tomato slices on top then add more tzatziki sauce if desired
Roll sandwich and foil, use the foil to hold the sandwich together. Peel off foil as you eat.
You can also make a plate or bowl instead of a sandwich. Any left over tzatziki can be used a dip, just place in a dish or bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Dip pita chips in the sauce for a great snack or appetizer!
Instant Pot Beef Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce
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Instant Pot Beef Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce
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Instructions
Beef
Place all the ingredients except the Pita, Lettuce, and Tomato in the Instant Pot
Cover and make sure the valve is in the "Sealing" position
Turn pot on to Manual - high pressure Set timer to 30 minutes
Once timer goes off allow the pot to sit for 15 minutes. Then switch the valve to "venting" and allow the pot to depressurize.
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While you're waiting for the meet to cook make your Tzatziki Sauce and prepare your veggies
Place shredded lettuce, sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions on a dish and sprikle with Apple Cider Vinegar then set aside until ready to use
Tzatziki Sauce
Take the cucumbers and squeeze out the liquid. Squeeze out as much liquid as you can.
Place cucumber in bowl and add in rest of the ingredients and mix very well.
Refrigerate until ready to use.
Assembly
Cover pita bread with a damp paper towel and warm in the microwave for about 15-30 seconds
Place one pita bread flat on a piece of aluminum foil
Spread bread with Tzatziki Sauce
Place a layer of shredded lettuce over sauce
Remove desired amount of meat from pot and drain liquid then place over lettuce
Add cucumber, onion, and tomato slices on top then add more tzatziki sauce if desired
Roll sandwich and foil, use the foil to hold the sandwich together. Peel off foil as you eat.
Mar 7, 2019 | Beef, Main Course, Recipes
I’ve recently jumped on to the Instant Pot bandwagon and my life has never been the same! Instant Pots are basically crockpots on steroids, at least that’s how I’d describe them. The can do just about everything a crockpot can do only they do it faster! Because Instant Pot uses pressure to cook food instead of constant slow heat like a crockpot meals can be made not only faster but better tasting because they get tender but don’t get mushy like veggies do when cooked in a crockpot. That’s why making this Instant Pot Shredded Beef is the perfect way to make fillings for tacos, chimichangas, burritos, and more.
Today I’m going to share with you my recipe for Instant Pot Shredded Beef Flautas. Actually it’s basic shredded beef with Mexican spices which I’m using to fill flour tortillas which I then deep fry. That’s what a Flauta is a rolled and fried four tortilla, some folks call them taquitos, but what ever you call them they’re yummy just the same.
You can use this Instant Pot Shredded Beef to fill just about anything you need to fill with shredded beef; like burritos, chimichangas, enchaladas, empanadas, and more.
I’ve always used skirt or flank steaks to make shredded beef, they turn out pretty tender making them pretty easy to shred. But once I started making this Instant Pot Shredded Beef the shredding is even easier, the meat literally just falls apart!
I’m sure you’ll love this recipe so make plenty. I usually freeze extras so that I can use them later for burritos, chimichangas or whatever. If you’re going to freeze it be sure you use freeze safe containers and label them. Because it’s shredded the beef will last in the freezer for about a month so be sure you use it soon!
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Instant Pot Shredded Beef Flautas
Ingredients:
2-3 Lbs. Flank or skirt Steak
2 Tbs Lawry’s Carne Asada Seasoning
1 Tbs Garlic Powder
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Black Pepper
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1 Cup Water
1 Package Fajita size Flour Tortilla
1 Package Shredded Monteray Jack/Cheddar Cheese blend
1 Bunch Fresh Cilantro chopped
Oil for frying
Toppings of your choice – Salsa, Pico de Gallo, Cheese, Sour Cream, Guacamoli
Directions:
Combine spices in a small bowl then add olive oil, stir very well
Rub oil mixture to both sides of steak
Let sit in fridge for at least 1 hour
Place trivet in Instant Pot
Pour 1 cup water into pot
Place steak on to trivet
Set on Manual and adjust time to 30 minutes
Secure lid and make sure valve is in sealing position
When pot beeps allow to depressurize naturally it takes about 30 minutes
Once pot is completely depressurized remove lid carefully and take out steak
Place steak onto chopping board and shred using 2 forks
Place shredded beef in a bowl ready to fill your tortillas
Fill flour tortillas with 2 tbs shredded beef, about 1 tbs shredded cheese, 1 tsp chopped cilantro
Roll up and fry in hot oil
Drain on paper towels and serve with desired garnishes
Instant Pot Shredded Beef Flautas
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Instant Pot Shredded Beef Flautas
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Instructions
Combine spices in a small bowl then add olive oil, stir very well
Rub oil mixture to both sides of steak
Let sit in fridge for at least 1 hour
Place trivet in Instant Pot
Pour 1 cup water into pot
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Set on Manual and adjust time to 30 minutes
Secure lid and make sure valve is in sealing position
When pot beeps allow to depressurize naturally it takes about 30 minutes
Once pot is completely depressurized remove lid carefully and take out steak
Place steak onto chopping board and shred using 2 forks
Place shredded beef in a bowl ready to fill your tortillas
Fill flour tortillas with 2 tbs shredded beef, about 1 tbs shredded cheese, 1 tsp chopped cilantro
Roll up and fry in hot oil
Drain on paper towels and serve with desired garnishes
Sunday is Father’s Day. Why night surprise dad with this yummy Banana Foster Dutch Baby?
