It Just Takes Two

I am enjoying the reception this blog is receiving. It's so fun to finally have one place to share this passion of mine.

Last night, while attending our monthly gathering of lovely law ladies, I was given what I consider an excellent suggestion--providing recipes to help those who need to cook for just two.

It's difficult I know.

I learned to cook for a crowd and I still have to retrain myself when thinking up recipes. I always think big. Luckily we love leftovers and I am the self proclaimed queen of making food over. For instance I made meat sauce on Sunday--there is no way I can make a two person amount of meat sauce--we had that with spaghetti and garlic bread.

On Monday I cooked some cavatappi ( a double hollow spiral pasta that is about my favorite) and mixed it with some leftover sauce and some grated Italian Cheese blend and some Monterrey jack. I put it in a baking dish and topped it with more sauce and more cheese. That baked in a hot convection oven (400) until it was heated through and the cheese was golden brown and bubbly. It was delicious and different enough from what we had the night before to be very satisfying.

However a lot of folks just do not like leftovers. So I've decided to tackle this.

I'll feature from time to time recipes focusing on two portions but not lacking in imagination. Anyone can grill a couple of plain chicken breasts but why be ordinary?

So to inaugurate the series I give you an easy Chicken Marsala recipe. Two things you should know about this one. One-you can use cooking wine you get in the grocery--just do not use salt. Of course if you want to make it special and have some Marsala by all means do so. Two-don't be afraid to substitute boneless chicken thighs or boneless country style pork ribs for the meat. You will have a richer dish with either of those.

Chicken Marsala for Two

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 c. Marsala wine
1 c. baby Portobello mushrooms, sliced
2 TB fresh parsley, chopped

@ 1/2 cup all purpose flour
a dash of ground black pepper
a dash of sea salt (if not using cooking wine)

Olive oil
2 TB butter

Cut each chicken breast into two pieces and pound to about 1/3 inch thickness. Mix pepper and salt into flour then dredge chicken pieces through it to coat. Shake off the excess.

Cook chicken cutlets in olive oil and butter over medium heat until golden brown on both sides. Add the mushrooms and the wine and reduce heat to low-medium low so that it just simmers. Cover and let cook for about 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Remove chicken breasts and reduce sauce to thicken over medium high heat --you want it to just separate as you run the spoon across the pan. Toss in the parsley and stir a couple of times.

Serve the two cutlets per plate and spoon the sauce over. This is excellent with boiled new potatoes---my rule of thumb for keeping that to two portions is to never cook more potatoes than I can hold in my two hands.

But I have small hands.

Try it. Tell me what you think.

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Thanks so much for all the kind words.