Chicken Marsala

 This is a really good one for a special, personal quiet night for two!  A very sexy chicken dish, guaranteed to make the night special!  This recipe' is SO simple & basic, that the video shows/explains it all, no need to even note any seasoning amounts!

Ingredients:

1 cup Vidalia onion, chopped
3/4 tsp Garlic, minced
1 cup Chicken Stock
2 tbs Butter
1/2 cup White Zinfandel
Sea Salt
Black Pepper
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Grnd Sage
Flour for dusting chicken
Olive Oil

Note; 

1) Add a big pinch (1/3 tsp) of salt/pepper right after the wine.   I just remembered I'd tasted before plating & made the adjustment off camera so...
2) Portobello Mushrooms go Great in this dish!  I didn't use them because the person I was cooking it for didn't like mushrooms!   

3) Recipe' works with Rice, Pasta, or Mash Potatoes!

Now as far as the Asparagus goes, I dowse the spears w/Olive oil, then usually season them with the same "dry" stuff used for the protein/entre' so they pair better;

Sea Salt
Black Pepper
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Ground Sage

And though I'd cooked/broiled those in the video on a "Pizza Pizzazz" I now use a more precise technique using my crepe pan; over medium heat, sauté for 2 mins, flip & sauté another 2 mins, remove from pan immediately/plate...  This brings the spears to a perfect Al Dente, with a nice snap & delightfully moist,  dissolving crumbly chew & NO woody grains!

On a side note; this was the dish I'd Christened my new Stainless Steel "Noni" Pan with, thus my comment at the beginning...

Hope y'all enjoy!

Todd’s Pizza Sauce

Ingredients: (* =  DON’T  ALTER)

1. 2-6 oz. cans tomato paste
2. 2 cups warm water
3. * ¾ tsp. ground Fennel seed
4. ½ tsp. oregano
5. ½ tsp. basil
6. 1 tsp. garlic powder
7. ½ tsp. onion powder
8. 1 ½ tsp. kosher salt
9. ½ tsp. course black pepper
10. 1 tbs. packed brown sugar
11. * 1 tbs. Grandma’s molasses
12. 3 tbs. grated parmesan
13. 1 tsp. cornstarch 
14. ¼ cup water 

Instructions;

Add #’s  (1 & 2) to a medium sauce pan & thoroughly whisk together .  Add #’s  (2 thru 12)  to the pan & thoroughly mix.  Place on low heat & cover (w/lid slightly ajar) & simmer for about 45 min. stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat & let stand for 2 min. while you thoroughly combine #’s (13 & 14) in a small cup & then stir into the sauce, mixing thoroughly.   Place on medium-high heat, cover & bring to a violent bubble, stirring once or twice (about 5-7 min.)  This will reduce the chance of any water separating from reconstituting the tomato paste.    

NOTE: It’s advisable to remove from heat for each stir, it’s thick & the bubbles splatter violently while over the heat.   Let sauce set for at least an hour before applying to crust.

Makes enough for 2 large Pizza's with heavy sauce or 3 modestly sauced. 

Pasta Marinara w/Meat

This is a zesty, thick & meaty, red marinara.  My cousin claims it's better than the Olive Garden's, Pasta House or the Spaghetti Factory's. (not that it means much, but I know where he's coming from)    I think my flavor's close to "Uno's" or "Cecil Whittaker's marinara" which is kind of surprising, since I hate Uno's pizza.

Ingredients:

1. 1.5 lbs Hamburger 80/20 fat

2. 0.5 lbs Salsiccia (Italian sausage) bulk

3. 1 large Bell Pepper (diced 1/4")

4. 2c diced Onion (1/4")

5. 2 tbs minced Garlic

6. 1 lb fresh sliced Mushrooms (1/4")

7. 2 tbs Olive Oil

8. 2-29oz cans Tomato Puree

9. 1/2c Red Wine "Lambrusco/Merlot"

10. 3.5 tsp Kosher Salt

11. 3/4 tsp course Black Pepper

12. 3 tsp dried Oregano leaf

13. 1 tsp dried Sweet Basil leaf

14. 4 tsp Brown Sugar

15. 3/4c grated Parmesan

16. 3c Water

17. 1 tbs Cornstarch

Instructions;

Some of the Seasonings might seem excessive, but you'll notice that we use about half of those spices to help flavor the meat while "browning" it,  most which of is lost when straining the grease out.  When "browning" the meat, try to leave nice bite size pieces, use more of a "folding" technique instead of just briskly stirring.

1. In a 4 qt sauce pan, add the following:

• 2 tbs Olive Oil
• 1 large Bell Pepper (diced 1/4")
• 2c diced Onion (1/4")
• 1 tbs minced Garlic
• 1/2tsp Kosher Salt

2. Cook on high until onions are transparent, then add the following:

• 1.5 lbs Hamburger 80/20 fat
• 0.5 lbs Salsiccia (Italian sausage) bulk
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt
• 1/2 tsp course Black Pepper
• 1.5 tsp dried Oregano leaf

3. Reduce heat to medium, fold a few times to mix the onions with meat & let sit for 5 min.s to brown (no stirring) this will help achieve nice bite size pieces.  Stir/fold after the 5 min.s & finish "browning" stirring/folding as needed.  Strain the grease out when finished.

4. Then add the following:

• Both 29oz cans Tomato Puree
• 1/2c Lambrusco Wine (Riunite)
• 1 lb fresh sliced Mushrooms (1/4") 
• 1 tbs minced Garlic
• 2 tsp Kosher Salt
• 1/4 tsp course Black Pepper
• 1.5 tsp dried Oregano leaf
• 1 tsp dried Sweet Basil leaf
• 4 tsp Brown Sugar
• 3c Water

5. Thoroughly mix, stirring lightly & bring to a soft boil, then reduce heat to low, cover & simmer for 20 min.s, stirring occasionally.

6. Then add the Parmesan & simmer another 15-20 min.s

7. Last, I'm sure everyone has experienced Spaghetti, where a tomato flesh like paste is left on top & all the oils & juices separated, running to the bottom, like a puddle of pink water (with most of the flavor.)  This is where the cornstarch comes in; not to thicken, but to keep the tomato flesh & juices bound together.  I have cooked sauce for over 6 hrs, almost down to a paste & would still have the juices separate.  So use enough water to make a milk shake (like) out of the cornstarch, add it to the sauce & bring back to a soft boil stirring constantly, then remove from heat.

8. Serve over Angel Hair or your choice pasta.

Feeds 8 - 10 people; with garlic bread & salad. 

Prep = about 30 min.s

Total = about 2 hr.s

Enjoy,  Todd

Garlic Bread

This one's for garlic lover's. I use that pre-minced garlic in jar w/olive oil, margarine, parmesan, Basil... so this bread is full favored!   It has a nice toasty shatter when you bite into it, yet the middle is still fluffy soft.

 Ingredients

1 cup Margarine
3/4 cup Parmesan, graded
2 tbs minced garlic
1 tsp dried sweet basil leaf
1 tsp course kosher salt
1/2 tsp course black pepper
2 ave. loaves french bread (-/+ 14" L x 3.5" w)

(pre-heat oven to 475 deg.F.)
Mix all the ingredients thoroughly.  Cut the bread like you would for sandwich & spread the mixture on generously (a layer at least the thickness of the minced garlic being used.)

Now baking the bread will only take about 5-6 min.s & should not be left unattended.  Ovens very to much to give an exact time with this technique.  I usually throw mine in the oven & then ring the dinner bell & it's ready by the time everyone's seated.

In a nice hot 475 F (electric) oven, place the bread directly in the center of the middle oven rack, quickly trying to save heat & shut door, wait 1 min., then turn the oven off & the broiler on high, won't take long once that upper burner kicks in, so keep an eye on them.  We're looking for a nice speckled light brown, then yank'em out, cut & serve!!

Enjoy!!   Todd