Company-Worthy Dinner

In the past few weeks, I've become obsessed with mashed potatoes.  I suppose it's just another one of my phases (watermelon, zucchini, strawberry salad to name a few) and I'm hoping I'll get over it soon.  Either way, I have been coming up with recipes that are a vehicle for my mashed potatoes... Wednesday night was no exception.  April and her sister Megan came over for dinner at my new place.  I haven't quite figured out what the best layout is going to be for the kitchen - there isn't a whole lot of counter space - so we were kind of tripping over each other for a while.

Chicken with Mushroom Sauce

Cooking Light Jan/Feb 2011

4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

2 teaspoons canola oil

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup chopped shallots

1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms

2 minced garlic cloves

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

3/4 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

1. Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap, and pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add canola oil to pan; swirl to coat. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Transfer chicken to a serving platter; keep warm.

3. Add shallots and mushrooms to pan; sauté for 4 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; sauté for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; bring to a boil. Cook until liquid almost evaporates. Sprinkle mushroom mixture with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and flour; cook 30 seconds, stirring frequently. Add broth to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes or until slightly thick. Remove pan from heat; add butter and thyme, stirring until butter melts. Serve with chicken.


Suz: I got a jar of pre-chopped shallots (like the minced garlic) at Food Lion - they didn't have any other shallots.  This was perfect, and cut down on prep time.  I used chicken tenders instead of breasts and I forgot to add the butter at the end.  This chicken was awesome - I made it again for my family over Easter weekend.  Delicious and easy - a good recipe to keep in your arsenal, ready in less than 30 minutes!  And guess what?  I ate the mushrooms - they were good!

April: This was so good. I love mushrooms, but I think even mushroom haters could appreciate the delicious taste to the sauce.





The food mill at work.



Garlic Mashed Potatoes

I made the Steam and Mash potatoes again, and this time stirred in some pureed fresh garlic and a little bit of parmesan cheese and a lot of pepper. I used the handy-dandy food mill that my mom gave me to make them super-creamy!

Suz: Obviously, I loved them. So good.

April: They were quite tasty and a great combo to have with the chicken!



Parsnip-Asparagus Au Gratin

Taste of Home.com

10 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch slices
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup butter, divided
2 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 medium onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups soft bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a large bowl, combine the parsnips, salt and pepper. In a microwave, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Drizzle over parsnips; toss to coat. Transfer to a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a microwave, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Combine asparagus and melted butter; add to parsnips. Bake 20-25 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender.

In a large saucepan, saute onions in remaining butter until tender. Add garlic; saute 1 minute longer. Add bread crumbs; cook and stir until lightly toasted. Stir in cheese. Transfer parsnip mixture to a serving platter; sprinkle with crumb mixture. Yield: 16 servings.

April: I'm still in love with asparagus and parsnips, but I'm not a fan of the topping.
Suz: I love asparagus, but the breadcrumb topping was strange; might have been better with the french fried onions. The parsnips were ok, but were different than the time we had them and liked them so much.  I wouldn't repeat this recipe.

Angel Food Cake RollTaste of Home

1 package (16 ounces) angel food cake mix

5 teaspoons confectioners' sugar
1 cup (8 ounces) strawberry yogurt
1 package (1 ounce) instant sugar-free vanilla pudding mix
3 drops red food coloring, optional
2 cups reduced-fat whipped topping

Line a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan with waxed paper. Prepare cake according to package directions.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool for 5 minutes.

Turn cake onto a kitchen towel dusted with confectioners' sugar. Gently peel off waxed paper. Roll up jelly-roll style in the towel, starting with a short side. Cool on a wire rack.

In a large bowl, whisk the yogurt, pudding mix and food coloring if desired. Fold in whipped topping.

Unroll cake; spread filling evenly over cake to within 1/2 in. of edges. Roll up. Cover and freeze. Remove from freezer 30 minutes before slicing. Yield: 10 servings.

April: I really enjoyed this recipe. I enjoyed making it and serving it. My kids here at the daycare loved the left overs as well.

Suz: Yum! Kid friendly, grown up friendly, and so good!