Marsala is an Italian, fortified wine that is very similar to Spanish sherry and madeira. All of these wines are great for cooking. I love the flavour and subtle sweetness of this sauce, and I love the simplicity and versatility of the recipe. Marsala sauce pairs nicely with chicken, pork, and steak. The meat is usually cooked in the sauce, but since I love to batch cook, I usually make the sauce separately from the meat and freeze the leftovers.
First off, you should know that this recipe is, by no means, an authentic curry recipe from any part of the world. However, it is addictively delicious and ridiculously easy to make. I don’t normally post recipes that aren’t traditional or authentic, so believe me when I say that this recipe is worth sharing. I wouldn’t be surprised if it instantly becomes one of your family favourite recipes. It’s mild in heat, buttery, and slightly sweet. My sister’s friend, Chelsea, introduced me to this recipe. She made it for us and a large group of people at a ski chalet, once. Every single person loved it. I made it for John’s mom one day and she loved it too. This is a great dish to make for a crowd.
The key to making this sauce more than just a sum of its 4 ingredients, is to use high quality and complex curry powder. I’ve had the best success using Malaysian meat curry powder. Otherwise, it will taste like a curried, honey dijon chicken dish. But even the curried, honey dijon chicken tastes great, so use whatever you have on hand. Note that if you use a yellow curry powder, the colour of your sauce will be more yellow than mine. Ideally, you want the dijon mustard to be indiscernible, leaving your guests wondering what’s behind that addictive flavour.
Cooking chicken by boiling or poaching is easy and great for making healthy, oil-free, meals. It may sound bland, but this results in deliciously moist meat and a pot of chicken stock. When boiling or poaching chicken, you want to use meat that still has the skin on and the bone in, so you can purchase cheaper cuts of meat and save money while eating healthy. You can boil a whole chicken or pieces of chicken. Shred the cooked meat and use it in salads, sandwiches, wraps, soup or, my favourite, bang bang chicken (recipe here). Another healthy and simple way to cook chicken is by steaming (see recipe here).
Casseroles are simple, one dish meals that are commonly found in North American homes, at pot lucks, and at other gatherings. I have seen countless tv and movie scenes that portray families complaining about casserole dinners or that jokingly associate casseroles with poorly skilled cooks. I was in university the first time I tried a casserole and, jokes aside, casseroles are tasty, convenient, and most of them freeze well. They’re great for using up leftovers and they can be thrown together using any protein, pasta/rice, and vegetables that you happen to have on hand. I don’t make casseroles often, because they tend to be high in calories and sodium, and are often made with processed foods, but every now and then I will surprise my sister with her favourite casserole (recipe below).
I brined a turkey for the first time for Christmas dinner, 2010. Brining a turkey infuses the meat with flavour and moisture. You can flavour the brine with any herbs and spices that you like. Although frozen turkeys (that have been thawed out) can be used, I prefer to brine fresh turkeys.
I had originally planned on spending my holidays in flannel pyjamas drinking canned mushroom soup and eating cranberry sauce out of the can. In bed. But my favourite people, Ed and Krystal, inspired me to host Christmas. So I invited the family for a few days and made them two [slightly healthier] traditional holiday feasts. I’m really glad I did, because the food turned out wonderfully and with my surprise (my “new” dog – a first for our family), it turned out to be the best Christmas ever.
I have been making pot pies for years and it is still one of the dishes that Ed requests the most. I’ve made family style pot pie, individual pot pies and even miniature pot pies (second photo below) for pot lucks and parties. This is a very forgiving recipe. You could use half and half instead of cream, and you can use whatever vegetables you have on hand. This is a great way to use up left over turkey because you can freeze the pot pies and then bake them from frozen.
If you’re short on time, here are 2 shortcuts:
Early this year, Ed started taking an interest in cooking, and I love it 🙂 He’s made cupcakes (recipe here) and brownies (recipe here) and more recently, beer butt chicken. I liked the beer butt chicken so much that I asked him to show me how he made it, so that I could post it on my food blog. The skin is beautifully crispy, the beer keeps the meat moist, and it’s really easy to make.
A friend of mine gave me a subscription to Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food Magazine. This cornflake (that’s right, the cereal) crusted chicken was the first recipe that I tried from those magazines. Ed loves it and I made it regularly for 2 years. I made it for my parents once and my mom was surprised when I told her that the skin had been removed. It’s a Very healthy way to make crispy chicken.
Ed used to order chicken parmigiana in restaurants all the time. He hasn’t ordered it since I started making it at home a few years ago. If you want a healthier version, coat the chicken breasts with just one layer of bread crumbs and simply bake the breaded chicken in the oven first. Be sure not to overcook it. Then add the sauce and cheese and throw it back into the oven until the cheese melts.
This is my version of chicken cacciatore. I cook the chicken just until it’s done because I personally don’t like the texture of slow cooked meat. Also, this method cuts the cooking time drastically.
This is a neat twist on honey garlic wings. With the toasted sesame seeds as garnish, I feel like it’s a very classy way to serve chicken wings. Giada’s recipe was originally intended for chicken drummettes but I prefer using chicken wings. I’ve also used drumsticks before.
For thanksgiving 2008, Ed’s parents came to visit so I made them a thanksgiving lunch. Instead of roasting a turkey, I made turkey and stuffing pinwheels and served them with hot gravy. I served them as an entree but they would be great as an hors d’oeuvre at a party or for a pot luck. I’ve also made these with chicken instead and they were just as good.
Cooking with Alison 