Chicken Marsala Recipe & Garlic Press Review

We absolutely love to use fresh garlic!  It tastes so much better than the "minced garlic" you buy in a jar.  And it doesn't have all that added nastiness.  But I hate peeling and chopping it.  It is so hard to get the fine peel off of garlic, hard to chop it small enough for my liking, and it makes my hands stink!!

Because of that I am so glad I got the chance to review the Garlic Press & Peeler set from Alpha Grillers.  They are super easy to use!  And I don't have to touch the garlic near as much!  

Looks delightfully delicious doesn't it?

The packaging the set came in is super nice and high quality:

I loved the satin that the press was resting in.  I actually thought it might be a bag for storage...but it was not...

I didn't know what to expect for a garlic peeler....but it certainly wasn't this:

Food-Grade Silicon

The press is visibly high quality: 

Made from solid, high quality stainless steel that is highly resistant to rusting.

My favorite feature is that the "grate" piece pops out for easy cleaning!

Definitely a feature that doesn't come standard on every garlic press.

In order to show you how awesome this set really is, I decided to share one of our favorite recipes:

Looks delicious right?

First, you will want to gather up all of your ingredients:

I forgot that we had mushrooms when I took this pic....they are definitely a nice addition!

1. Pound chicken with a meat mallet.  Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper, and flour.  Shake off excess.

2. Heat a bit of coconut oil in a skillet.  Place chicken in and cook through.

The flour does not have to cover the chicken as you can see here...just a nice dusting....

3. Meanwhile, cook pasta.

4. While the chicken and pasta are cooking, heat oil in another skillet and add vegetables (we use a yellow/orange/red pepper, mushrooms, and garlic.  However, you can add whatever you really feel like here.  We have used carrots and onions in the past with success.

There are the mushrooms I forgot before...

Let's PAUSE her for a moment so I can show you how I used the garlic press and peeler.

Since this recipe called for minced/crushed garlic, it wasn't necessary to peel the cloves before placing them in the press.  BUT, I was anxious to give the peeler a try since I had never even heard of a garlic peeler before, let alone used one.

You simply place a whole clove, peel and all inside the tube.

Then roll it back and forth on the counter top with a bit of pressure.  The e-mail Alpha Grillers sends after your purchase says that it may take some practice.  

This is the result of my first attempt...

And this was after I got the hang of it....which really didn't take all that long.  No peels in sight!

It does make a little bit of a mess...but I'll take the mess over smelly hands any day!

After the garlic was peeled, the press was easy peasy:

You can press one clove at a time...

...or multiple.

And it turns out wonderfully either way...

Yum!

Okay....back to the recipe:

5. After the chicken is cooking, add thyme and Marsala to the skillet (we add Marsala depending on how many people are eating...a quarter to a half a cup for each person).  Cook for 30 seconds and then remove chicken:

We always stick the chicken in with the veggies for a bit...

6. Back to the Marsala...scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the skillet and cook for another 30 seconds or so.

7. Plate!  Pasta first, then veggies and chicken and pour sauce over top.  

8. Eat up!  Yummmmmmmmm!

**The garlic press and peeler were excellent tools for this dish and for any other recipe using garlic!!  They even send you an e-book with 50 recipes using crushed or sliced garlic!  It is wonderful!  You can get one here for under $20!**

Abbreviated Recipe:

Ingredients

• 2 Med. Skinless, Boneless Chicken Breasts
• Salt
• Black Pepper
• Coconut Oil (olive or vegetable oil can be substituted)
• 1 Medium Bell Pepper, cut into thin strips
• Sliced Mushrooms
• 2 Cloves of Garlic, minced or crushed
• 1/3 cup dry Marsala
• 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
• Hot cooked linguine, spaghetti, or angel hair

1. Pound chicken with a meat mallet.  Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper, and flour.  Shake off excess.

2. Heat a bit of coconut oil in a skillet.  Place chicken in and cook through.

3. Meanwhile, cook pasta.

4. While the chicken and pasta are cooking, heat oil in another skillet and add vegetables (we use a yellow/orange/red pepper, mushrooms, and garlic.  However, you can add whatever you really feel like here.  We have used carrots and onions in the past with success)

5. After the chicken has finished cooking, add thyme and Marsala to the skillet (we add additional Marsala depending on how many people are eating...a quarter to a half a cup for each person).  Cook for 30 seconds and then remove chicken:

6. Back to the Marsala...scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the skillet and cook for another 30 seconds or so.

7. Plate!  Pasta first, then veggies and chicken and pour sauce over top.  

What is your favorite recipe to cook with garlic?

6 Quick Meals, No Stove

So I've been working on a post that is very near and dear to my heart this week.  I keep adding and deleting, rereading, rearranging, deleting some more - but I want it to be perfect before it is published.

However, I do want to try and stay true to my new year's resolution and continue to write one or two posts a week.  So here's a fun post!

As most of you know, we recently moved into our new home!  And I couldn't be more excited!  We have so many projects ahead of us.  Right now we are in them middle of remodeling not just one, but both of our bathrooms...which, by the way, is not recommended.  It is rather inconvenient and was never part of the plan - but we'll get to that in another post.  I've got lots of great posts planned because of this: How to remove wallpaper, remodeling a bathroom for under $500, and so much more!  

But before we moved into our home, we were living with some very good friends of ours.  Honestly, the "living with people" situation was really good.  We had our own little section of the house - a bathroom, *tiny* living space, and a bedroom.  It was perfect.  The only thing we were missing was a kitchen.  We did use their kitchen on occasion to change things up.  But most of the time we just got creative!  We had a mini fridge, microwave, a waffle iron, and we borrowed the George Foreman from downstairs occasionally.  It all worked out really well.

Here were our favorites:

1. Mexican Tuna Salad - This was a meal the guys my husband worked with last summer taught him to make.  And it is AMAZING!  I plan on sharing the recipe in a future post.

2. Walking Tacos...that didn't walk. - I got Fritos or Doritos, a can of chili, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and sour cream - we threw it all on a plate and pigged out.  ;)

3. Paninis out of the Waffle Iron

4. Burgers - off the Foreman

5. Breakfast for dinner - out of the Waffle Iron...did you know that eggs and hashbrowns can be cooked on a waffle iron!?!?  Then we nuked sausages in the microwave.  It was fun.  lol.

6. Quesidillas - out of the Waffle iron!  This is my personal favorite.  And I can tell you, I will never, ever make quesidillas on the stove again.  It was so easy and SO fast!  Below the picture are the directions.

Quesidillas on the Waffle Iron (for one)

Ingredients:

• 2 Tortillas
• Oil Spray
• Shredded Cheese
• Whatever Else You Like  :)

Spray waffle iron.

Place 1 tortilla on bottom half of iron.  Sprinkle cheese all over - as much as you want!  Then add other ingredients (our favorite was black beans, Rotel, and pickled jalapenos...sometimes we added canned chicken).  Cover ingredients with more cheese.  Place 2nd tortilla on top, close iron...and cook away!

Now you have a sealed quesidilla, read in just a few minutes!  Wonderful!

Never, will I ever, cook them on the stove again.  ;)

Respect Challenge: Week 13

Quick Recap - I am on a 25 week journey to becoming a more respectful wife.  I want to be the best wife my husband could ever ask for!  I found my inspiration over at Loving Life at Home.  Please feel free to join me on this journey...it might even change your marriage...  ;)  For ALL of the 'Respect Challenge' posts check out the tabs at the top of the page!

Prepare His Favorite Foods.

Jennifer notes, "Next time you’re planning meals, give special consideration to your husband’s preferences."

2 Corinthians 13:12

¹³ She looks for wool and flax
And works with her hands in delight.
¹⁴ She is like merchant ships;
She brings her food from afar.
¹⁵ She rises also while it is still night
And gives food to her household
And portions to her maidens.

This weeks challenge was not as simple as I wanted it to be.  I plan the menu two weeks in advance...so I had to start thinking about this a little bit early.  Unfortunately, Hubby does not like to help me pick out meals.  I thought when I told him he could have anything it would be easy, but not so much.  He picked one meal he wanted, just one.  That left me trying to pick out some other meals he would appreciate.  The problem is, I think cheap, especially towards the end of the month.  The other problem, Hubby doesn't generally like cheap.  He has expensive taste.  lol.  He doesn't complain much about our meals and I try to change things up often and try new things...but in my constant switching around meals and adding new things, I can't keep track of what he likes, what he loves, and what he doesn't really care for.  *sigh*  

I think I did okay though.  Due to our plans changing this weekend, we're actually only getting to his one choice tonight.  And I know he is looking forward to it.  I just have to remember to cook it the right way.  Ha!

I hope you have a little bit better luck than I did with this one.  And if he is usually the one that does the cooking or meal planning, maybe you could take a swing at it this week! Have fun!

I have added the recipe for Hubby's one choice below for inspiration.  If you like Thai food, or Asian food, or even something a little bit different than the norm, definitely give this a try!  I love it as much as Hubby does!  I originally found it on All Recipes but we have tweeked it a bit to fit our tastes and here is the outcome:

Thai Chicken
 

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce (you can substitute soy sauce)
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (we usually use frozen, leftover from before)
  
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cubed
• 3/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Rice

Directions

1. In a saucepan, combine vinegar, water, sugar, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, jalapeno, and salt; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, and simmer until liquid is reduced, about 5 minutes.  Stir sauce from time to time.  Remove from heat and allow to cool before use.
2. In a shallow dish, mix together the coconut milk, fish sauce, 2 tablespoons minced garlic, cilantro, turmeric, curry powder, and pepper.  Add chicken and mix well.  Optional: Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. (We usually forget to marinate and it still tastes great!) 
3. Preheat grill or skillet and lightly oil.
• If grilling discard marinade, and place chicken on the grill.  Cook until slightly charred and juices run clear.
• If cooking on the stove top, place chicken and marinade into skillet.  Cook until chicken is no longer pink.  
4. Brush chicken with sauce before serving. Serve remaining sauce on the side for dipping (Hubbies favorite part! Me, I just dump all of my dipping sauce on top and mix it all together...much easier!).
5. Serve with (or on top of) rice.

 

HTML Comment Box is loading comments...

Grandma's Perfect Peanut Butter Cookies

My dad always jokes about my grandma - she is THE worst cook!  Burn things, undercooks things - you name it, she has done it!  However, she can bake, oh can she bake!  For my wedding shower she gave me the recipe to her soft peanut butter cookies.  I love them for a couple of reasons:

1. They are delicious!  (And I don't usually like peanut butter cookies)

2. The ingredients list is super small.

3. From start to finish - the process takes under a half an hour!

What you need:

- 1 cup of peanut butter (smooth or chunky - your choice!)

- 1 cup of sugar

- 1 egg

- 1 teaspoon of vanilla

(this makes right around 2 dozen...I usually double the recipe)

Combine all the ingredients, drop on a baking sheet, press with a fork (make an "x"), bake at 325 for 10-15 minutes.

See?  SO simple!  And so delicious!