monday's recipes

Was it not a glorious weekend? We did tons inside and outside the house, clipping and pruning and weeding. Jeff added shelves to my sadly disorganized closet and I spent Sunday morning cleaning and purging and organizing. I tell ya, there's no better feeling. So, what's this got to do with recipes? Nothing. Read on...

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I'm working on a new blogging schedule and thought I'd begin with "monday's recipes". I'm going to showcase a few of my favorite, easy recipes. Each recipe is, by necessity, converted to gluten free for our family. You, however, can prepare it either way.

Wait. Wait! It gets better. You, too, can contribute! Say what?

After this week's post, I will have a weekly recipe link-up, using Mr. Mcklinky (now known as Linky Tools). So, put on your thinking cap, bookmark your favorite recipes and jump right in. I'll see you back here bright and early next Monday morning (I'll actually try to get it posted around 9 - 10:00-ish Sunday night if you'd like a jump start.)

This first recipe sounds fancy, is great for company, and is deceptively easy. I found it on foodnetwork.com. It's simply fabulous every time.

{ sad looking little picture, isn't it? }

Chicken with Mustard Mascarpone Marsala Sauce

1.5 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, each breast cut crosswise into 3 pieces
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tbs. olive oil
5 tbs. butter, divided
1 lb. cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 tbs. minced garlic
1 cup dry marsala wine
1 cup (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese
2 tbs. dijon mustard
2 tbs. chopped fresh parsley leaves
12 oz. dried fettuccine (we use gluten-free pasta)

Directions:

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and cook until it's just brown, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

When the chicken cools, melt 2 tbs. butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Then add the onion and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic and saute until the mushrooms are tender and the juices evaporate, about 12 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until it's reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Stir in the mascarpone and mustard. Cut the chicken breasts lengthwise into 1/3" thick slices. Return the chicken and any reserved juices to the skillet. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat until the chicken is just cooked through and the sauce thickens slightly. Stir in the chopped parsley. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook until al dente. Drain. Toss the fettuccine with 3 tbs. butter (I use less) and season to taste with salt and pepper. Swirl onto a plate and top with the chicken mixture.

Serve this baby up with a nice green salad.

Enjoy!