Chicken Marsala

This is a great, easy weeknight dinner recipe. It is lighter and healthier than traditional Chicken Marsala, and doesn't use any cream. I tried it last week and it was delicious! If you want a thicker sauce, just mix a little cornstarch and butter into the sauce. Enjoy :)

Skillet Chicken With Mushroom Marsala Sauce
(From Good Housekeeping)
Ingredients:

- 4 medium (1 1/4 pounds) skinless, boneless chicken-breast halves
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon(s) olive oil
- 1 package(s) (10-ounce) sliced cremini mushrooms (or any mushrooms of your choice)
- 1 large shallot, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup(s) reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup(s) Marsala wine
- 2 tablespoon(s) chopped fresh parsley



Directions:
Place chicken-breast halves between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. With meat mallet or rolling pin, pound breasts to an even 1/2-inch thickness; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper.
In nonstick 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add breasts and cook 6 to 7 minutes or until browned on both sides and chicken loses its pink color throughout, turning over once. Transfer breasts to platter; cover with foil to keep warm.
To skillet, add mushrooms, shallot, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Cook 3 minutes or until mushrooms are browned, stirring frequently. Add chicken broth, Marsala wine, and any juices from chicken on platter. Cook 4 minutes to reduce sauce by half, stirring occasionally. Stir in parsley.

xx,
Penelope Anne

Fall Faves

It has been an extraordinarily busy summer, and I am so happy that fall has begun! Not only is fall the season of changing leaves and brisk air, it is also the season of cooking, baking, and lots of eating! Here are some of my fall faves :)

Pumpkin. Enough said.

Apple Pie

Butternut Squash Soup

Halloween Candy. Can Never Get Enough!

Chai Tea...A New Fave

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

Hungry Yet??

xx,

Penelope Anne

Baby Shower Labels

 This week we had a baby shower for one of the registered dietitians at work. The health educator, Susan, made the cutest labels to put on the mom-to-be's favorite chocolates. The theme for her baby's nursery is "jungle", so Susan found pastel animal graphics to put on the labels. I thought this was such a cute idea for an office baby shower, and so easy too!

xx,

Penelope Anne

Nic's Martini Lounge

I love cute lounges, especially when they offer a broad range of fruity drinks. We found a little gem in Beverly Hills a few months ago that not only offers ample "frou frou" drinks, but delectable desserts as well. (dark chocolate bon bons with coconut anyone?) It is called Nic's Martini Lounge, and we went there last week with Ben's brother and his girlfriend, who were visiting from Denver. But Nic's doesn't just offer you the standard cosmopolitan and chocolate torte, they have a vodka tasting room as well. Yup, that's right, vodka tasting! It is called the "Vodbox", and is basically a freezing cold room filled with any kind of vodka you could ever imagine. Before you go in, the boys dress in black fur coats and russian ushankas (fur hats), while the girls don leopard fur coats with white fur hats. It is really hysterical. Once you enter the Vodbox, you can taste any kind of vodka, from Russian Water to Acai Berry that tastes like gummi bears, to espresso, a rich dessert vodka with the warmth of an  afternoon cup of of this caffeine fix we all know and love. We had so much fun in the Vodbox, and each of us was able to personalize the tasting according to our preferences.  I learned a lot about how the taste of a certain vodka is dependent on where it is distilled, and vodka tastes best when it is at the perfect cool temperature. I would absolutely recommend this as a fun activity to do with friends, but pace yourself, you may come out a little tipsier than intended :)
xx,
Penelope Anne

All of us in the Vodbox

Poutine

Ben surprised me on Saturday night with a reservation at a quaint little French restaurant near our place. It is called Soleil, and appropriate to its name, has a sunny yellow awning outside. It was there that I tried Poutine, a French Canadian specialty that originated in Quebec. This dish that combines mild cheese curds, french fries, and a brown gravy. It sounds like a bit of a strange combination, but it was SO delicious!! I loved the way the gravy made the french fries just a little soft, and it felt like a whole meal. Soleil actually has a separate menu for Poutine, and offers it with various meats and other toppings, so you really could order it as a meal.

I also ordered Beef Bourguignon, another French dish, that is basically a stew with beef braised in red wine. If you have ever seen Julie and Julia, the character Julie spends the whole night making a perfect Beef Bourguignon, only to fall asleep while it is the oven causing her to burn it it (very cute movie). I definitely want to try cooking this at home. I was really impressed with Soleil, and it was really great to get a little taste of French cuisine in the middle of LA :)

xx,
Penelope Anne

Israel: The land of Olives and Falafel

My trip to Israel was truly amazing, and so was the food! I took as many pictures as I could of the many delectable meals I got to eat. Israeli food is really special. Everything is fresh, and a few main characters of this cuisine include eggplant, hummus, olives, pita, and of course, lots of cheese! My favorite meal is breakfast, where it is normal to eat a variety of salads, cheeses, and fish along with your regular bowl of cereal. Shawarma and falafel are also staples of this comforting cuisine, and you can find a falafel stand on every corner in any city center. You have the option of eating your falafel or shawarma in pita bread or laffah bread (similar to naan bread), as well as many salads (incuding the classic Israeli salad of cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions) to use as toppings. Of course, we can't forget about the hummus and tehina, must have additions to the perfect falafel.

Ben's family treated us to an amazing meal "al aish" literally meaning "on fire" where we were offered up to 20 different salads and spreads, along with delicious barbecued meats. I had never seen so much food in my life! Did I mention everything is served with "chips"? (french fries). Can you say heaven?

The shuk (open market) is a foodie's dream. It boasts colorful fruit piled high, and every spice you could imagine to cook with, sitting out in burlap sacks just waiting for you to buy some. The coffee is out of this world, and an iced coffee is called cold coffee, while an iced coffee means a blended drink, much like a frappuchino. Here are a few pictures from this incredible trip.

"Salatim"--Salads offered to eat with your falafel or shawarma. I love the colors :)

Marzipan--a famous bakery thats sells the best chocolate rugulach

A few Shuk items. The candy bar was my favorite part!

Balkan bread we were served at a meal in Tel Aviv. With sea salt of course!

An Israeli breakfast. How delicious does the coffee look?

Our "al aish" dinner, with salads lining the table. Just amazing.

xx,

Penelope Anne

Tea and Scones

The past few days have not been ideal. En route to Israel we have had two delayed flights and two re-scheduled flights, getting us to Israel about two days late. Did I mention I have a tendency to get airsick, and am running on about two hours of sleep? We finally arrived in London and our layover is going to be a few hours. With all this time to kill, we are now nestled into the corner of a little cafe, and finally things are starting to look up, thanks to the most comforting pot of tea and delicious scones I have ever had. I even got a miniature jar of strawberry jam, absolutely fitting for a tiny little tea set, and much fancier than the usual plastic container.I feel just like a princess, minus the dark circles and clothes that smell, well, like an airplane.

I just love that the minute we touched down in London, I was immediately asked if I would like milk with my tea. I grew up drinking tea this way in South Africa, and believe this is absolutely the only way to drink it! I am so happy we will get to spend some actual time in London on the way back.

Hopefully my next post will be from Israel!

Xx,
Penelope Anne