Chicken Marsala Salubrious Sunday Style

I think I've made Chicken Marsala once in my life. Not because I don't like it. Not because it's not easy....I just forgot about it.

Blondes

When I came across this recipe in one of my Cooking Light cookbooks...it looked really good. But one of my daughters said "I don't like Chicken Marsala."

Huh??? I don't get it. Whats not to like?

Well....I kinda ignored her

And made it anyways....and didn't tell her what she was having for dinner.....

(cue evil laugh)....muuaaaaah hahaha hahhaaaaha

Us moms knew how to be sneaky waaaaaaay before these teens ever saw the light of day 

4 tablespoons butter, divided
Cooking Spray
8 oz sliced fresh mushrooms
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots (didn't have em, so I went with green onions)
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (I used 2 and butterflied them into 4)
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup dry Marsala wine
1/2 cup green peas (kid seriously HATES peas, so I threw in a tablespoon or 2 of capers. I know they aren't anything alike, but I'm really glad I did it)
2 tablespoons half and half (was forced to use milk)
4 cups hot cooked fettuccine

Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter. Skim off the foam from the surface and discard....

Then pour the melted butter through a fine sieve over a small bowl, discarding the milk solids. Guess what?

You now have clarified butter

(That was a first for me. Was it as good for you?)

Ok ok, I'll get on with it.....set the clarified butter aside. (don't you just love the sound of that? clarified butter....makes me feel like a grown up cook or something)

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat with cooking spray and saute the mushrooms, shallots and garlic for about 3 minutes or until moisture evaporates. Remove from pan and set aside.

Maybe you should put them next to the clarified butter

Oh..I have to tell you something about my mushrooms. I keep them in a shallow bowl in the fridge, covered with a paper towel. I had read somewhere that it helps to keep them from getting all slimy. Well, when I went to get my mushrooms, a few of them were starting to dry out...they had that wrinkled look. And I thought to myself....bummer.....they're all dehydrated.

Dehydrated.

Ya...like those ones they sell in the store.

The ones you're instructed to soak in water to "pump" back up.

Major light bulb moment!!! Let me tell you!

So I stuck those babies in a bowl of water and lo and behold!! They were saved!!!

Now...if you are using full sized chicken breasts (instead of butterflying them like I did) then you will need to pound 'em down to 1/4 thin. Before doing that, stick them between some plastic wrap so you don't have chicken stuff and juice flying all over the chicken. Makes a yucky mess.

Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper and dredge in the flour.

(giggles.....I get to say it again)
Add the clarified butter to the pan and place over medium- high heat. Add the chicken and cook for about 3 minutes on each side until lightly browned.

Remove chicken from the pan. Pour the mushroom mixture in along with the broth and Marsala. Scrape the goodies off the bottom of the pan.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes until liquid is reduced to a cup. Stir in your peas (or capers), cook for a minute. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter, season with a bit of salt and pepper, stir in your half and half...and continue stirring until the butter is melted.

Return the chicken to the pan and cook until thoroughly heated and chicken is done...

Serve it over pasta and oh man....I dare you not to enjoy it.

Which reminds me.

The anti-Chicken Marsala child? Well, she liked it. (amaaaaaazing) So much so that she had it for lunch the following day.

Now...this recipe yields 4 servings. If cooked according to the book, it has 585 calories (24% from fat). I'm hoping that since I didn't use half and half and I served each of us 1/2 the meat...does that help? This doesn't really seem "light" but then again I haven't checked the stats on the honest to goodness real Chicken Marsala. As for the rest...Fat 15.3g (sat. 8.4g, mono 4.1g, poly 1g); Protein 51.4g; Carb 55g

And....just so I can say it some more....here's a tip from Cooking Light:

"Clarified butter (butter without the milk solids) is ideal for searing meats because it can be heated to a high temperature without burning. Although you can purchase (you ready?) clarified butter, we detail how to make it in the first step of the recipe for Chicken Marsala.  (aaaand one....more....time....) Clarified butter can be prepared, chilled, and reheated when ready for use, or it can be frozen up to two months."