Dinner for one!

I found this great recipe in the Washington Post a few weeks ago. I made a few changes to the original, and also made a vegetarian version. I simplified the cooking directions a bit.

Chicken Marsala Wearing a Jacket

1 teaspoon olive oil, plus more for brushing mushroom
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/4 cup thinly sliced onions
1 (4 to 5 ounce) chicken breast, cut into pieces (vegetarian version: three thin slices of eggplant)
Fine sea salt
1/4 cup red wine, such as Marsala or merlot
1/4 cup chicken chicken or vegetable broth
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 large portabello mushroom cap


Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add brown sugar and onions, stir to coat. Cook, stirring once or twice, for 5 to 7 minutes or until onions are caramelized. Add the chicken (or eggplant) and cook until browned (or the eggplant is tender).

Add wine, broth, and lemon juice, and cook down for a few minutes. Reduce heat to low, and continue to cook for 8 to 10 minutes.

Lightly brush mushroom cap with olive oil and a bit of lemon juice and salt. Broil the mushroom for a few minutes on both sides until mushroom has softened. Transfer to a plate, and fill the cap with the chicken. Spoon the sauce over the top. Serve immediately.

I served mine with sides of risotto and salad greens. The chicken and mushrooms were delicious. The sauce was sweet- I loved the combination of brown sugar, red wine, and lemon juice. This recipe is a keeper! I've found many good recipes in the Washington Post.

Leftover bananas!

I hate wasting bananas. I had four brown bananas that were perfect on the inside- just about to turn to mush. One more day, the bananas would have been no good except for banana bread, which I hate. I had to use them right away, so I made fritters, and they were delicious...

The basic batter recipe, from The Joy of Cooking:

Sift together in a bowl:

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a seperate bowl, mix together:

2/3 cup milk
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon butter, melted
Four medium sized ripe bananas, sliced

Add liquid ingredients to the dry mixture, then add the bananas.

Heat 3 inches of vegetable oil to 375°. Drop batter into the oil, about 1/4 cup each fritter, and fry until puffy and golden brown. Drain on paper towels, and sprinkle powdered sugar on top to serve.



The original recipe called for two egg whites, beaten and folded into the batter, but mine came out fine without them.

No recipes this week, but...

I did want to share a book I recently found:

The Sweet Spot

Absolutely lovely Asian-inspired desserts- recipes include cakes, cookies, candies, and drinks with ingredients from just about everywhere- China, Japan, Vietnam, India...it is really pan-Asian. Some of the desserts are Western-style adapted for the Asian market, such as layer cake with green tea icing. Others are classics such as red-bean paste stuffed sweet sesame balls- a staple in China, and one Americans who frequent dim sum houses know very well. I'm going to try a few recipes in the coming weeks.