It’s much easier to get together with my friends at someone’s house instead of a restaurant because they kids are able to entertain each other and they aren’t forced to sit in a chair for more then an hour! It works out for all of us.

A few weeks ago I had mentioned that I love Chicken Marsala. Actually I love when my mom makes it and I get the leftovers, because clearly moms make the best dinners!

I attempted to make my own using Rice Flour, I’m not Gluten Free but ironically that’s the only type of flour we had in our house at the time, so I went with it. I’m not against white or wheat flour, I actually enjoy all different types of flour but in moderation.

If you want to replace the Rice Flour with your choice of flour I think the recipe would still turn out healthy & tasty!

CHICKEN MARSALA RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:

2 Boneless Chicken Breasts (about 1 lb)

1/2 cup Rice Flour

1/4 Cup Olive Oil

1 tbsp Whipped Butter

1/2 Cup Marsala Wine

1/4 Cup White Wine

1/4 Chicken Stock

2 tbsp Whole Milk (mixed with 1 tbsp Rice Flour)

1 teaspoon dried Parsley or 1 Tbsp chopped Fresh Parsley

Salt & Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

• Cut Chicken breast into 4 pieces. Place plastic wrap over them and pound each one to about an inch thick.
• Place Flour on a plate and dredge each piece of chicken in it. Sprinkle with salt, pepper & parsley.
• Heat Oil over medium heat and once oil is hot, fry each piece of chicken for about 3-4 minutes on each side (until golden brown). Remove chicken and place them on a plate.
• Reduce heat to medium and add butter & mushrooms.
• Salute for 4-5 minutes. Add both wines, milk, & chicken stock. Let cook for 4 more minutes. Return the chicken to the pan and reduce the heat to low. Mix all the ingredients well.
• Serve with potatoes, broccoli or salad!

I love the fact that I was able to put a healthier twist on the chicken marsala recipe without sacrificing flavors.

You don’t need a ton of cream, milk, butter, oil to make a recipe taste good, but I do believe that you need some!

Have you ever tried cooking with Rice Flour? Did you notice a difference in taste?

We even snuck in a walk at Bruce Park

and Cooper had a doggie play-date

I enjoyed a lot of play time with Ava this weekend. She has been all smiles and laughs which is so much fun. She really loves looking at her stuffed animal toys and playing on her play mats!

With the Superbowl yesterday, we did a fair amount of cooking! We made BBQ chicken sliders, baked wings, stuffed mushrooms, guacamole, dip, etc. My favorite appetizer was the Spinach and artichoke dip. I am always a huge fan of this dip, and I like it even more because it is loaded with veggies! The secret ingredient is GREEK YOGURT which helps reduce some of the fat content. I enjoyed this dip with some whole grain crackers, YUM!

HEALTHY SPINACH & ARTICHOKE DIP

Ingredients:

1 can of artichoke hearts

1 10oz package of frozen spinach (thawed and drained)

¼ red onion (diced)

4 0z of plain Greek yogurt (it’s about 1/2 cup)

¼ cup Parmesan cheese

4oz of shredded mozzarella cheese

¼ cup of light mayonnaise

1/8 tsp garlic powder

Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Chop artichokes, spinach and onion. Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl and combine well. Spray a baking dish and pour ingredients into dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Enjoy with baked chips/crackers or as a side dish!

Now onto things WE CAN CONTROL …. eating healthy and exercising  

Last night I made my version of a healthy Chicken Cacciatore . With only 5 ingredients, this recipe is super easy to whip up last minute. You might even have most of the ingredients on hand.

Chicken Cacciatore Recipe

Ingredients

• 1lb chicken breasts, cut into chunks
• ½ jar of your favorite sauce, I used Tomato & Basil sauce from Trader Joe’s)
• ½ bag of frozen mixed peppers
• 1 container of fresh mushrooms, sliced
• olive oil (1-2tbsp)

Directions:

Place a large pan on the stove, add in olive oil (1-2tbsp) and turn stove on to medium-heat. Add chicken breasts and cook about 5 minutes on each side until browned. Add in peppers, sauce, & mushrooms and cook for 15-20 minutes. Mix about ½ way through.

steaming hot!

Serve with whole wheat pasta, a salad, or just as is! Sprinkle a little crushed pepper for spice and some parmesan cheese.