Chicken Marsala

This recipe comes from the Gluten-Free Lady, also known as Sandy Bupp of John Day - thank you Sandy! She adapted a recipe found on the Food Network for gluten-free cooking - she’s good at that! Sandy teaches gluten-free cooking every second Wednesday at the John Day Elks Lodge. She’s a wonderful cook, and a great resource for anyone who has gluten intolerance or celiac disease. This recipe can changed easily for a person without gluten issues. I don't have a picture of this recipe yet, but will try making this soon and post a photo.

Ingredients:
4 skinless, boneless, chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)
Gluten-free flour, for dredging
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 C. extra-virgin olive oil
8 oz. mushrooms, stemmed and halved (crimini and porcini if you can)
1/2 C. sweet Marsala*
1/2 C. gluten-free chicken stock
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 C. chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions:
Put the chicken breasts side by side on a cutting board and lay a piece of plastic wrap over them; pound with a flat meat mallet, until they are about 1/4-inch thick. Put some GF flour in a shallow platter and season with a fair amount of salt and pepper; mix with a fork to distribute evenly.
Heat the oil over medium-high flame in a large skillet. When the oil is nice and hot, dredge both sides of the chicken cutlets in the seasoned flour, shaking off the excess. Slip the cutlets into the pan and fry for 5 minutes on each side until golden, turning once – do this in batches if the pieces don't fit comfortably in the pan. Remove the chicken to a large platter in a single layer to keep warm.
Lower the heat to medium and add the mushrooms and saute until they are nicely browned and their moisture has evaporated, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Pour the Marsala in the pan and boil down for a few seconds to cook out the alcohol. Add the chicken stock and simmer for a minute to reduce the sauce slightly. Stir in the butter and return the chicken to the pan; simmer gently for 1 minute to heat the chicken through. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped parsley before serving.
Serves 4.

*Tip: Out of Marsala? Try substituting with sweet sherry or if you cannot use alcohol use apple juice

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Danish

My Blue Mountain Eagle co-worker Winnie Browning of Seneca shared this Cinnamon Cream Cheese Danish recipe after making it for her family – she said it was a hit! Her version is an adaptation of a Cheese Danish recipe she found on Pinterest. These would be great for breakfast or dessert, but I’m fairly certain they’ll disappear soon after they come out of the oven, no matter the time!

Ingredients:
1 12 oz. Big & Flaky Pillsbury Crescent Rolls (or equivalent of different brand)
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 C. white sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

Topping:
1/4 C. butter, melted
1/2 C. white sugar
1/2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Roll out two rectangles of crescent roll dough, and press one into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese with 1/2 C. sugar and vanilla until smooth. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the dough in the pan. Place the remaining crescent roll dough on top of the cream cheese layer. Spread melted butter over the top, and sprinkle the top with a mixture of 1/2 C. sugar and cinnamon.
Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until top is lightly toasted. Cool, and refrigerate before serving.
Makes 9 servings.