No. 1 : Quick Recipe
Creamy Mushroom Chicken
- 1 ½ Cups Homemade or Low Salt Chicken Stock
- 1 OZ Dried Mushrooms, (your choice)
- 2 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Tsp Turmeric
- ½ Tsp EACH Sea Salt and Black Pepper
- 4 Chicken Breasts, in half horizontally
- 1 Large Yellow Onion, Chopped
- 12 OZ Baby Bella Mushrooms, sliced
- 1½ Cups Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt
- 2 Cups Cooked Brown Basmati Rice
- Fresh Thyme for Garnish
Step One
Preheat the oven to 350F. Bring the stock to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the dried mushrooms and simmer until the stock is reduced by half – about 20 minutes. Set aside.
Step Two
While the stock and mushrooms are simmering, warm the olive oil in an oven-proof sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the turmeric, salt and black pepper. Cook and stir for a minute until fragrant.
Step Three
Sauté the chicken breasts in the spice/oil mixture. When browned on both sides, slide the pan into a 350F oven for about 5 minutes to finish cooking. Remove from the oven and keep warm with aluminum foil. (Chicken will be done at 165F)
Step Four
Add the onions and sauté over medium heat until wilted and golden. Add the baby bellas and cook until the mushrooms are soft.
Step Five
Remove half of the mushrooms and onions from the pan and add them to a blender. Add the stock with the dried mushrooms. Puree until smooth, add the yogurt and blend again. Add back to the pan with the remaining mushrooms and onions. Add salt to tastefor salt.
Step Six
Place the chicken on the rice, top with the mushroom sauce. Garnish with fresh thyme.
No. 2 : Kitchen Scoop
Find dried mushrooms in the produce section of the grocery store. All kinds of mushrooms are dried – you can choose any variety – just make sure they are not too hard and black, that indicates they are old.
No. 3 : Get Creative
Next time you want to make a cream sauce, don’t open the carton of heavy cream. Place some of your veggies in the blender – and then add them back to the sauce. You’ll find the same creamy texture and the flavor of your sauce will be veggie-licious!
No. 4 : Wine FIND of the Week
Louis Latour Bourgogne
(Pinot Noir)
France About $16.00
If you’ve taken a class with me, you’ll know that I think that mushrooms & pinot noir are a match made in heaven. Add some fresh thyme and you can serve up your wine pairing with confidence. Although I love new “world-world-style” wines from California or New Zealand, I often enjoy pinot from it’s home in the Burgundy region of France. You’ll smell dark fruit & floral aromas & a light and spicy taste of cherries in this bottle – an excellent accompaniment to the earthy tasting mushrooms.