Cheffin' It Up - Cashmere's Chicken Marsala

This was a real off the head recipe for me.  I wanted to use some items I had around the house as well as try my hand at making a sauce from scratch.  Well it worked out wonderfully.  The only difference with what I did and this recipe is that I used a penne pasta because I didn't have angel hair or thin (and I was too lazy at the time to go get some, lol).  However, the taste was superb and the look was still relatively nice.  Not nice enough for me to take a pic of, but when you try the recipe you'll see what I'm talking about.  And the leftovers are even better.  Enjoy folks. 

Oh, and you'll notice the one missing ingredient.  NO SALT!!!  Still taste great!!!

GM

Cashmere’s Chicken Marsala

4 large chicken breast filets

1 cup sliced baby portabella mushrooms (about 6-7)

1 cup sliced mushrooms (regular sized about 6-7)

1 coarsely chopped medium onion

3 tablespoons sherry cooking wine

1/2 cup Sun-Dried Tomato Vinegrette Salad Dressing

3 tablespoons butter

1 ½ cups skim milk

1 tablespoon black pepper

½ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup shredded or grated parmesan cheese

1 lb of angel hair or thin spaghetti

4 tablespoons of olive oil

Preparation

Slice chicken breast in half horizontally for thinner cuts of meat.  Add 1 ½ tbsp of olive oil to frying pan on high heat and cook sear chicken on each side for about 3-4 mins.  Set aside.

 Heat 2 ½ tbsp of olive oil in large skillet.  Add mushrooms, portabellas, and onion and sauté for about 5 mins in medium heat.  Add sherry and black pepper and cook for another  5 mins.  Add chicken and reduce heat to low for about 10 mins.

In a saucepan, combine milk, butter, and vinegrette in medium heat until butter melts.  Add in flour and stir until sauce thickens and consistency is smooth (add more flour if necessary).  Simmer on low heat for about 10 mins.

Prepare pasta according to package instructions and set aside.

Remove chicken from skillet.  Empty contents of saucepan into the skillet and mix contents well.  Then add chicken and let simmer for 5-10 mins.

Serve chicken and sauce over pasta.

FEELING A LITTLE SALTY

Diets are everywhere.  Atkins, South Beach, HCG...too many too count.  And if you're concerned with losing weight I'm sure that any of these are a probably a good choice.  There's not just diets, but diet plans and companies like Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers are banking millions by capitalizing on people's obsession with their weight.  I guess if you're eating and losing weight it can be considered "healthy" eating.

But for those of us with high-blood pressure how good are these diets and diet companies?  Truth is, not very.  Well at least not the diet companies food.

Problem is that alot of pre-packaged and prepared foods are high in sodium. 

"Oh, they said that the link between salt and hypertension is a myth." 

Well is it?  Well, then why do doctors keep recommending that people with hypertension LOWER their sodium intake?  I'm pretty sure Mrs. Dash doesn't have them on the payroll, so let's assume there really is something to this. 

Not gonna lie, I understand how hard this is for people, especially busy people.  The bulk of the sodium that we get is in fast-food, which a value meal contains almost 2-3 days supply of the recommended sodium intake!!!! 

Well, what I've had to do is start cooking alot for myself.  Advanced meal prep.  Usually, I devote my sundays to preparing my week's worth of lunch (the hardest meal to account for) and watch the salt I put into my food.  In fact, most times, I rarely season with it.  Unfortunately, nutritionist recommend 2,300 mg of salt.  This is equivalent to ony 1 TEASPOON!!!  However, my suggestion is, USE THE OTHER SEASONINGS!!!  Garlic, sage, oregano, basil and even salt-substitutes are great in place of salt and give your food more flavor than you probably imagined.  Don't be afraid of them.  Also, try these suggestions to and remember this while you CHEF IT UP!!!

• Read nutrition labels on foods you purchase to see how much sodium they contain.
• Ask for salt-free or low-salt preparation at restaurants.
• Eat more fresh, unprocessed foods, like fruits and vegetables, which are naturally low in sodium.
• Reduce the amount of sodium in canned foods by thoroughly draining and rinsing them.
• Go easy on high-sodium condiments like soy sauce, mustard, and ketchup.
• Use herbs, citrus, and salt-free spices to season recipes.
• Learn the lingo: Sodium-free or salt-free = less than 5mg/serving

GM