Recipe: Chicken in Creamy "White Wine" Sauce

So one time Jeffrey and I went to Olive Garden and he got a chicken in white wine sauce. We decided to try to recreate it (sans wine, because neither of us wanted to buy any, even though we know it cooks out). So I found this recipe for Chicken in Garlic White Wine Cream Sauce. We made it pretty much the same way as the recipe, except we cut up the chicken, omitted the mushrooms (because Jeffrey doesn't like them), substituted gingerale for the wine, and didn't use Worcestershire sauce, because we never remember to buy it. I served it over whole wheat noodles, with lemon pepper-roasted asparagus. Anyway, the recipe is for 4 servings.


Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 T olive oil
1/2 C onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
5-6 fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/4 C butter
1/4 C white wine (or gingerale!)
1 dash Worcestershire sauce
1 pint cream (heavy or light)
salt and pepper
1 t basil
1 t parsley

Directions:

1. Lightly brown both sides of chicken in olive oil.
2. Add onion, garlic, mushrooms, and butter and saute about 4-5 minutes until onions start to become translucent.
3. Add wine and Worcestershire sauce and cook an additional 2 minutes.
4. Lower heat and add cream, salt, pepper, basil, and parsley.
5. Too high of heat will cause the cream to curdle.
6. Simmer on low 20-25 minutes until done.

Recipe: Feijoada

Feijoada is a staple in our home because it was the first thing Jeffrey and I ever cooked together (on our very first date). It's super easy, and delicious! Everyone makes theirs a little differently, just depending on their preferences and what they have on hand, but this is my go-to recipe. The measurements don't really matter, but I put them in there to give you an idea. I always serve this with rice and farofa (which I find at specialty international stores), but I added some green bell pepper this time to add some color and healthiness.

Ingredients:
2 cans black beans
1/4 package polska kielbasa (or some other tube sausage that comes bent in an oval-like shape)
slice salt pork, or thick bacon
garlic salt

Directions:
1)Cook salt pork (or bacon) in a pan, drain fat (unless you are my husband and want to keep the fat in...)
2)Rinse and drain beans. Pour beans in pot and add about 1/2 can water.
3)Cut up sausage (it should come pre-cooked) and add sausage and salt pork to pot. Season with garlic salt (our you could add garlic and salt separately to get the proportion you like).
4)Cook until water boils out and serve. (See, I told you it was super easy!)

Recipe: Cheez-It Chicken

This is one of my husband's favorite dishes, and I have to admit, it is pretty tasty. So I heard the idea of this somewhere, but I came up with the recipe that I use (which is why there aren't really any measurements...) I served this with some brown rice and roasted asparagus.

Ingredients:
boneless, skinless chicken breast (1 per person)
flour (I used wheat, but I don't think it makes a huge difference)
sour cream
Cheez-Its, or any other cheese cracker

Directions: 
1)Preheat oven to 350 (F). Spray a baking dish or cooking sheet with cooking spray.
2)Put some flour in a shallow dish; put some sour cream in another shallow dish, and stir so that it is smooth and "liquid" (where it spreads out instead of sitting in a clump).
3)Crush crackers. You don't need super fine crumbs, but the smaller the are, the easier they stick to the chicken. Place in a separate shallow dish.
3)Dredge chicken in flour, making sure to get all sides; put in sour cream and cover all sides; roll in cracker crumbs until covered. Place on baking dish. Repeat for all chicken pieces.
4)Bake about 30 minutes, or until center of chicken is no longer pink.