Margaret's Fancy Salad

This winning salad recipe came through my sister's friend Margaret. At my house I always have to make extra caramelized pecans because each person who comes through the kitchen manages to sneak a few while they are cooling.

INGREDIENTS

Dressing
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup salad oil
1 tablespoon snipped parsley
2 tablespoons white vinegar

Salad
1 small can Mandarin oranges
2 green onions, sliced
1 tablespoon minced parsley
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup caramelized pecans
Romaine lettuce leaves

METHOD

Caramelize pecans: place 2 tablespoons white sugar in skillet. Add nuts. Stir over low heat until sugar melts and turns light brown and collects on nuts. Cool on a piece of foil.

Whisk together all dressing ingredients.

Combine salad ingredients in bowl, add dressing, toss and serve.

What's for Dinner?: Chicken Marsala with Oven Roasted Mushrooms and Onions

A favorite from the Foster's Market Cookbook, this one's for you, Annie. Let me know if you like it! Sorry, no photo...

Roasting the mushrooms and the onions separately adds depth of flavor to the finished dish.

Chicken Marsala -- Serves 4

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
8 fresh sage leaves
2 ounces pancetta, very thinly sliced
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
8 ounces button mushrooms, cleaned
10 cipollini onions or shallots cut in half (or quartered if large
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 cup sweet Marsala
3/4 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Flatten each chicken breast half by placing it between 2 sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap and pounding it with a mallet or the flat bottom of a heavy pan until the chicken is about 1/3 inch thick in all places.

Working with one flattened breast half at a time, spread 2 teaspoons of the mustard onto one side of each breast and press 2 sage leaves into the mustard side of the breast. Set aside. Repeat with remaining chicken pieces.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook the pancetta 4-5 minutes, turning occasionally, until it is crisp and lightly brown. Remove the pancetta and set aside on a paper towel to drain. Set the skillet aside.

Meanwhile, while the pancetta is cooking, place 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the vinegar, mushrooms and onions into a baking dish and toss to mix. Roast in the oven about 30 minutes, stirring a few times during the cooking process.

Add the remaining olive oil to the skillet after the pancetta has been removed and lower the heat to medium. Dredge each breast in the flour to coat both sides lightly, shaking off any excess flour, and place in the skillet.

Cook the chicken breasts, turning once, 3-4 minutes per side (exact timing will depend on the size of the breasts), until they are golden brown and slightly crispy. Remove from the skillet and set aside.

Raise heat to medium-high. Add the Marsala to the skillet, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits. Stir and reduce the Marsala by half. Add the cream, stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low boil, and continue to cook 2-3 more minutes, until the sauce is slightly thick and creamy and coats the back of a spoon.

Return the chicken and pancetta to the skillet with the sauce to reheat. Season with salt, pepper and the remaining mustard and sage (which I cut into thin strips). To serve, top the chicken with the pancetta, roasted mushrooms, and cipollini. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve immediately.

If you are making this ahead, tent the cooked chicken with foil, prepare the sauce and roast the vegetables. Combine and reheat gently before serving.

Host a Dinner Party: Party Planning

Dinner Party Planning

When you host a dinner party you can entertain friends, enjoy relaxed conversation and share a terrific meal without the constraints, noise and expense of dinner in a restaurant.

Tips for dinner party success...

1. Number of guests
Keep it small! A dinner party of 6-10 is ideal for conversation and it won't overwhelm you when you are in the kitchen.

2. Guest list
It's a good idea to invite people you know but for the most interesting dinner, your guests should not necessarily know each other well. Lively conversation and a memorable evening can come from this type of dinner. One more tip -- know your guests well enough to be rather sure that they won't hate each other. For example, I wouldn't invite my conservative cousin to dinner with the leader of the democrats in our state. Trust me...I did something similar once and the only memory I have of that dinner is that the conversation was hijacked by a guest and I had no idea how to regain control.

3. Seating
I think assigned seating (with cute placecards) is the way to approach a dinner party. The traditional approach of man/woman with spouses separated creates more opportunity for conversation. Whether you have spouses seated together or separately, think about who might enjoy getting to know another guest and assign the seats. If you are having doubts about the seating, you can always change it up for dessert (for example, have the men move two spots to the right before dessert is served).


4. Something special on the table
Think about the atmosphere as well as the food. There are many wonderful ideas for table settings and a beautiful atmosphere that are not too difficult or expensive. Check out these table decorations to get inspired.

5. Plan your menu
Make sure that some items on your menu are easy, some can be prepared in advance and that no more than one item requires 'last minute' preparation. Also, read the recipes and consider the preparation instructions and the amount of time that you might need to be away from your guests. For dinner parties, baking an entree can simplify preparation and can allow you more time with your guests.

Start planning your dinner party -- it will be a fun evening!

-Patty