Chicken Marsala

I haven't had time to come up with any new recipes lately so I am pulling up an old family favorite that I revamped a while back. I should probably mention also that I took the picture...If Amanda had taken it the color would be more vivid, the set up would be more dramatic, and all in all it would probably look more appetizing. You'll have to take my word for it, the picture doesn't do this dish justice. It is delicious and beautiful too! I have this tagged as soy free and garlic free but I have not heard back from Wolfgang Puck soups yet so I am not absolutely certain how allergen free it is. Please use ingredients that you know to be safe for your family. :)

4 T Margarine or olive oil
4 Chicken breasts (trimmed, boneless, skinless)
1 Minced shallot
1 c Sliced mushrooms
14 oz Marsala wine
14 oz Chicken stock (my new favorite is Wolfgang Puck’s Free Range
Roasted Chicken Stock)
¼ c Sliced green manzanilla olives

Heat 2 tablespoons of margarine or oil in a large frying pan. Brown chicken on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Remove chicken from pan.
Heat remaining 2 tablespoons of margarine or oil in the same pan. Sauté mushrooms until glossy and brown. Add shallot and olives and sauté for another 5 minutes.
Stir in allergen safe chicken stock and wine. Simmer until liquid is partially reduced, about 10 minutes.
Return chicken to the pan and spoon the sauce over the top of it.
Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked and tender.

P.S. I got my response from Wolfgang Soup's and YES, believe it or not, their soup broth does NOT contain garlic! WoooHoooo!

Ham and Bean Soup

OK Tracy, this ones for you, a dinner. I made this soup from our leftover Easter ham and canned beans...so quick and simple! The funny thing is I made this recipe free of gluten, dairy, garlic, etc. so Emily could have it and then she didn't even want to try it. The rest of the family however cleaned out the pot in one night. It was sooo yummy!

1 Meaty ham bone

1 14 oz can of chicken broth (or vegetable broth, beef broth might even be good)

1 14 oz can of water

2 15 oz cans of white beans (we use S&W brand in light seasoning, so unseasoned may result in a different finished product)

1 Large carrot

1/2 t pepper

Place your ham bone in a large pot with the chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about 1 hour. (Now at this point I'm thinking I should retract that part about this being quick. How about if at the end I give you the shortcut version?)

Take the ham out of the pot and set aside to cool a bit. Pour one can of beans with juice into the pot with the broth and water in it. Blend with an emersion blender or mash well by hand. Keep simmering.

Remove ham from the bone and chop into small pieces. Chop carrot into small pieces also. Put ham and carrots into the pot. Pour the other can of beans with juice into the pot. Add pepper and stir well. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 1/2 hour or until carrots are soft.

Now for the shortcut. This will be a little less salty and a little less "hammy" but still delicious and a lot quicker. Skip the whole hambone thing and just buy a thick slice of ham at your deli counter. Put the broth, water, and one can of beans into your pot and blend. Add the ham (chopped), carrots, pepper, and the other can of beans and stir well. Simmer for about 1/2 hour.

There ya go, quick and simple. :)

Plum Ketchup (Tomato Free)

I was rummaging through my allergen free recipes and came accross an old one that (thankfully) we do not need to use anymore, but I thought there may be others out there who would be as thrilled to have it as I was at the time. Emily used to have a sensitivity to tomatoes and since every American kid loves ketchup I created this for her. I will type the basic recipe and add the "healthier" version in parenthesis .

1 container Gerber plum with applesauce babyfood
1/4 t Salt
1 dash Onion powder
1/4 t Vinegar
1 T Sugar (Zylatol or other alternative sweetener)
2 drops Red food color (bright red berry juice like pomegranite or raspberry)

Mix all ingredients together, let set for about an hour so flavors can meld, stir again.

This doesn't make a lot, obviously, so if your child loves it you may want to quadrouple the recipe. Enjoy!

P.S. If you are avoiding tomatoes you may also want to check out this "un-tomato sauce" recipe from Sister Cooks at http://sistercooks.blogspot.com/2008/09/untomato-sauce-sunshine-in-my-life.html