My Opinion Counts

I look forward to Friday each week to see what questions Val at Fun, Crafts and Recipes will think of for the Four Foods on Friday meme. This week she changed it up a bit. She listed the first 4 letters of the alphabet. Beside each letter she mentioned two different foods that begin with that letter. Participants of the meme are to post a recipe or menu idea based on at least one item from each letter.

A - asparagus, applesauce

B - balsamic vinegar, bread

C - chicken, cinnamon

D - dressing, dumpling

I will have to think on this a bit. I’ll get back to this post later.

Ok, my daughter came up with this idea. She loves to cook and is a good cook.

Make a chicken breast and marinate it in Italian salad dressing. Put the breast between two pieces of bread for a yummy sandwich. Have some asparagus on the side.

Woo hoo! It is almost Friday! Since I will be busy tomorrow, I thought I would get busy and answer this weeks questions from the Four Foods on Friday meme on Val’s blog, Fun, Crafts and Recipes.

#1. What’s your favorite white beverage? If you don’t have one, what’s your favorite beverage with something white in it? I like white grape juice which I had totally forgotten about and now will need to buy some!

#2. What’s your favorite white gravy, sauce, condiment, dressing or topping? I love white gravy that is put on biscuits and gravy. I have never been able to make it myself.

#3. What’s your favorite white item from the refrigerated section? vanilla bean ice cream and a spoon = heaven

#4. Share a recipe for something white.

I make white sauce when I fry salmon patties.

White Sauce
Melt two tablespoons of margarine or butter in the bottom of a frying pan, on medium high heat. Add two tablespoons of flour and stir with a fork until it thickens. Add milk and bring to a slight simmer. The mixture will thicken as it heats.

Val, over at Fun, Crafts and Recipes, is always thinking of new things she can ask us for her meme called Four Foods on Friday. Here are the questions for this week.

#1. Cottage cheese. Small curd, large curd, chunk or whipped?
I have never heard of whipped cottage cheese! I like large curd, low fat, cottage cheese.

#2. Burgers. Made fresh, preformed fresh or preformed frozen?
I love freshly made burgers from ground chuck that I buy from our local butcher. Yummy!

#3. If you could only buy one kind of salad dressing what would it be? Ranch

#4. Share a crockpot or slow cooker recipe.

I layer cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup (mixed with a cup of water) with sliced potatoes and pork chops. I cook them on low for 9 hours.

Oops! I almost forgot to do Four Foods on Friday. I kept thinking, hmm Friday, that rings a bell and then it hit me. So here are my answers to Val’s questions.

Here are this week’s four questions.

#1. What type of m&m is your favorite?

I prefer plain m&ms.

#2. Peanut butter. Smooth, chunky, creamy. How do you like it?
I absolutely love chunky peanut butter. I think I may have finally won my husband over to crunchy peanut butter. It was a struggle but sooo worth it.

#3. Do you usually drink out of glass, acrylic, Tupperware type or paper cups?

I only drink out of a glass. I cannot stand to drink out of plastic and Styrofoam makes my skin crawl.

#4. Share a chicken recipe.

I made Chicken Marsala the other night and I think it is a keeper.

Chicken and Mushroom Marsala
Gourmet, June 1995

Serves 6

3 whole boneless chicken breasts with skin (about 2 1/2 pounds),
halved
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion, sliced thin
3/4 pound mushrooms, sliced thin
1/2 cup Marsala
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. In a large heavy skillet heat oil and 1 1/2 tablespoons butter over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and brown chicken in 2 batches, transferring with tongs to a large plate as browned.

Discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet and sauté onion and mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated. Add Marsala and cook mixture, stirring, until Marsala is almost evaporated. Add broth and chicken with any juices that have accumulated on plate and simmer, turning chicken once, until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Transfer chicken with tongs to a platter.

Simmer mushroom sauce until liquid is reduced to about 1/2 cup. Remove skillet from heat and stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter and salt and pepper to taste, stirring until butter is just incorporated. Spoon mushroom sauce around chicken and sprinkle with parsley.

If you would like to participate in Four Foods on Friday, just head over to Val’s Fun, Crafts and Recipes and join in.