When the sun has set and we can rest easy; for me, this time is defined by having really challenged ourselves to create, to discover, to find. We as individuals have been afforded with our skillsets, our personalities, and our abilities. We all must align whatever these may be with whatever our passions are, even if this means digging deep to find them, and strategically transforming any opposition into white noise, favoring what we do and doing it so proudly. The funny thing about the sun is that it always sets, and it always rises; we have many new days and many new chances to try and try again as we walk down the road of creating what we love.
Often times, the will to succeed can be so overwhelming that the brain automatically goes into autopilot, doing only what it knows at a steady, reliable pace. For me, autopilot is not an option: the need to constantly create new cooking concoctions, those that do NOT come from any online database, is something I truly live by. Luckily, I have crossed over the hurdle of fear, leaving behind anxiety and heading towards excitement with each new concoction I make, hoping it turns out deliciously, and with my own personal stamp.
THIS WEEKS COOKING CHALLENGE: revamp a classic. Take a classic dish we all know and love, and put our own stamp and flavor profile into the dish.
ATTENTION: this is a truly great way to test for future dishes to come. The outcome, regardless of turnout, sets us in motion for a lifetime of dishes that are created from within the depths of hearts; we’ve crossed that aforementioned hurdle of fear and have and can truly begin the creation process. Even better, putting our own spin on a dish allows us to find which flavor profiles, genres or sauces work best with our abilities and our likes, so we can keep re-working classics, and refining our craft.
Chicken ‘No-More’ Sala
** This is my non-recipe, so no exact measurements, folks**
- 6 chicken breasts, pounded thinly
- Slice a whole lemon and squeeze the juice onto the outside of the breasts
- Mixture of: sweet paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, dried basil and flour
- Lightly coat each side of the breasts in the flour mixture
- Cook down ½ onion in a bit butter & olive oil, with a sprinkling of salt to your pan
- Add your chicken breasts and cook 3-4 minutes on each side. Do not crowd the pan- if need be, initially brown chicken in batches
- Add the marsala wine in ¼ increments: the wine will slowly cook-out, letting the alcohol evaporate as you keep adding the batches
- Add less than a cup of (preferably) homemade chicken broth/stock to the pan with a dash of coconut milk and a few shavings of fresh basil
- Add your mushrooms at the END of cooking process so they wont get soggy
- Serve atop a carb of your choice or alongside a fresh salad for a healthier choice!
Bon Appetit, ALWR’s!
xoxo,
Becca
A Life Without Recipes 