Saturday, March 20, 2021

Please welcome guest Darci Hannah! #Giveaway #Recipe

 

 


Please welcome our guest today--Darci Hannah.  She is sharing a delicious recipe for Chicken Marsala, which is one of my favorites.  If you haven't tried it, now is your chance.  And don't miss the giveaway at the end of the post!

 

Chicken Marsala with Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Hi, Darci Hannah here. I’m so excited to be a guest today on one of my all-time favorite cozy mystery blogs, Mystery Lover’s Kitchen! I have to admit that when I started reading cozy mysteries years ago, long before I started writing them, one of the things that I just adored about the genre was all the delicious food that was talked about between the pages. By the time I got to the end of the book I was more than ready to jump right in and try the recipes. I love to cook and bake just as much as I love writing, so when I contemplated trying my hand at a cozy mystery series, I knew it was going to center around food. And guess what, it is!

 

The first book in my new series, MURDER AT THE BEACON BAKESHOP, has just been launched, and I am delighted to get to share one of my favorite recipes with you. Yes, the book is filled with delectable baked goods (The recipes are included in the book!), but I thought I would share the recipe my main character, Lindsey Bakewell, makes for her best friend, Kennedy Kapoor. Lindsey knows that Kennedy is sitting on a secret, and the surest way to get her bestie to squeal is to plop down a large plate of Chicken Marsala before her. Oh, but it doesn’t stop there. Lindsey adds garlic mashed potatoes, a veggie, some crusty bread, and a good bottle of wine. Voila! It works like a charm. And who could blame Kennedy for spilling the beans after a resolve-melting meal like that?  Not me. The beautiful thing about this recipe is that it’s quick enough for a weeknight dinner with family yet flashy enough for entertaining friends on the weekends. Serve it with garlic mashed potatoes, a veggie of your choice, and you’ll have them coming back for more!

 

Here’s what you’re going to need:

 


Ingredients:

3 tablespoons all-purpose four

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

4 large (about 1 ½ pounds) boneless, skinless chicken breast pounded to ½ inch thick.

4 tablespoons butter

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 package (I use the 16 oz package) of mushrooms, sliced.

2 tablespoons shallots, finely chopped or green onions

2/3 cup dry Marsala wine

2/3 cup chicken brother

2/3 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped (or 2 tsp dried)

1 gallon sized zip-lock bag

 

Directions:


 

Place flour, 1 teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of pepper in the large zip-lock bag. Add the chicken, seal the bag, and shake well, until the chicken is evenly coated. Set aside.


In large skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Place the flour-dusted chicken in the buttered pan and cook until chicken is golden brown on both sides, about 6 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and store in a 200-degree oven to keep warm.


 


 

Put remaining butter in the hot skillet. Add the garlic and cook one minute. Next, add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms release their juices and begin to brown, about 4 minutes. Next add the shallots and ½ teaspoon of salt. Cook for 2 more minutes.


 

Add the wine, broth, heavy cream, and thyme to the hot pan. Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes or until sauce thickens and becomes darker in color. 

 


 

Add the chicken and any remaining juices back to the pan. Reduce heat to low and simmer 3 minutes until chicken is warmed through. Serve with garlic mashed potatoes. 


 

Garlic mashed potatoes:

3 pounds of russet potatoes peeled and cubed

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 stick butter

6 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 cup half-and-half

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Put potato cubes in a large pot. Cover with water and add the kosher salt. Cover pot and bring to a rolling boil. Cook for 12 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, in a smaller saucepan, combine butter, garlic, and cream. Heat over medium heat until butter is melted and sauce simmers. Remove from heat and set aside.

When potatoes are ready, drain the water. Mash warm potatoes in the pot with a potato masher. Gradually stir in the garlic cream mixture. Potatoes will become light and creamy. Next, stir in the grated Parmesan cheese. Let mixture rest a few minutes before serving. Enjoy!

 

 Meet Darci Hannah!

  

 

Cozy mystery author Darci Hannah is a native of the Midwest and currently lives in a small town in Michigan. Darci is a lifelong lover of the Great Lakes, a natural wonder that inspires many of her stories. When Darci isn't baking for family and friends, hiking with her furry pals, Ripley and Finn, or concocting her next cozy mystery, she can be found wandering around picturesque lakeside villages with her hubby, sampling baked goods, and breaking for coffee more often than she should.

 

 

For more information on Darci and her books please visit her website: www.darcihannah.com

You can connect with Darci on FB https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDarciHannah/

Or Instagram https://www.instagram.com/authordarcihannah/

Want to purchase a copy? Click here!

 


GIVEAWAY!

 

Do you know what your best friend’s favorite meal is… or their favorite baked good? (Even if you don’t, take a stab at it for fun!) I’m giving one lucky person a copy of my book, so please leave a comment below for a chance to win.

 

37 comments:

  1. Chicken and dumplings

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  2. Steak!
    clarksrfun at gmail dot com

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  3. My BFF love my version of cavitini. Years ago Pizza Hut use to serve this pasta dish and we loved it. When they discontinued it, it took many attempts and lots of experimenting to get it to taste like we remembered it. The main break was when we came up with the sauce. Since they served both pizza and pasta, the right sauce came about when we mixed equal parts of spaghetti sauce with pizza sauce. (Great way to use leftover sauces.) The dish has several kinds of pasta (I use whatever I have on hand which is usually medium shell, a tube like Mostaccioli or Penne, a spiral like Rotini, wheels like Rotelle). Any assortment will work. Cook and drain. The sauce is the mixture of the spaghetti and pizza sauces poured on cooked pasta in bowl. Place about half in greased pan. Thin sliced onions and bell pepper are layered in the middle along with drained sliced mushrooms and a full layer of pepperoni. More sauce can be added along the way depending on how much you like. PUt remaining pasta mixture on top. Add slices of mozzarella cheese to the top. Bake in a 350 degree oven until hot through - about 30 minutes. I serve it with homemade garlic breadsticks.

    Thank you for the yummy recipe and the chance to win a copy of "MURDER AT THE BEACON BAKESHOP"! Your book has been on my TBR list since I first read about it. Shared and hoping to be the very fortunate one selected.
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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    Replies
    1. OMG! This sounds amazing. I'm going to have to give it a try! Thanks for the recipe!!

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  4. Calf fries and milk gravy is my BBFs favorite meal.
    Kitten143 (at) Verizon (dot) net

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    Replies
    1. Ooo, I don't think I've ever had this. I'm intrigued!

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  5. Ooh, that recipe looks good! And so does the new book! My best friend's favorite food is pizza. ckmbeg (at) gmail (dot) com

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    Replies
    1. That's my husband's favorite too! Chicago style pizza!

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  6. My friend loves pizza. She really likes the Hawaiian pizza, which surprised me at first.
    The chicken and potatoes look wonderful. I love mushrooms on steak, I don't know why I haven't tried some on chicken. Can't wait to read this book.
    kozo8989(at)hotmail(dot)com

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    Replies
    1. Thank you! And if you love mushrooms, this is the dish for you!

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  7. Mac and cheese, our style

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    Replies
    1. Makes me hungry just reading that. Mac and Cheese is the favorite dish of my sons--with a hefty side of pulled pork!

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  8. My best friend's favorite meal is a salmon fillet covered in a mixture of minced herbs (parsley, dill, and mint), topped with thinly sliced rounds of blood orange and lemon and baked with a little white wine. This is served with a green salad lightly dressed in viniagrette, as well as, a warm baguette and lots of butter. Her favorite dessert is small portions of flourless chocolate cake, lightly sweetened whipped cream and berries macerated in a little sugar and rum.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oops, forgot to add.
      little lamb lst at yahoo dot com

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    2. I'm drooling! Can I be your best friend too? I love salmon but don't make it too often. Sounds amazing!!

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  9. This is a favorite dish. It's sometimes challenging to get the marsala flavor right.
    You show a picture that seems to be showing green onions being added to the mix, on top of the mushrooms. Is that the shallots?
    And you list "dray" for the wine. I bet that is supposed to be "dry".
    libbydodd at comcast dot net

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    Replies
    1. It's such a good dish! And yep, it's green onions. Here in the Midwest, I've never seen a real shallot at the grocery store. I think we call green onions, green shallots. I don't think they're as sharp tasting as a shallot, but add a nice mild flavor. And sorry about the typo! Yes, it's dry. I've tried all kinds in here, but in my opinion, dry Marsala cooking wine seems to work best. However, I'm sure there are other fabulous ways to make this yummy dish!

      Delete
  10. My best friend is my cousin & we both love our grandma's blonde brownies.
    turtle6422 at gmail dot com

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    Replies
    1. That is a spectacular baked good! I'm sure your grandma had an amazing recipe! My favorite recipes came from my Mom and Grandma too!

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  11. My best friend's favorite baked good is a chocolate cake but, being diabetic, she doesn't get to eat it very much or very often.
    lkish77123 at gmail dot com

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  12. Juanita's favorite baked good is a Lady Baltimore Cake, which she asked me to try to make for her 85th birthday 4 years ago. I improved my attempts for her 86th and 87th birthdays. Because of Covid, we had to skip her 88th. I have promised her that after we have our shots, I will make her special cake even if it's for May Day, so she won't have to wait till her birthday in November! :) sssusieqAThotmailDOTcom

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  13. Favorite food for my friend is homemade veggie panini. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

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  14. When I make a special lunch for a visitor or family that drops by I create a delectable but simple dish. Kale with broiled salmon. So tasty and healthy. Then a light dessert - lemon pound cake. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  15. I love chicken Marsala and your book looks wonderful!

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  16. My best friend's favorite meal is spaghetti and meat sauce.

    Nancy
    allibrary (at) aol (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  17. My BFF'S favorite meal is chicken pot pie.
    diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com

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  18. Chicken Vindaloo, Thai food with eggplant, Mexican dishes & Italian. Everything even spicier than I like! And really hot Bloody Marys. She used to always carry her own bottle of hot sauce in her purse! lola777_22 at hotmail dot com

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  19. Love the book cover! My best friends favorite meal is pizza! Her favorite baked food is chocolate cake with strawberries.

    Thanks for the chance! So excited to read this new book!

    jarjm1980(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  20. My best friend's favorite meal is prime rib and baked potato. The Chicken Marsala looks delicious. I’ll try it out once we’re able to get together with people again. I can’t wait to read Murder at the Beacon Bakeshop. jlsxstitch(at)gmail(dot)com

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  21. I am not for sure but I think it is fried chicken with gravy and a roll and a big glass of lemonade because we always have that when we get to.

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  22. My BFF loves roast beef and mashed potatoes. Since we live on opposite coasts, her husband made that dish for her birthday this year. aut1063(at)gmail(dot)com

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  23. My BFF loves any kind of pasta dish! Doesn't really matter what! Thanks for the chance. I've been hearing a lot of great things about this book! JL_Minter(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  24. My best friend’s favorite meal is grilled salmon and a baked sweet potato. Your book looks interesting.
    cecilialyoung at gmail dot com

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  25. My BFF loves German Chocolate cake with the pecan and coconut frosting. I haven't made Chicken Marsala in awhile, I need to go find some Marsala wine and use your recipe, very delish! I need to try the yummy mashed potatoes recipe too! Thank you for offering a copy of Murder at the Beacon Bakeshop! It would be awesome to win and have those yummy recipes, culinary cozies are my favorite! tracy(dot)condie(at)gmail(dot)com

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