Tired of the same ole recipes when trying to plan dinner? This month I think maybe you’ll like to try our recipe for Chicken Marsala(pictured above). This is an elegant but easy dinner recipe. Just add a fresh green salad and Hawaiian rolls and you have a dinner nice enough for company! It makes a beautiful presentation with chopped fresh chives sprinkled on top.

But first, our recipe for Blueberry Buckle. This coffeecake goes back to the 1940’s! It has a pretty crumb topping with blueberries showing through! Good for a morning coffee get-together or week-end guests. I hope you’ll try both recipes.

Bon Appetit!

BLUEBERRY BUCKLE

Topping: Make first & set aside:

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

½ tsp. cinnamon

¼ cup cold butter, cut in small slices

Batter:

2 cups all- purpose flour, sifted

½ tsp. salt

3 tsp. baking powder

½ cup butter, softened (set out about 30 minutes before starting recipe)

½ cup sugar

1 egg, beaten

½ cup whole milk

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (if frozen, do not thaw)

2 tsp. lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Topping: sift together the sifted flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or 2 knives until crumbly. Set aside. I put this in the refrigerator while I prepare the batter so the butter pieces stay firm.

Batter: Sift together the sifted flour, salt and baking powder. Cream the butter and sugar till fluffy, add the beaten egg. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk, beating just until traces of flour are gone and it makes a nice fluffy batter. Grease a 9x9x2-inch baking pan and line bottom with waxed paper. I like to use a 9-inch springform pan (easier and makes a better presentation, as shown in the photo)  Spoon the batter into the baking pan and spread evenly (a small bent spatula works good for this). Gently stir the lemon juice with the blueberries and scatter evenly over top of the batter. Take the topping mixture out of the fridge, fluff up a little and sprinkle over top of blueberries .Bake for 30 minutes. Don’t overbake or cake will be dry. Remove to a cake cooling rack. Cool slightly and then remove sides of springform pan. If you bake it in a regular 9”inch square or round pan, place a cooling rack over top, flip over and then right side up onto a serving plate.  Makes 9 servings

CHICKEN MARSALA

Another good way to use those convenient little chicken tenders!

1/2  cup all purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. black pepper

2 Tbsp. butter

1 lb. pkg. chicken breast tenders (may need to get 2 pkgs. To make up 1 lb.)  when I weighed my on my kitchen scale, I got 9 small tenders to one lb.

1 tsp. chopped garlic

1 cup Marsala wine 

     or chicken broth (see Note)

1, 8-oz. pkg. sliced mushrooms

     or 7-oz, can, drained

Regular or spinach fettuccine, cooked

Chopped fresh chives for garnish

In a large plastic ziplock bag, place flour, salt & black pepper, shaking well. Melt 2 Tbsp, butter in a large 10 or 12-inch skillet  over medium hot heat. Place floured chicken tenders in a single layer in the hot butter, add the chopped garlic and cook chicken for about 4 minutes, turn chicken pieces over and cook 4 minutes on other side. (only turn once, till chicken is light brown) Add the wine and mushrooms and continue cooking  till gravy is slightly thickened. Turn cooked fettuccine out onto a serving platter and top with chicken/mixture. Sprinkle chopped chives on top.   About 3 to 4 servings

Serve with tossed salad or green vegetable and Hawaiian rolls.

Note:  Marsala Wine can be found on the aisle with flavored vinegars, not the wine section of grocery store.