Wine Down Wednesday

Cooking with Wine

While we all love an excuse to drink mid-week, Wine Down Wednesday will focus on cooking with wine in addition to highlighting the health benefites of wine. I'll also blog about food and wine pairings.


This week, I've posted a simple Chicken Marsala recipe from Cooking Light. Since the dish is made with an olive oil and wine sauce, it is also a good option to order when dining out at an Italian restaurant- just go easy on the pasta.  Olive oil is packed with mono and polyunsaturated fat as well as polyphenols, giving it a great nutritional profile. These polyphenols are the compounds found olive oil responsible for it's anti-inflammatory properties. As you are probably well aware, both mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids are considered to be your heart healthy or "good fats." A diet high in monounsaturated fat can have favorable effects on total cholesterol, as well as the HDL:LDL ratio.

• Remember to include heart healthy fats into your regular diet. You can start tonight by trying this new recipe. Pair with a spinach salad and oil-based dressing for a quick and easy dinner. Cheers!      

 Chicken Marsala

Ingredients

• 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup presliced mushrooms
• 1/2 cup Marsala wine
• 1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Preparation
Place chicken between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound each piece to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle both sides of chicken evenly with salt and pepper. Place flour in a shallow dish. Dredge chicken in flour, turning to coat; shake off excess flour.Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Add mushrooms, wine, broth, and juice to pan; reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until mixture is reduced to 2/3 cup. Return chicken to pan, turning to coat well. Cover and cook 5 minutes or until chicken is done. Sprinkle with parsley.


Nutritional Information:
241 calories, 6 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 3 g monounsaturated fat, 1 g polyunsaturated fat, 41 g protein, 5 g carbohydrate, 0.5 g fiber, 308 g sodium