Home Cookin’ at the Homewood

As I mentioned earlier, Sam and I have been going to reliability training in Camas, WA for a week at a time. Maybe I’m odd, but I get a little twitchy when I don’t get to cook for a week, and have to eat out every night. Since the Homewood Suites have little kitchenettes (but no ovens) I’ve decided to attempt to make a home-cooked meal at least once during the week that we’re in Camas. My first attempt wasn’t very well planned out, so I won’t go into detail, but this time I planned out dinner. Since there isn’t an oven, and only two small burners, cooking can get a little tricky.
Sam likes Chicken Marsala, and it’s easy enough to make in a super small kitchen, so that’s what we went with. Once I started cooking, I realized there weren’t any measuring cups, which freaked me out because I like to measure everything (maybe it’s the engineer in me). Then I realized that I had forgotten to pack olive oil, so Sam got sent down to the Homewood’s kitchen to sweet talk the ladies down there into giving us some packets of margarine. They really must have thought Sam was great, because he came back with 8 of those little packets.

(Sorry for the bad picture quality, only had my old point and shoot)
Chicken Marsala

Serves 4

4 tbs. margarine, divided
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
2 tbs. shallots, chopped
1 tbs. garlic, minced
2 chicken breasts
0.25 tsp. salt
0.25 tsp. pepper
3 tbs. flour
0.75 c. chicken broth
0.25 c. dry marsala wine
2 tbs. half and half (you can use heavy cream if you’re feeling frisky)
Pasta

• Heat a large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, shallots and garlic. Cook for 3 minutes, or until moisture evaporates; remove mixture from pan, set aside.
• Pound chicken breasts down to ¼ inches thick. Salt and pepper chicken, dredge breasts in flour.
• Add 3 tbs. margarine to pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken, cook 3 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned. Remove chicken from pan. Add mushroom mixture back in, stir in broth and marsala.
• Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, or until reduced to 1 cup. Add remaining margarine, salt and pepper. Return chicken to pan; cook until heated.