Tasty Tuesday--Maple Pecan Chicken & Rosemary Mushroom Risotto

Sorry for being slightly slack about posting lately. One of my oldest friends got married this weekend and I've been busy with fun wedding festivities! I will post pictures when I get some. She was probably the most beautiful bride I've seen. Everything about the wedding day was beautiful!


On to Tasty Tuesday. I was going to post a Mexican dish this week, in honor of Cinco de Mayo, but I already have the Oven Carnitas and Chicken Tortilla Casserole on here...so there's your Mexican.

This chicken is to. die. for. It came from a Good Housekeeping cookbook. The maple syrup makes this dish!



Maple Pecan Chicken
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
3/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. olive oil (or veg. oil)

1. Brush the chicken on both sides with maple syrup (I kinda used a "heavy hand" on this step!). On waxed paper, combine chopped pecans, bread crumbs, and salt; use to coat chicken, firmly pressing so mixture adheres.
2. In a nonstick skillet, melt butter with oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until chicken is golden brown and loses its pink color throughout, about 4 minutes per side.



Baked Mushroom and Rosemary Risotto
Yes, you read right..."baked" risotto. This was super-duper easy. The results were still creamy goodness without the constant attention required for typical risotto. It was pretty mushroom-y, but even my husband, not a mushroom fan, ate two servings. This recipe came from the cookbook "Not Your Mother's Casseroles"--Faith Durand.
*You will need a 3-qt. stove top-to-oven covered casserole or Dutch oven.


1/2 oz. dried porcini mushrooms, chopped
1/2 oz dried shiitake mushrooms, chopped
2 cups boiling water
2 Tbsp. butter
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
One 4-inch sprig fresh rosemary
1 cup Arborio white rice
1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 tsp. salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
4 oz. mascarpone cheese (couldn't find mascarpone at the grocery--used sour cream instead)

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Rinse the dried mushrooms lightly to remove any dust or grit. Place the mushrooms in a ceramic bowl and pour the boiling water over them. Set aside.
2. Heat the butter in the casserole over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes, or until soft and golden.
3. Drain the mushrooms, reserving the liquid. Add the mushrooms, garlic, and rosemary sprig to the pan and saute on low heat for about 10 minutes, or until the mushrooms have sweated out some moisture and the garlic is fragrant and golden.
4. Add the rice and cook, stirring once or twice, for about 4 minutes, or until the rice begins to turn transparent.
5. Turn the heat to high and add the white wine, broth, and reserved mushroom steeping liquid. Bring to a boil. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and put it in the oven to bake for 20 minutes.
6. Remove and stir in the salt, pepper, nutmeg, and mascarpone cheese (or sour cream). Return the casserole to the oven for 15 minutes.
7. Remove and stir vigorously. Serve immediately, garnished with Parmesan cheese.