Skinny It Up ~ Low Fat Chicken Marsala

I'm always looking for delicious, easy and healthy recipes to prepare for my family.  I have found some of the best recipes in magazines.  I like to find ways to make the recipes healthier, so I substitute ingredients and make them 'skinnier'.

My sons were always picky eaters when they were little. I used to sneak healthier ingredients into their meals, in attempts to get them to eat better. Shhhhhh! Don't tell them. What they didn't know not only didn't hurt them, but was actually much better for them. Hey, a mom has to do what a mom has to do.

 My sons weren't adventurous with food when dining out.  They'd usually order chicken tenders or chicken marsala (hold the mushrooms please - and don't sprinkle any greenish garnishes on top).  Now that they are in college, they are much more relaxed when it comes to trying new foods, but they still love chicken marsala.  I love having my family all at the dinner table at the same time.  With our 3 children all attending college and working, family meals have become more rare and precious to me.  One way to ensure that they'll make an effort to clear their hectic schedules and be home for dinner is to announce that one of their favorites is being served.

Skinny It Up - Chicken Marsala

1 lb of Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
1/3 cup of whole wheat flour
1  teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
2 tablespoons of canola oil or light extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced or *garlic powder, to taste
1/3 cup of diced yellow onion
1  8 oz packages of sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup of marsala wine
1/4 cup of lowfat milk
2 tablespoons of whole wheat flour (to be used to thicken the sauce at the end)

Mix 1/3 cup of whole wheat flour, salt and pepper on a plate; dredge cutlets in flour mixture and set aside. *if using garlic powder, sprinkle on top of dredged cutlets.
In a large frying pan, heat oil over medium heat.  Saute' onion and garlic in oil about 2 minutes.  Add mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes.  Push mushroom mixture to the side of the pan; add chicken to frying pan; sear chicken 2 minutes on each side, then add marsala wine. Reduce heat to low and simmer, allowing the wine to reduce to by half (turn chicken at least one time).
In a bowl, combine milk and 2 tablespoons of whole wheat flour (mix it with a fork) and add it to frying pan once the wine has reduced by half (this will thicken the sauce). Remove from heat and serve.

I serve my chicken marsala with whole grain pasta or brown rice and a steamed vegetable or a tossed salad.
The original recipe called for unbleached flour and half & half.  My substitutions add whole grains and is lower in fat.

I feel responsible for my family's health whenever I prepare a meal.  I feel better knowing that I'm preparing a meal I know they'll love and is a little healthier for all of us. The cat's out of the bag.  Now that they're old enough to handle the truth, and not run away from a plate filled with healthier food,  I've confessed to my sneaky substitutions.  They still enjoyed it.  The only complaint that was voiced was that there wasn't enough.  I consider the skinnier meal a success - not just because my family enjoyed the food, but because they made it home for a healthier meal prepared with love and good intentions.