Chicken a la Kertney with Garlic mash!

I'm putting an Italian twist on an old English staple! It's no secret that I loooove Chicken Marsala. There's just something about the sweet, smokey flavor of the Marsala wine combined with the soft, buttery texture of the chicken... oh, and those big, moist chunks of mushr--- see!? I'm slobbering already. I'm also a huge fan of creamy Chicken a'la King and puff pastry. It reminds me of my mum and when she'd prepare it when we had company... and ate in the dining room... with the good china. Impressive. This fortuitous Friday would prove fortunate even further, (say that three times fast) for I had a coupon for the puff pastry AND the better brand of Marsala was on sale. So, why not combine the two dishes and create a comfort food TO DIE FOR!    

Chicken a'la Kertney:
Serves: 6
Prep time 35minutes
Slow cook time 2.5 hrs.

4 pack chicken thighs (skin on)
3 tablespoons butter
1tsp each, S&P&Garlic Powder
3tsps Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 package of puff pastry
1 small onion, diced
2 large garlic cloves, pressed
1 small pkg baby bella (crimini)  mushrooms, sliced- I prefer thickly sliced bites of mushroom in this dish, but you can do it however you want... unless I'm coming over for dinner. In which case, slice them thick. 
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup of middle priced Sweet Marsala wine ($5-10)
2 cups of (pick one) a) Prepared Chicken stock or b.) Diluted Chix Soup Base (I prefer the Penzey's brand. Man, this stuff is awesome, but any will do. If you use a box/can stock, be prepared to add more salt and pepper)
Parsley to garnish- optional

Step 1: Season your chicken with S&P and Garlic Powder and plug in your crock pot. Heat your large pan to medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add your chicken and brown until you get the good bits on the bottom of the pan, 5-7 minutes. Remove your chicken and place them in the crock pot. Reduce the heat to medium and set aside. Add your onions to "the bits" and saute 'til translucent.-2 minutes. Next add your mushrooms and garlic and add 1 tablespoon extra of EVOO. Saute for 5 minutes and de-glaze the pan with 1/2 cup of the Marsala and 1 cup of stock or diluted soup base. Simmer for 2-3 minutes and pour it over the chicken in the crock with the peas and the rest of the Marsala (1/2cup).  Let the chicken and shrooms cook for 2-2.5 hours or until the chicken is falling off of the bone.

Step 2: Prepare your puffed pastry (per pkg instructions) and your mashed potatoes (you had better not be making these from a package) 45 minutes before the chicken cooks.

Step 3: Remove the thighs from the crock and let cool a few minutes. Hello? You don't want to burn yourself! Pull the chicken from the skin and bone. Discard the bone and skin and place the chicken back into the crock.

Step 4: Measure out 1/2 cup of your cream and merry 1/2 cup of the crock sauce to it. We're trying to keep the cream from curdling when we add it to the crock.

Step 5: Get a medium sauce pan and get a roux going. (1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of flour.) Add almost all of the "crock sauce" until it thickens. Next add the crock cream. Prepare your plate and the puff pastry. Ladle in your creamy chicken mixture, add some freshly cracked pepper, fresh parsley and VOILA! Chicken a'la Kertney.

Oh, and be sure to enjoy it with some yummy wine! Try Deer Creek Winery's Fawn Catawaba-- one just opened in the Mall! The Fawn was my favorite; delicious, semi-sweet white wine.

Part 1: Confessions from a Supplement Junkie and a Weight Loss Heroine.

"Aye, Senora! These shots aren't going to do anythin' for you until you...

LOSE YOUR FAT."

 <GASP>

Um... did he just say what I think he just said? Sure, I was offended... but I knew he was right. That and he was the one injecting a rather long hypodermic needle into my vertebrae, so, a knee-jerk reaction was out of the question!

Seems like only yesterday when I would visit Dr. Pagan's office for weekly prolotherapy (sugar injections) and chiropractic adjustments. In college, I was in a pretty nasty car wreck that left me with two herniated, lower discs and severe sciatica... which made matters worse with extra weight from two babies. I was lying face down, about to get "shot up" when he told me to "lose my fat." Luckily, Dr. Pagan has a thick, rhythmic, Puerto Rican accent which lessened the blow.

 Okay, not really.

I decided to call another chiropractor and dismiss Senor "Calls it As He See's It." After all, weight loss was a scary, new concept for me. I had always been an athletic, slim gal with metabolism to spare, that is, until my baby making days. I had never really "dieted" because I was always so active with theatre, dance and an active gym participant. I never had to watch what I was eating. I watched it go into my mouth, sure, but I never bothered to read the caloric intake. I never took vitamins, either- other than of the pre-natal variety. I thought that there was a magic fat-fairy who would wave her magic wand and undo what age and pregnancy had done? I was in mommy denial, plus size time!

"I am supposed to be a size 16."
(I'm 5'8) 

"It's baby weight."
(My youngest was two and a half)  

"When I clean the house, it's like exercising."
 (Especially when I cleaned the pantry)

"I'm a busy mother! I have no time to exercise."
 (I had to help my oldest beat the next level in Super Mario Bros.)

It was that same week when my great friend forwarded her wedding pictures to me. I chuckled at one particular dance floor photograph of this portly woman busting a move. Coincidentally, she was also busting out of her hounds tooth dress. Seriously, what made her think she could wear that? Someone tell that woman her hounds tooth has a cavity! Girlfriend looks so--

Me before...

 <GASP AGAIN>

IT. WAS. ME! I didn't even recognize myself? (Forgive me for not showing the actual picture. I demanded the picture to be set aflame!) At the time, I thought I looked all "Jackie O" in that dress? Instead, I looked like I ATE her! I was so disgusted with myself that I decided to take control! I would be damned if I had any more pictures taken of me looking like that! And here I am... 4 dress sizes down and 47lbs lighter! I feel like a brand new person. I still have mild lower back pain... but nothing an Advil and some stretching won't fix. In fact, I haven't needed Dr. Pagan's needle in nearly 3 years. The last time I visited the office, I was having *neck pain and needed an adjustment. The office staff didn't even recognize me.

 *I should have gone to my PCP for this particular neck ailment. It turned out that I had herpes simplex encephalitis: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herpesviral_encephalitis My brain was bleeding from a viral infection, much like that of meningitis, and I almost died... but that's an entirely different blog.

60lbs. Gone.
Photo Credit Left: Kate Lall Photography

Working on the 'ceps. 

They did a double take when they read my name on the chart. "This can't be the same broad?" Let me remind you that these were the same receptionists who I saw regularly. We were on a first name basis! When they figured out who I was, they paraded me around that office like I was the newly crowned Miss Weight Loss America.

Dr. Pagan's jaw dropped. He told me that I should be his "poster child." He said if more of his patients were to do what I did, they too would not need as many (or any at all) pain treatments or medications.

How did I do it, you ask? It's as simple as
1)Supplements
2) Cardio
3) Strength training

I started, however, with a trip to the doctors.