Chicken Marsala and Cranberry Spinach Salad recipe

Alright, my first recipe post! Well I made this last night and it was so amazing! My mother in-law gave me this cookbook called Everyday Light Meals from Taste of Home. She knows I try to cook healthier foods and we try to eat good so I was so excited to get this book. I seriously have cooked out of only this since I got it last Mother's day... minus a homemade pizza or calzone recipe I'd make. So I love this book and every recipe I've tried I have loved. This one was probably one of my favorites though. I forgot to take pics of what mine looked like so I used the pic in the book.... I just thought mine looked better though :)

So anyway, if you wanna try it out, its not too difficult to make. Scott and I aren't mushroom fans either but the way these ones cook up is so good. We loved the mushrooms. Didn't bug us at all. The salad is good too but if you don't plan on eating it all if you have a smaller family then toss some salad with some dressing in a seperate bowl so it doesn't all wilt overnight or just make a 1/2 recipe. Anyway, here's the recipes below! Oh and remember your chicken needs to marinate for 8 hrs at least or overnight. Your chicken will be so flavorful if you let it sit overnight and while this cooks you can whip up the salad pretty quick and have it done just in time for the chicken to come out of the oven!

Chicken Marsala
6 (4 oz each) boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 cup fat free Italian salad dressing
1 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 tbsp butter
1/2 c reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 c marsala wine or 3 tbsp apple juice plus 5 tbsp additional broth ( I used the broth of course)
1 lb sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 c minced fresh parsley

Flatten chicken to 1/2 in thickness. Place in a large resealable plastic bag; add salad dressing. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 8 hrs or overnight.
Drain and discard marinade. Combine the flour, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, paprika and pepper; sprinkle over both sides of chicken. In a large nonstick skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray, cook chicken in 1 tbsp oil and butter for 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Transfer to a 13 x 9 baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray.
Gradually add broth and wine or apple juice mixture to skillet, stirring to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Strain sauce; set aside. In the same skillet, cook mushrooms in remaining oil for 2 minutes; drain. Stir sauce into mushrooms; heat through. Pour over chicken ; sprinkle with parsley. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until chicken juices run clear.

Cranberry Spinach Salad
8 c fresh baby spinach
1 c dried cranberries
2 medium pears, cored and chopped
1/4 c cider vinegar
5 tbsp sugar
1 tsp dried minced onion
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 c olive oil
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tsp poppy seeds
2 tbsp chopped pecans, toasted

In a large bowl, combine the spinach, cranberries and pears. In a blender, combine the vinegar, sugar, onion, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and paprika; cover and process until blended. While processing, gradually add oil in a steady stream. Add the sesame seeds and poppy seeds. Pour over salad and toss to coat. Sprinkle with pecans.

So there it is. It makes for a really yummy healthy dinner and even if you don't like mushrooms give it a chance. We were shocked!