Chicken with Wild Mushroom & Balsamic Cream Sauce with Brown Butter & Balsamic Ravioli

 Not good pictures... I know!! These photos definitely don't do this meal justice because it was absolutely delicious. Don't be shy - try these recipes out either together or separately. They're rich and decadent tasting and a small quantity will satisfy anyone.

Chicken with Wild Mushroom & Balsamic Cream Sauce
Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray on the Food Network

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• pepper
• 2 tbsp butter
• 12 cremini or baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
• 12 shitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
• 12 white mushrooms, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tbsp thyme leaves, a couple of sprigs, chopped
• 2 large shallots, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp all purpose flour
•  1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 3 tbsp heavy cream, or half-and-half
• 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

Method:

1. Preheat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add extra-virgin olive oil. Season chicken liberally with salt and pepper and add to the hot skillet. Cook the chicken for 5-6 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken from the pan and cover with foil to keep warm.
2. Return the skillet to the heat, turn heat back a bit, and add the butter. Once the butter melts add the mushrooms and brown stirring occasionally for about 4-5 minutes. Once the mushrooms are brown, season with salt and pepper then add garlic, thyme and shallots. Cook stirring occasionally for about 2 minutes or until the shalots are wilted. Sprinkle flour into pan and cook two minutes more. Whisk in the stock, balsamic vinegar and the cream. Turn the heat up to high and simmer for 2 minutes or until thickened. Slice the chicken on an angle. Add the parsley and the chicken back to the skillet to heat up, about 1 minute.

Brown Butter & Balsamic Ravioli
Recipe adapted from Racheal Ray on the Food Network

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg, 12-16 ounces, fresh ravioli, any flavor filling
• 3 tbsp butter, cut into small pieces
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 handfuls grated parmigiano-reggiano
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Method:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for ravioli. Salt water and drop ravioli in water. Cook 8 minutes or until raviolis expand, float to top of water, and are al dente.
2. Heat a medium skillet over medium low to medium heat. Add butter to pan and let it begin to brown. When butter for ravioli has browned, add cooked ravioli to the pan and turn in butter to heat through. Add balsamic vinegar to ravioli and cook a minute or two longer to reduce the vinegar and glaze the ravioli. The vinegar will become thick and syrul like. Add cheese, parsley, salt and pepper to the pasta and remove from the heat.

Hope you enjoy! I made this for hubby & my 4th anniversary at the end of August and we both really enjoyed it. Happy Cooking my Friends!