Wednesday, October 1, 2008

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Last night I made a tasty chicken stew with lots of vegetables for dinner. The name of the game is use those veggies!

Chicken Fricassee with Green Peppers and Tomatoes
(adapted from LifeScript website)

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/4 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken thighs
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup red wine (white would be fine too)
1 large yellow onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
2 cups chopped canned tomatoes with their juice
12 ounces hot, cooked pasta of your choice I made Trader Joe's multi grain rotini with flax

1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. While the oil heats, season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the pan and brown on all sides. As the chicken pieces finish browning, transfer them to a plate and set aside.
2. Add the wine, letting it boil rapidly for a minute and then stir to remove any browned bits that may be stuck to the pan. Add to the chicken.
3. Turn the heat to medium and add another tablespoon of oil and the onion and peppers. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to wilt, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.
4. Remove from skillet and return chicken, wine and tomatoes with their juice to the skillet and cook for about 15 minutes.
5. Add the green and red peppers, onions, carrot, and celery. Adjust the heat so that the mixture simmers slowly and place a lid, slightly ajar, over the skillet. Cook until the chicken is completely tender, about 15 minutes. Taste the cooking liquid and adjust the salt and pepper.
6. Serve the chicken fricassee in warm bowls over the hot pasta.

I tried another recipe from The Cornbread Gospels, Durgin-Park Style Cornbread. This is a Northern-style cornbread with more flour than cornmeal and also sweeter than Southern cornbread. I brought it in to work for our Wednesday lunch bunch potluck. Today we had soups for lunch along with bread and my cornbread. Jim E. tried it and liked this version too. I think I prefer the Southern cornbread. So many more cornbread recipes to try.

Tonight I'm planning to make the Turkey Salad with Cranberries and Pecans. First I'm going to a CHEW (Culinary History Enthusiasts of Wisconsin) meeting. Before that I have to get to the post office and the library. The CHEW meeting is at Willy Street Co-op, so I'll have a chance to do a little shopping before or after the meeting. The program is going be done by Cabibbo's Bakery who are bakers of Sicilian products.

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