Tag Archives: tomatoes

Pollo alla Cacciatora

DSC_0076

Inspired by Nigella’s recipe from her cookbook “Nigella Express,” this dish was an absolute hit. I anticipated liking it, but not loving it. And after realizing how much I loved it (and blogging about how I hadn’t blogged about it) I decided to rectify my lazy blogging habits and hop to it. For the Good. For you guys.

Picture this: tender pieces of chicken. A flavorful tomato broth, into which the caramelized onion has practically melted. Bacon. Oh, and it all starts with garlic infused oil. Need I say more?

DSC_0074

I made it on a peaceful Sunday evening after Alice was in bed. I chopped, I smelled, I tasted, I fried. Recently I’ve realized (again?) that I actually do love cooking. Not just the food at the end, but the process. To enjoy it though, I need to be able to take my time. If I feel the clock ticking, enjoyment flees and it becomes just another household task. So just an encouragement to any of you who are experiencing cooking as a burden (which I do from time to time): one of these beautiful summer evenings, take your time. Clear your schedule. Leave aside efficiency. Pour yourself a glass of wine. Open the windows, put on some good music, and abandon yourself to the pleasure that can be cooking.

DSC_0072

Ingredients

(Serves 4)

1 ½ TBS olive oil
5 cloves garlic
1 medium onion, diced
½ lb bacon, finely minced
6 scallions, finely diced
2 tsp dried thyme or rosemary
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 to 1 ½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (3-4), cut into bite-sized cubes
½ tsp celery salt
¾ cup white wine
1-14 oz can petite diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
½ tsp sugar
1-14 oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Cooked rice, to serve

1. Put the garlic through a garlic press and soak in the olive oil for 10 or so minutes, to infuse the oil. Strain the oil into a large pot or Dutch oven and heat over medium-high, reserving the garlic.

2. When the oil is hot, add the onion. Cook over medium heat for about 15  minutes, until caramelized, stirring occasionally and adding salt and pepper as it cooks. Take your time here—you’re adding worlds of flavor. Use this time to prep your remaining ingredients.

3. Add the oily garlic, minced bacon, scallions and thyme or rosemary to the pot. Stir and cook over medium high heat until the bacon begins to brown, about 10 minutes.

4. Douse the chicken pieces with celery salt on the cutting board where you chopped them, moving the pieces around with your hands to coat them evenly. Add them to the pot and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Pour in the wine and scrape any brown bits off the bottom of the pan.

6. When the wine gets bubbly, add the can of tomatoes, bay leaves and sugar. Cover the pot and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.

7. Stir in the cannellini beans and cook for a few minutes, until heated through. Taste for seasoning and serve over rice.

DSC_0070

Click here for printer-friendly version: Pollo alla Cacciatora

Curried Red Lentil Soup

DSC_0175

This soup, another little number from the America’s Test Kitchen Quick Family Cookbook, is so good and so easy. They don’t use the word “quick” in that cookbook title lightly–those folks mean business!

I originally decided to put this soup on the menu because we had some red lentils sitting around that have been in the pantry since we lived in Delaware (!). Why yes, we moved to Chicago going on 4 years ago. So yes, that would make these lentils at least 4 years old . . . if not 5 . . . or 6 . . . but I didn’t die, so case closed. Let bygones be bygones. Better a lentil saved than a lentil wasted. Let the old lentils rest in peace in their final place of digestion. Let anyone who has objections speak never and forever hold their peace, amen and amen. It is better to have eaten and loved than to never have eaten at all. Don’t take no wooden lentils. You can lead a mouth to lentils, but you can’t make it eat.

I just got completely lost . . . where were we?

Anyway, after looking at the short ingredient list I thought, “this will probably be okay. Not awesome, not bad–just okay.” And I was (heh heh) okay with that.

But my premature diagnosis was wrong. I LOVED it! The flavors are simple and clean but also deeper than you would expect considering the quick cooking time.

Make it! Especially after a cold day out and about.

DSC09871

It will warm you to the very cockles of your feet.

What are cockles?

Nobody every explained.

DSC_0195

Ingredients

Serves 2-3

1 cup red lentils, rinsed
4 cups vegetable broth
2 TBS butter
1 onion, chopped finely
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBS grated fresh ginger
1 TBS curry powder
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 TBS minced cilantro
½ cup plain yogurt
Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Microwave the lentils and 2 cups of broth about 8 minutes, until liquid is mostly absorbed.

2. Melt the butter in a large pot. Add the chopped onion and cook for 5 minutes, until softened, stirring occasionally and adding salt and pepper as it cooks. Add the garlic, ginger and curry powder, and stir for 30 seconds.

3. Add the microwaved lentil mixture to the pot along with the rest of the broth and the tomatoes. Simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and re-season as needed.

4. Serve the individual portions with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkle of cilantro. Enjoy!

DSC_0196

Click here for printer-friendly version: Curried Red Lentil Soup