Its true. I absolutely love food. I love recipes. I read cook books and recipes like novels. I find them so exciting. All the combinations of flavors and ingredients to form delicious concoctions to be tasted and enjoyed. I used to work at a surgical center and they subscribed to so many magazines, many of which were food mags. (Which is kinda rude considering all of our patients had to be fasting before their surgeries, so sad for them.) I got to enjoy them and used a lot, and I mean A LOT of paper copying recipes. Do I ever use these recipes (that I still have and hauled across the country, while I whined and complained about Brett hauling all his textbooks that he "might" use in medical school)? Not really, but I still like to read them. However, I have been using a lot of ideas off of Pinterest lately. I told you how obsessed I am with it. It has come to the point that I have to write in my daily to do list "No Pinterest Until Night." That way things actually get done. So, tonight I made a "Tuscan Chicken Stew" that I pinned last week. Mmmm, it was so good and so easy. I was really surprised at how easy it was. I am sure it would have been better had I used the red wine it called for, but I don't drink and I don't cook with wine. (It usually makes me sick if I do, so I don't anymore.) But the stew was delicious. Toddles wouldn't touch it, but that isn't saying much, all he wants are pancakes. But Brett really liked it and I think it is a keeper. Here's the recipe, my midifications in italics:
Tuscan Chicken Stew
1 onion
4 cloves garlic
I know it seems like a lot, but so good
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini or Great Northern beans
I don't like beans, but these have their casing removed so they aren't "as" bad
8 bone-in skinless chicken thighs (about 3 pounds)
I used frozen chicken breast that I chopped.
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 large sprig rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 cup dry red wine
I used chicken broth
1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 small head escarole or 4 cups baby spinach leaves (about 8 ounces)
I used frozen chopped spinach
1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese (about 1 ounce)
1. Chop the onion; smash and peel the garlic. Rinse and drain the beans in a colander or strainer.
2. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season all over with salt and black pepper. Add the oil to the Dutch oven. When the oil is hot, add the chicken skinned (rounded) sides down, and brown, in batches if necessary, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter when done.
3. When all of the chicken has been browned, reduce the heat to medium, add the onion, garlic, red pepper flakes and herbs; cook, stirring until the onions are slightly soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until brick red, about 1 minute. Add the wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits that cling to the pan. Bring to a boil and cook until syrupy, about 1 minute.
4. Add the beans, tomatoes and chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Nestle the chicken pieces in the stew, adding to the pan any collected juices from the plate. Simmer the stew, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.
5. Trim the escarole and tear the leaves into bite-size pieces. (If you're using baby spinach, there's no need to do this.) Wash the escarole or spinach and drain. Add the greens to the stew, cooking only until wilted, about 4 minutes. Stir in the cheese and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Serve in shallow bowls.
(picture came from
here)
I hope you try it, we loved it.
