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Any equipment fits chicken cacciatore

Once I started enjoying cooking, chicken cacciatore was one of the first things I asked my mom to teach me how to make, even though the recipe came from my paternal grandmother. Mom’s way has always been the way I knew it.

Chicken cacciatore ingredients*. (*Wine and oregano not pictured because I forgot.)

I’ve also found ways to incorporate it into pretty much every dish that I’ve used since starting to make it into a weekly blog. It’s been in a casserole. It’s been in a Dutch oven. OK, it never made it into a bread or a pie. But this year, thanks to Rachael Ray, I had a way to make it into a small skillet.

Her recipe wasn’t too different from how it’s traditionally made, in that it had mushrooms that I’ll never use. However, because it’s meant to be a sandwich, it skipped the less common sandwich topping of artichoke hearts. I refused to use mushrooms or skip out on one of my favorite vegetables.

So, mine was a little different, and used slightly smaller amounts so that I could have it all fit in my little Le Creuset. It was, like some of my previous attempts, a bit close to full, but workable. My little skillet is 9 inches; this is perfect for 10, but 9 inches will work with some more careful stirring.

Since I made it my way, and my sweetie tested it first, it was no surprise that this worked and tasted delightful. However, it was no less delicious for being one of my favorite meals and working according to plan.

Steam for effect. Or, really because I needed the pic so I could eat it sooner.

Here’s what I did:

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. chicken, sliced or chopped
  • ~2 T. olive oil
  • 6 to 7 oz. marinated quartered artichoke hearts
  • 1 bell pepper, seeded and sliced
  • 1 large onion, peeled and sliced
  • ½ c. red wine (or broth)
  • 1 (14 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 t. dried oregano
  • 1 t. crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 to 3 T. flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 4 sub rolls, for serving, or some cooked pasta, for serving
  • Provolone cheese, for topping the rolls (or frankly the pasta, if preferred, provolone is never bad)

Directions

Heat oven to broil if making sandwiches. Alternatively, prepare pasta if using.

Heat half the oil in a 9- to 10-inch skillet on a stove over medium heat. Add the chicken, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes until mostly cooked through. Add the remaining oil, and then the onions, peppers, and artichokes, and cook until the vegetables have softened, about another 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, crushed red peppers, and cook for another minute.

Add the wine to deglaze the pan, and then add the crushed tomatoes and parsley. Cook for another few minutes until the tomatoes are simmering and the flavors have melded. Once ready, remove from heat.

Pile about a quarter of the chicken mixture into a sliced sub roll, and cover with one to two slices of provolone (as preferred). Repeat with as many sandwiches as you’re planning to serve immediately. Place the sandwiches on a sheet pan or aluminum foil or both, and place in the oven on the top rack, and broil for 1 to 2 minutes (keep watch!) until the cheese has melted and the edges of the bread have turned golden, and enjoy!

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But there’s time now … for caramelized onions

I still can’t get over the fact that since the caucuses have ended, my weekends seem freer. Sure, I’m doing my damnedest to fill them up still, but it’s nothing compared to the anxiety of door-knocking, waiting for door knocks, ignoring the multiple calls and texts a day, and all the ways that I worried about the results. (Going to resist a joke about being careful what I wish for here, but needless to say, it’s not like the weeks since have been any smoother for this recovering political reporter.)

So, with an entire extra day of my weekend to do nothing but clean, go to the library, and talk to my mom, I decided it was a good use of my time to once again try to caramelize onions. It has never once turned out the way it looks on TV and in magazines, but it has continued to taste pretty good. This time was no exception.

Surprise, caramelized onions ingredients include mostly onions.

Also, thanks to a picture-filled guide from Food & Wine, I had more guidance, and a good use for my finished product in a quiche.

That’s right. This is a two-fer.

Caramelized onion quiche ingredients.

However, I quickly disposed of the quiche recipe provided and substituted my own version that mirrored something my sweetie had made before. I learned the joys of adding walnuts to a pie crust, of the potentially overwhelming flavor of moldy cheese, and of the fact that a braiser is an amazing pie dish (As a long-time pie lady, I will remember that last one!).

Even if the onions overcooked, didn’t get as moist, and blackened the bottom of my pan, it really only sped up the process of cooking the onions (and reminding me again to adapt!), and they tasted fine. My only regret on the onions is halving the recipe that means we ended up with just enough left over after the cup that went into the quiche to add to the top of two veggie burgers.

For the quiche, I skipped the 1 c. of diced ham, and replaced it with walnuts and Gorgonzola, about a cup-ish of each. However, the 4 oz. of Gorgonzola was a tiny bit overwhelming for me, even as my sweetie adored its flavor. In addition, I added some parsley and some pepper, and tested adding about a half cup of ground walnuts into the pie crust for extra walnut flavor.

The crust was an extra joy, and I have plans for doing that again already. Everything else was also a joy, though YMMV with the Gorgonzola.

It actually couldn’t have been a better way to celebrate the day off than to spend it in the kitchen making something this special.

Couldn’t resist eating some before taking a picture. Oops.

Here’s what I did:

Ingredients 

For the caramelized onions

  • 2 lb. yellow onions, halved and sliced vertically
  • 2 t. vegetable oil
  • 2 t. salt
  • ~¼ to ½ c. water

For the quiche

  • 1 pie crust (my typical is 1 ¼ c. flour, 8 T. butter, 1 t. salt, ice water to form; with this I used ¾ c. flour and added ½ c. ground walnuts… but any crust will due)
  • 1 c. caramelized onions
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 c. heavy cream
  • 2 to 4 oz. Gorgonzola (use according to your love of Gorgonzola; 4 oz. was a bit much for me)
  • 1 c. chopped walnuts
  • 2 T. chopped parsley
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

For the caramelized onions

Heat the oil in a 9- to 10-inch skillet or braiser on the stove top over medium-high heat. Add half the onions, turning to coat them in oil. Cook for about 2 minutes, and then add the remaining onions by the handful, using tongs to continue to coat the onions. The pan will be kind of full, but the onions will reduce, and continue to reduce. Once the onions are added, continue to cook for about 3 more minutes, adding salt to draw more moisture out. Reduce heat to medium, cover the skillet (braiser), and cook about 10 more minutes, when hopefully a pool of liquid will have collected (it didn’t for me). Remove lid, and continue to cook the onions, folding them over each other and scraping the bottom of the pan as necessary. Cook until liquid has evaporated, about 35 minutes. (If like me, there’s not much liquid, just keep stirring and cooking and gauge by color, not by time.) Scrape the bottom of the pan and shape the onions into a patty; add water as/if they stick to the pan, until the browned bits are loosened as much as possible. Keep cooking, stirring often, until the onions look the color of bourbon (that’s from the recipe but good advice!), up to another 35 to 45 minutes, as needed. Remove from heat and use/serve as desired.

For the quiche

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Roll out the pie dough to fit in a 9- to 10-inch braiser, or skillet. Lay the dough into the braiser/skillet, pressing around the edges, and shaping the ends as desired. Poke with a fork, layer with pie weights or aluminum foil and dried beans. Bake for about 15 minutes, until parboiled.

Meanwhile, in a large boil, mix together the eggs, cream, onions, gorgonzola, walnuts, parsley, and salt and pepper.

When the crust is ready, remove pie weights, and pour in the egg mixture.

Carefully place braiser/skillet back in the oven, and bake for about 35 minutes until the eggs have set and the top is browned, and enjoy!

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The un-pearable lightness of being

OK, now that we’ve survived the Iowa caucus, if not unscathed, and it’s a holiday of sorts, I think it’s time for a light, easy dessert that includes strong alcohol.

A few weeks ago, my sweetie turned me on to a French dessert called clafoutis as a possible option for my little braiser. Once I started looking at the options, they appeared endless. And delicious.

Cherries are traditional, which are fine if unexciting. Chocolate and nuts sound like something to save for later, as is the one with raspberries for a more summer seasonal option. This endless winter calls for pears.

Pear clafoutis recipe.

I don’t know why I associate pears with this season, but I do. Even better, my sweetie found a pear eau de vie liqueur that is meant to be served with and on top of the clafoutis. It was a bit pricey so I’m grateful he didn’t look at the cost until after he was home with it in hand. It’s also quite good, and I’ll probably be splurging on a raspberry one later to go with the summer version of this.

The process of making clafoutis is so easy that Epicurious has a base recipe it compares to waffle batter, and then includes some common ways to make it, that mostly includes adding 2 c. of some kind of fruit. To be honest, as much as I have enjoyed the eau de vie, it’d be fine without adding 2 T. on top.

The flan-like finale with fruit is just fine on its own. However, as with so much these last three years, the alcohol helps.

Despite this, I admit I did forget the melted butter the first time. I was not disappointed I had to make it again. It also didn’t taste that much different, just fluffed more with the addition of butter, and still stuck to the bottom of my braiser either way. It was also delicious both ways.

Basically, it’s almost impossible to mess up, and it’s a perfect way to celebrate the end of all the texts, calls, and door-knocks, and if you’re into that sort of thing, Valentine’s Day.

So close … I can practically taste it.

Here’s what I did, following the Epicurious recipe, but adding some ginger for a tiny kick:

Ingredients 

  • 1 c. whole milk
  • 3 eggs
  • ½ c. sugar
  • 1 t. vanilla extract
  • 3 t. grated ginger, optional
  • 2 T. butter, melted (I guess also optional, but I’d stick with it)
  • ½ c. all-purpose flour
  • 1 pear, cored and cut into pieces
  • 2 T. pear eau de vie liqueur, optional, and more for serving, if using

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, ginger if using, and butter. Mix until sugar is dissolved. Add in the flour and whisk until smooth.

Pour into a 9- to 10-inch skillet or braiser.

Scatter the fruit on top.

Bake until the clafoutis is puffed and golden, about 35 to 40 minutes. Just before serving (immediately), drizzle on 2 T. of the eau de vie, and enjoy!

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A tortilla by any other name

It’s been nearly a decade since my family made a trip to Spain. It was, as many family trips, an experience filled with unforgettable moments, both good and bad. I’m thinking Vacation here, but like, scaled-to-reality levels of joys and traumas.

Among my favorite memories, though, was our cooking class with Josetxo.

I learned about drinking wine to cure hangovers, how to make mayonnaise from scratch, and the joys of anchovies. I also learned how to make a tortilla.

Frittata (*cough cough* tortilla) ingredients.

To American ears, this is not what you’d expect. It’s like a large frittata, not a flat flour- or corn-based wrapper for tacos or burritos. It was also the simplest and most satisfactory meal I knew immediately I’d be bringing to my kitchen at home.

My only issue with it is that it’s an egg dish that requires flipping, which usually results in a kind of eggy plate. Of course, in Spain, they make matching skillets that take care of this with ease. I never sprung for one, so I do it the difficult way.

That is, until I found a frittata — the French version of the Spanish dish — that had all the Spanish flavors I was hoping for … and some greens too.

Thanks to Bon Appetit I could make this at home easier.

However, I still am no expert in using my own broiler. The recipe said to cook in the broiler for 5 minutes; it was brown after 2 and not jiggly, but cutting in to the eggy dish revealed it was not finished yet. Trial and error minutes later it was ready. Thankfully, it never got browner but it was touch and go there for a bit.

Either way, it was worth it. I got a cleaner plate but still got my fix of eggs, potatoes, and Spanish chorizo.

Seriously, eggs, potatoes, and chorizo (and sure, greens) are the simplest but most incredible meal.

Here’s what I did:

Ingredients

  • 8 large eggs
  • 1 c. Manchego cheese, grated
  • 1 T. flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • 1 T. chives, chopped
  • 4 oz. Spanish chorizo, thinly sliced (I used D’Artangnan chorizo, and 1 sausage link was 1 oz, shy but I went with it because I used extra cheese)
  • ½ small onion, diced
  • 6 fingerling potatoes, thinly sliced
  • 1 small bunch Swiss chard, ribs and stems removed and leaves coarsely chopped
  • 1 T. olive oil
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Heat broiler.

Whisk eggs in a large bowl, and whisk in the cheese and herbs. Season with salt and pepper.

On the stove top, add the oil and cook the chorizo in a 9- to 10-inch cast iron skillet, over medium heat. After the chorizo is crisped, about 3 minutes, transfer to plate. Then, add the onion to the oiled skillet (or braiser), and season with salt, stirring often. Cook for about 1 minute, and then add the potatoes, until they are just softened, about 5 more minutes. Add the chard in batches, and cook each batch until wilted and fits in the skillet. Add salt and pepper, and mix back in the chorizo.

Pour the egg mixture on top of the sausage mix, tilting to ensure even distribution. Cook for about 2 minutes on the stove top, and then transfer to the oven and broil until the egg is cooked through, about 5 minutes. (Again, it seemed to me to be done after about 2 and then wasn’t so keep a close eye to ensure it’s not burnt but the eggs are also cooked through.)

Run a spatula around the edges to loosen, and slide on to a plate (or cut into wedges), and enjoy!

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Broccoli and cheese recipe goes a-rye

Welp, I finally did it. It only took a month. I was finally too ambitious for my small skillet.

It was, admittedly, sketchy to begin with. Even though the recipe called for a 9-inch dish, it did specify that it should be square and deep, so I was already cutting it close.

But I figured I’d give this broccoli and cheese casserole with toasted rye a shot anyway, because it sounded so good, and everything else had worked so far, right?

Broccoli and cheese casserole with rye ingredients.

Well, it turned out that making the cheese sauce nearly filled my skillet to the brim. That made it pretty hard to fit in lots of broccoli, let alone top it with anything.

I nearly decided to scrap it as a blog post entirely since it went so far off the rails. But as I thought about it, I realized it all actually worked out and showed the importance of adapting in cooking.

Sure the recipe said some things, but as I read the signs of what was happening my braiser, I knew I needed to change. And so often when I actually fail at making something it’s because I ignore the signs. Something isn’t working early on but I press on anyway.

This time, I saw how much cheese sauce I had and not only was it too much for my braiser, but it was also too much for the amount of broccoli I had. So, thankfully, I had and added a head (the recipe called for 3, and I had 4). I also saw that the slices of bread weren’t enough, so I doubled that as well.

I didn’t even attempt to fit it in my skillet; I just found a casserole dish that was more than large enough.

And, honestly, it ended up working out well. I had to adapt, sure, and it was frustrating at times to realize my recipe wasn’t working as expected, but I’m infinitely happier for recognizing where things were going a-rye (sorry, I had to), and making changes.

Braiser in the back, casserole in the front.

So, here’s what I did, using my little skillet for the sauce only:

Ingredients

  • 4 large broccoli heads, roughly chopped, stems discarded
  • 1 ½ stick (12 T.) butter, divided
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • ⅔ c. all-purpose flour
  • 1 (12 oz.) can/bottle of beer
  • 1 c. half and half
  • 12 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1 t. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 t. dry mustard
  • ~4 slices rye bread, torn or cut into about ½ in. pieces
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Cooking spray

Directions

Heat oven to 425 degrees.

Lightly coat an 8-inch by 11-inch casserole or larger with the cooking spray.

Meanwhile, add water to a large pot and bring to a boil on the stove, with enough water to cover the broccoli pieces. Add some salt, and then cook the broccoli until just tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and then let stand in ice water for about 5 minutes or until the sauce is prepared.

Meanwhile, melt 1 stick (8 T.) in a skillet or braiser on the stove top over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Whisk in flour gradually and stir until incorporated and lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Whisk in beer and half and half. Cook until sauce thickens and begins to bubble, about 3 minutes. Add the cheese, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and salt and pepper, and stir until smooth, adding cheese in batches as appropriate. Remove sauce from heat.

Meanwhile, melt the remaining half stick (4 T.) butter in a medium bowl, and add the rye slices, mixing until butter coats the bread.

To bring it all together, add the broccoli to the prepared casserole dish, pour on the cheese sauce, and then finally add the coated bread slices on top. Bake the mixture, uncovered, until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly, about 15 to 20 minutes, and enjoy!