Posted on

This is hell, time for purgatory eggs

Another week of self-isolation, another simple recipe for the end times.

My sweetie found this simple egg dish from the Add a Pinch blog that managed to use ingredients we mostly had lying around the house. We did end up needing to get more eggs by the time I worked up the energy to make it, but so much of the dish called “eggs in purgatory” includes household staples that make this a simple and tasty breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner.

Eggs in purgatory ingredients.

As is typical when I try to poach eggs, I overcooked them. I pretend that one day I’m going to solve this but I have eaten eggs where the whites aren’t quite done and I would rather eat hard yolks for an eternity than have to eat underdone eggs ever again. So, I will live with my choices.

However, for you dear reader, know that 9 minutes is likely waayyyy too long; three minutes definitely was still too short, so somewhere in between is probably good.

Other than that (not very) helpful advice, the only other key is to use a good tomato sauce as it makes up most of the flavor. I ended up using a straight up pre-made pasta sauce, particularly arrabbiata, so if you have that on hand, it’s even better. Oh, and a good bread to serve this with makes this dish go from good to great.

So simple, so good.

Here’s what I did, slightly adapting the recipe:

Ingredients

  • ~1 T. olive oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 ¼ c. tomato sauce or pasta sauce (the more flavorful the better, but whatever you have on hand will work)
  • 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
  • ¼ t. red pepper flakes (I didn’t measure but did not use a lot as arrabbiata is already semi-spicy)
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • ¼ c. fresh parsley, chopped, divided
  • 4 eggs
  • ¼ c. grated Parmesan cheese
  • Toasted bread, for serving (optional)

Directions

Drizzle olive oil into a 9- or 10-inch skillet set over medium heat. Once the skillet warms, add the onions and cook about 3 minutes until tender. Add the garlic and cook another minute.

Then, stir in the tomato/pasta sauce, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper. Add about half of the parsley and cook for about 5 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken and flavors to meld.

Break eggs into each quarter of the skillet on top of the sauce (the recipe, of course, says to place it into a small bowl first, but I’ve never dirtied another dish *embarrassed face*). Top with the grated cheese and any additional salt and pepper, as desired.

Cover the skillet and cook until the whites are set and the yolks are done to desired level (see note above for how long-ish to do that). Remove from heat, sprinkle on the remaining parsley, and any additional cheese, and enjoy with a fancy bread!

Posted on

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!