Chicken Cacciatore

I just wanted to try something new for the children and I was not sure they would eat chicken with a tomato sauce. My son had his friend over and I served this dish. His friend asked me to give the recipe to his mom and my son said "please make this again." Success! Even my daughter, who is a picky eater, ate dinner that night. This recipe is very easy and found in the February 2012 issue of Food and Wine magazine.

2 tbs olive oil

2 pnds skinless, boneless chicken, cut into 2 inch pieces

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

8 oz cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 tsp finely chopped rosemary

2 tbs tomato paste

1 can peeled Italian tomatoes, pureed, 28 oz

¼ cup water

1 tbs balsamic vinegar

Crusty bread for serving

In a large, deep skillet, heat the oil until shimmering. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, add to skillet and cook over high heat until browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

Add the onion, garlic, mushrooms, and rosemary to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper and cook until softened and lightly browned in spots, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste. Add the pureed tomatoes and ¼ cup of water. Add the chicken and any juices and bring to a boil.

Cover partially and simmer over moderately low heat until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thickened, about 15 minutes. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and serve with crusty bread.

Wine pairing: Earthy, spiced Chianti: 2009 Coltibuono RS Chianti Classico.

Braised Pork with Cherry Gravy

Picture found on foodandwine.com

This dish would be my first try at an overnight marinade dish and all I have to say is "wow." The pork was so tender you could cut through it with a fork, that is the way pork is meant to be. The flavor is delicious. This dish is worth the effort to make. Both of my children loved it. Recipe by Michel Nischan and found in the February 2012 issue of Food and Wine magazine.

4 pounds boneless pork shoulder, tied

Salt and freshly ground pepper

5 tbs vegetable oil

6 celery ribs, coarsely chopped

2 carrots, coarsely chopped

3 large onions, coarsely chopped

¼ cup tomato paste

1 cup dry red wine

6 cups chicken stock or broth

1 cup dried sour cherries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Season the pork with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven, brown the pork in 2 tbs oil. Remove the pork; pour off the fat. Add 2 tbs of the oil to the pot. Add the celery, carrots, and 2 onions and cook over moderate heat until golden, 15 minutes. Add the tomato paste, wine, and stock; bring to a boil. Add the pork and cherries, cover and braise in the oven for 4 hours. Cool, refrigerate overnight.

The next day, skim the fat from the liquid and remove the pork. Boil the gravy until reduced to 1 ½ cups, 26 minutes. Strain the gravy into a saucepan and season with salt and pepper. Untie the pork and slice into 6 medallions.

In nonstick skillet, heat 1 tbs oil, add the pork and brown well. Serve with the gravy.

Wine pairing: Tart cherry-scented, medium bodied such as Chianti: 2009 Selvapiana.

Fried Rice

This is my own version of fried rice adapted from the foodnetwork.com and courtesy of Tyler Florence.

My daughter came home from her friends and said she loved fried rice. I had never made it before so I found a recipe online and served it to her. She said "yuck peas",so a couple weeks later I tried again, but this time I replaced the peas with mushrooms, which she loves. This version turned out great but I took the cabbage and shrimp out of Tyler's Shrimp and Egg Fried Rice with Napa Cabbage recipe. The nice thing is you can add whatever veggies you like and include or omit shrimp and/or chicken.

6 Tbs peanut oil

2 shallots

1 (2in) piece ginger, peeled and grated

2 cloves garlic, minced

6-8 oz mushrooms, sliced

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

4 cups cooked rice, preferably cooled.

3 tbs soy sauce

¼ bunch scallions, sliced for garnish

½ cup chopped peanuts, for garnish

Heat 2 tbs of the peanut oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet over medium high. Give the oil a minute to heat up, then add the shallots and ginger stir-fry for 1 minute until fragrant. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add 2 more tbs of peanut oil, add the garlic and saute until fragrant, saute mushrooms until tender, set aside.

Add remaining oil in wok and when hot, crack the eggs into the center. Scramble the egg lightly, and then let it set without stirring so it stays in big pieces. Fold the rice in and toss with egg until well combined.  Return all other ingredients to dish and season with salt and soy sauce, heat through. Garnish with scallions and peanuts.

Dawn's Tri-tip Marinade and Seasoned Red Potatoes

My best friend, Dawn, had been watching my children one day so that I could go to work and I came home to this delicious meal. My response was "when can you move in?" She is a fantastic cook and throws things together without recipes. These are both her creations and as far as measurements, well, you will have to add to taste.

Dawn’s Tri-tip Marinade

Montreal steak seasoning

Olive oil

Soy sauce

Worcestershire sauce

Red wine vinegar

Cut tri-tip into 1 inch slices and grill or bake to preference.

Seasoned Red Potatoes

Cut potatoes into bite size  pieces.

Put in bowl and stir in olive oil, French seasoning, and pepper to taste.

Spread in one layer on cookie sheet and sprinkle seasoning salt on top

Roast for 30 minutes at 450 degrees

Broil last few minute to crisp and brown tops.