Mom's Stewed Chicken with a Tex-Mex Flair

My mother Elaine was a good cook. She was never considered a warrior in the kitchen, but even 40 plus years ago she was cooking healthy. And one of my favorite meals of hers was her stewed chicken. I  could smell it walking in the door and couldn't wait for the tender chicken, tomato broth and veggies to be done so I could indulge in one of my favorite meals ever. And thankfully before she passed away she actually gave me the recipe in writing.

I've toyed with her recipe over the years and nothing I did to tweak or impove it seemed to be any better than hers. Until tonight. A little Tex Mex seasoning, some diced jalapeno and of course some corn. This is a pretty quick fix, under an hour- and I promise you if you don't eat it all in the first sitting, you will enjoy the flavors even more the next day. As with most stews, it just gets better and better if you have the patience to let it sit.

Elaine's Stewed Chicken with a Tex-Mex Flair

6 chicken thighs bone in, skin removed
2 tsp canola oil
2 cups onions chopped
4 cloves garlic fined chopped
2 jalapeno peppers diced
1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
2 tsp Old El Paso Hot and Spicy Taco Seasoning Mix
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried coriander
1/4 tsp dried cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes no salt added
1 8oz can tomato sauce no salt added
1 14.5 low sodium fat free chicken broth
3 green peppers sliced
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1 cup frozen corn

In large soup pot on medium low heat add your canola oil. Now add your onions and jalapeno. Let veggies soften about 5 minutes and add your garlic, Old Bay, Taco Seasoning, salt, coriander, cumin and chili powder. Stir to combine and let cook a few more minutes to let the flavors combine. Now add your diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and add your chicken thighs. Take a look at the size of these chicken thighs. They are huge!

Reduce broth to a slow simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes. Now add your fresh veggies and frozen corn.

Continue to simmer covered for 10-15 minutes and dinner is done. I made some brown rice and Colby Jack flatbread as a side. Delicious dinner tonight.

Thanks mom, you've always inspired me.

Mozambique Shrimp Re-Mixed

I had this idea of making Mozambique Shrimp again, this time omitting the beer. I think the Goya spices combined with the onions, garlic and hot sauce is really the secret to this dish. Plus I'm trying to cut some calories and carbs and came up with this new version. The first thing I always have on hand is the Sazon Goya "Con Azafran", found in the international aisle of your grocrery store.

And of course you need shrimp. So let's get the cutting board out and start the prep.  Here's what you'll need:

Mozambique Shrimp sans Beer
3 T butter
1 T olive oil
1 pound shrimp (16-20 count) peeled and deviened
2 small onions chopped
4-5 garlic cloves chopped or grated
2 packets Goya Con Azafran
1-1/2 tsp tomato paste
2 T srirscha sauce (or any other hot sauce that rocks your boat)
12 oz water
Juice of one lemon

In large sauce pan, heat the butter, olive oil, onions and garlic on low for about 5 minutes. Make sure the heat is low enough so you just sweat them. Add the tomato paste (I love the paste in the tube), sriracha sauce, Goya seasoning and water. Bring to a boil.

Now add the prepared shrimp and lemon juice, bring to a boil and lower to a simmer. Cook 5 minutes.

Mozambique shrimp is ready to be served. How easy is that? I paired this with brown rice and garnished with cooling diced cucumber and cilantro. I'd love you to try this- so tasty and simple. Let me know what you think.

Chicken Cassoulet

The first time I had a cassoulet or even knew that such a dish existed, was at the Westin Hotel in Boston sometime in the 80's. The chef at the time was French and had many fussy French dishes on the menu as well as some authentic, peasant dishes, one of which was a cassoulet. I was with my friend and co-worker Joe for lunch, and we were both game to try the cassoulet. Now this was a long time ago and my memory is a bit fuzzy. I remember the beans and the meat(s) in the dish, and remember the flavor of the broth dancing in my mouth. And I do remember that both our plates were licked clean by the end of the meal. But I never dreamed I could reproduce this hearty, full-bodied stew.  But this week I did. I came across a recipe for Chicken Cassoulet by Dawn Whitted from South Dakota that sounded delicious. I had to give it a whirl. Before I got in the kitchen, I did a little research and found out that Cassoulet is ususally made with pork or rabbit, and it gets its name from the pot it's cooked in- the cassole, an inverted cone shaped vessel. I cooked my cassoulet on top of the stove in my Farberware giant soup pot that has been with me for 40 years. Here's my adapted recipe of Dawn's Chicken Cassoulet via Farberware:

Chicken Cassoulet
Inspired by Dawn Whitted

Olive or canola oil
6 chicken thighs skin removed
5 chicken sausage links-I used sweet with basil
3/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
salt
pepper
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 medium onion chopped
1 small green pepper chopped
3 carrots chopped- I think next time I'll even add another one or two
3/4 cup Chardonney or another dry white wine
1 head of roasted garlic- my contribution
2 tomatoes seeded and diced
1 can (14.5 oz) stewed tomatoes-I used low salt
1 can (10.75 oz) cream of chicken soup- I used Campbell's Healthy Request
1 soup can of water
1 can (15.5 oz) Cannellini beans-Dawn uses 2 cans of great northern beans
2 dried bay leaves
Also note that Dawn uses 1/2 can of tomato paste and mushrooms as one of the vegetables.

Place 1T oil in large pot over medium. Add the chicken and brown on both sides. Remove and set aside. Add another T of oil and brown sausages on all sides. Remove from pan and set aside to cool. To same pot add chopped onions, green pepper and carrots and lower heat. Add the spices from oregano to red pepper flakes. If the veggies are sticking, add another tsp or two of oil.

When the vegetables are soft you'll want to deglaze the pan. See the brown mess stuck to the bottom of the pan? That's one of the ingredients that gives this stew its flavor. Add the wine and make sure to scrape up all the brown bits of chicken so they become part of the sauce.

Now add the roasted garlic, diced tomatoes, stewed tomatoes, cream of chicken soup, water and beans. Stir to combine and then add the bay leaves. Nestle the partially cooked chicken thighs and sausages into the creamy stew, cover pot and cook on low for one hour.
.

Remove cover and cook another 15 to 20 minutes. Your Cassoulet is ready. I fished out the meat and sliced the sausages into one inch pieces, and removed the bones from the chicken thighs and them in large chunks. I wanted to float some of Anne Burrell's croutons on top of my serving, but didn't have any bread in the house. I'll do that next time. And I think I might add a handful or two of baby spinach the last few minutes of cooking. Great meal with or without the croutons or spinach.

North African Chicken

In my never ending quest to keep things exciting in the kitchen, the other night I took my tastebuds on a trip and made what I'm now calling North African Chicken. I have a collection of miscellaneous, loose recipes that I recently perused, and left a recipe for North African Meatballs on top with the hope that I'd make it before it got lost in the stack again. The thing that intrigued me about this recipe was the combination of ingredients in the sauce.


I've been making a lot of meatballs lately and didn't have any ground meat in reserve. But I did have two chicken breasts and all the other ingredients the recipe called for, so I got down to business and made a flavorful, exotic, low fat dish that simmered on the stove top for 40 minutes. It's another quick, one-pot wonder that I'll definately make again.

I have no idea where the original recipe came from since my copy was handwritten by me, so I can't give anyone credit. I'm thinking it was an internet site where no name was published. Anyway, thank you internet.

North African Chicken

2 tsp canola oil
1 cup onion chopped
3 cloves garlic chopped
1 lemon zested
12 olives chopped (original recipe called for 1/2 cup) I used Kalamata
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup white wine
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup water
1 tsp sugar
salt
black pepper
2 chicken breasts, skinned with bones left in
2 cups cooked brown rice (my contribution)

Salt and pepper chicken breasts and set aside. In large saucepan saute onion in oil over medium low heat. You want to sweat the onions and not brown them (about 5-7 minutes). Add garlic and cook another minute more. Add lemon zest, olives, cinnamon and red pepper flakes and cook 1 minute. Add white wine and let it reduce for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and water. Add a pinch of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper and sugar. Bring to boil and add seasoned chicken breasts. Reduce heat to a low simmer, cover and cook 35 to 40 minutes. Remove chicken, cool slightly and take the meat off the bones. Place chicken pieces back into the sauce and serve.



I added 2 cups of cooked brown rice to my dish and it was delicious. However, I did some research after preparing this, and discovered that couscous is a staple in the North African kitchen, and that would be a wonderful way to soak up the aromatic liquid.

Still Stewed

I've been stewing a lot of chicken this year. It all started with my mom's old stand-by:

And then there was the Bashian Marinade Fiasko:

The African Kedjenou:

And the Asian obsession:

I've come to the conclusion that this kind of cooking is perfect for my no fuss style in the kitchen. I love a one pot meal that offers easy clean up, great aromas throughout the house, and leftovers that re-heat beautifully. And let's not forget how figure friendly and healthy this type of cooking is. So where do I go from here I wonder, to keep up my excitement? How about the exotic land of India.

A few weeks ago I was watching a new show on the food network hosted by an adorable gal named Aarti Sequeira. She's from India and was making an Indian version of our American Sloppy Joe's. That's not one of my favorite things to eat, yet the sauce she was concocting sure got my attention. I made a note to myself to incorportate her saucey spices in my next stewed chicken creation. And the only thing I didn't have in my pantry or fridge to complete this dish was the spice mix called Garam Masala. If you're not familiar with this seasoning, it's simply a combination of cumin, coriander, cardomom, pepper and cinnamon, and other spices indigenous to Indian cooking. You can make it yourself, but I took the easy route and bought a bottle in the spice aisle of my supermarket for about six dollars.

Indian Inspired Stewed Chicken and Sweet Potatoes

4 bone in chicken thighs, skin removed

salt and pepper

1 T canola oil

1 cup diced onions

1 cup diced green and/or red peppers

2 T minced fresh ginger

1 T minced garlic

1 Serrano chile, seeds included, thinly sliced (I'd use 2 next time)

1 tsp Garam Masala

1/2 tsp paprika

1 15 oz can tomato sauce

1 14.5 oz can low fat, low sodium chicken broth

2 medium size sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 2 inch dice

1/4 cup fresh cilantro for garnish

Salt and pepper the chicken and set aside. Over medium low heat in large pot add canola oil. When oil is warm, add onions and peppers. Cook about 5 minutes until the vegetables have softened, but not browned. Add garlic and ginger and cook for about 1 minute. Add Garam Masala, paprika, 1/2 tsp of salt, black pepper and the Serrano chili. Stir for about 30 seconds and you'll begin to smell the spices emitting their warmth. Add the tomato sauce and chicken broth and increase heat to a rolling simmer. Add chicken, reduce heat to low and cover pot. Cook 25 minutes at a gentle simmer. After 25 minutes add the diced sweet potatoes and continue to cook with the chicken for 15 to 20 minutes. Your Indian stew is ready. I like to serve this with rice, and next time maybe even toss in some raisins toward the end of cooking. I really enjoyed this meal and will make it again for sure.

Thai Red Curry Stew...The Sequal

When it comes to cooking and creating in the kitchen I often develop Obsessive Compulsive Recipe Disorder. I went through that when I discovered Panko and more recently with my Red Curry Chicken Vegetable Stew. I couldn't get enough of that tasty dish which I devoured in no time, and had to have it again 2 days later. There were a few changes I decided to make and a new technique I thought I'd try on this go-round. I wanted to cut back slightly on the amount of coconut milk and cook the rice in the same pot as the stew- so this would truly be a "one pot" meal.

Being the frugal cook that I am, I hated discarding 1/2 a can of coconut milk (that's why I used 1 full cup in the last recipe) but Google informed me that I could freeze what I didn't use. How convenient. So I cut back on the milk. And then the rice element...well, I have a hard time making a properly cooked pot of brown rice (I always burn the bottom) and decided to use a bag of Success Rice and cook it directly in the broth. Success was achieved. The rice not only came out perfect, but the starch in the rice thickened the liquid/broth to perfection. And by now you've guessed I added ground cayenne pepper and changed the vegetables too. Well, snow peas and red peppers were on sale. What's a gal to do?

Thai Red Curry Chicken and Vegetable Stew #2

1 T canola oil
1 cup onion finely chopped (1/4 cup more than last time)
1 T Thai Red Curry Paste
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1/2 -1 tsp ground cayenne pepper (I used 1 tsp)
1/2 cup lite coconut milk
1 14.5 oz can fat free chicken broth
1/2 cup water
2 T fish sauce
1 T brown sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 bone in chicken thighs, skinned
1 bag Success Brown Rice (I used the small size but the large would work equally as well)
2 red peppers sliced in 1/2 inch strips
1 8 oz bag of snow peas
1 8 oz package of sliced mushrooms
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Heat oil in large pot over medium low heat. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes until onions are soft and translucent. Add garlic, curry paste and cayenne pepper. Cook for one minute. Add coconut milk, broth, water, fish sauce, brown sugar, salt and black pepper. Stir to combine and bring to boil. Add chicken and reduce heat to a low simmer. Cover and cook for 35 minutes. Remove chicken to a separate plate and add the bag of Success rice. While rice is cooking (uncovered), shred chicken and set aside. Cook rice 10 minutes and remove. Add mushrooms and red pepper strips to liquid and cook 10 minutes (covered). Add the snow peas, cook 2 minutes. When snow peas are done, place chicken back in pot, add lemon juice and stir. Dinner is ready. And this is one GREAT one-pot meal.

From a cold nose to an Asian stew

It seems that summer is saying good-bye to those of us in New England. I left my bedroom windows open on Saturday night and reality hit when I awoke Sunday morning with a cold nose and a strong desire for my electric blanket. My first thought was that I needed to do some shopping for fall clothes. But then I quickly switched gears and realized it's once again time for some comfort food. I have to admit I've been getting tired of the grilled fish and salad routine and the thought of spending time in the kitchen was more enticing than looking at clothing styles I don't even like. So I perused my pantry and decided to make a variation of my mom's stewed chicken. An Asian variation. I've had this half-used jar of Thai Red Curry Paste in my fridge that became the inspiration for this stew/soup. The dish turned out milder than I expected due to the rich coconut milk, but very tasty. And with the possibilities of additional spices and different vegetables this is a versatile meal that you can adjust depending on who you're dining with. Also, I had all the ingredients at home, but they are readily available in the Asian aisle of most supermarkets, and their shelf lives are long lasting. And one more thing, this recipe is simple and quick. The only work I did was chop the garlic, open a few cans and pre-washed vegetables in bags. And did I mention this meal is delicious?



Red Curry Chicken and Vegetable Stew

1 T canola oil
3/4 cup onion finely chopped (I use the frozen already chopped-no more tears)
1 T Thai Red Curry Paste (comes in a 4 oz jar)
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 cup lite coconut milk (it comes in a can)
1 14.5 oz can 99% fat free chicken broth
2 T fish sauce (in the Asian aisle)
1 T brown sugar
1 tsp salt
4 bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed
1 15 oz can cut baby corn drained
1 12oz bag green beans, halved
8 oz sliced mushrooms
juice of 1/2 lemon

2 cups cooked brown rice

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes until translucent and softened. Add curry paste and garlic and cook one minute. Do not let the garlic burn. Add coconut milk, chicken stock, fish sauce, sugar and salt. Bring mixture to a boil. Add the chicken, cover and reduce heat to a low simmer. Cook 30 minutes. Add vegetables and cook 10 minutes more. Turn off heat and remove chicken to a separate plate. Squeeze in the lemon juice and stir. I like to shred the chicken so I let it cool slightly and once shredded I add it back to the soup/stew. I serve this in bowls with a half cup of brown rice piled in the center. If I had cilantro I'd have sprinkled it as a garnish.

As I mentioned earlier, if you're looking for heat, you can do a lot to this recipe to fire it up since the coconut milk does tame it. I'd add 1/2 tsp of ground cayenne pepper or 1 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes when you're cooking the garlic. A teaspoon of Sambal Olek garnish on top of the rice is a nice touch too. Now let's talk about the various veggies you can use. How about sliced zucchini, sno peas, bok choy, canned bamboo shoots, canned water chestnuts or carrot rounds?

However you make this Red Curry Stew, I bet you'll see clean plates all around. Enjoy!

Ratatouille

Summer produce from my friend Fran's garden is what healthy cooking is all about. Last weekend she presented me with baby eggplants, summer squash, green peppers and tomatoes and the next thing I knew I was in my kitchen making a ratatouille that's fast, easy and delicious. I didn't follow a recipe and just did what seemed to feel right. I also used a few items from my fridge. With a dish like this- any, and (almost) every combination seems to work. So have fun- and change, omit and add ingredients any way you like.



Garden Ratatouille

2 T canola oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green pepper
3 cloves garlic chopped
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp crushed red pepper
2 baby eggplants peeled and cut into 1" dice
1 8 oz package sliced mushrooms
1 summer squash cut into 1" dice
1 zucchini cut into 1" dice
2 plum tomatoes chopped
1 jar 14 oz Classico tomatoe sauce
1 jar 14 oz of water
2 small bay leaves
additional salt and pepper if necessary

Heat oil in large saucepan on medium/medium low. Add onions and green pepper and sweat them for about 5 to 10 minutes. Add garlic, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes and cook for a minute. Add eggplant, mushrooms, summer squash, zucchini and plum tomatoes. When mushrooms and eggplant begin to soften add tomato sauce, water and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer and cook 25 minutes uncovered. This will allow some of the water to evaporate and the flavors to concentrate. And that's it. You've got ratatouille!

I didn't measure the quantity this recipe makes, but it is substantial. So I decided to make a pasta cheese bake with some of it.



Baked Ratatouille, Penne and Cheese

1-1/2 cups penne pasta uncooked (I use low carb Dreamfields)
3 cups of ratatouille mixture
1 cup reduced fat shredded Italian 4 cheese blend (I used Sargento- I love all their cheeses)
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook penne according to package directions. Coat an 8 x 8 inch baking dish with cooking spray. In large bowl combine penne, ratatouille and 4 cheese blend. Pour penne mixture into baking dish, top with parmesan cheese and bake 30 to 35 minutes. I had this for dinner with a crisp green salad and lunch the next day with a few slices of Italian bread.

And what happened to the remaining ratatouille? It's in the freezer for round two next week...



...which will be ratatouille served on crusty bruschetta. It makes a great appetizer or light lunch and can be served warm or at room temperature. One little tip here- before I top the bruschettas, I go back into the dish and chop the veggies a little smaller so nothing rolls off the small rounds of bread. Enjoy!

Over Excited

Sometimes I get so excited about making a new recipe that I neglect to thoroughly read it, jump in head first and then realize I'm short a few ingredients and have to improvise. I hate doing that on a first try, and have been pretty good lately. That was until Friday. You see, I'm having some structural work done in my dining room which is connected to my kitchen and hadn't done any creative cooking all week. I wanted to make Bashian chicken with the six thighs I had frozen two weeks ago. Mid week I took the chicken out to defrost, went to the market to get the ingredients and Friday, with workmen gone for the weekend I was ready to rock and roll.




And then I gave the recipe a closer look. First of all it was hand written by me, I haven't a clue when, on a scrap of paper that was stuffed in my little recipe box (from the 70's) that I still use for odd little tid-bits I pick up here and there. Well, the recipe was incomplete. It was for a marinade for Bashian/Caribbean chicken and had no cooking instructions. Okay. I wanted to create, and now was my chance.



You'll need a blender for this.

Bashian Chicken:

2 red peppers diced
1/2 large onion diced-original recipe called for 1, but it seemed like a lot to me
4 scallions diced-original recipe said greens only. What the heck I used the bulbs too
oil- original recipe had no amount, so I started with 1 T and added a tsp more as the mixture was blending
1 Scotch Bonnet pepper diced- I used 3 Serano chilis since I was afraid the Scotch Bonnet would be too hot for even my palate. I left the seeds in
3 cloves of garlic chopped
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon- no specific amount was given so I guessed at the 1/2 tsp
1/4 tsp ground allspice- same with the allspice, a guess
1/4 tsp black pepper
3/4 tsp salt- this wasn't in the ingredient list at all, but it needs to be included
6 bone in chicken thighs, skin removed
1 can 14.5 oz fat free, low sodium chicken broth

Put all ingredients in a blender except chicken and chicken broth and buzz until liquified. I have issues with blenders since I seem to blow out or ignite their motors, so I now use the "ice crush" button for things like this, and so far I've been safe. When liquified you'll still see bits of peppers and onions and the color is a nice shade of coral. At this point taste the marinade. It was here that I realized it really needed salt. Also, the mixture was so spicey I had second thoughts about continuing. But I did. Place chicken and marinade in a large plastic re-sealable bag and refrigerate. There's no acid in the marinade so I imagine you could leave the chicken for a day or two if necessary. I got back to mine the next afternoon. Put chicken and all the marinade into a large pot and add the broth. Bring mixture to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes.

I must say, the aroma in the house while this was cooking was heavenly. Cinnamon, allspice, black pepper and chicken broth are a delightful combination and captured the Caribbean vibe I was looking for. And when I tasted the sauce, the once overwhelming spiciness from the chilis had mellowed and I was a little sorry I hadn't used the Scotch Bonnet.

For the next stage of my Caribbean adventure I decided to make rice. I poured the cooked marinade and broth into a large measuring cup, skimmed off the fat (there was very little) and used it as my cooking liquid for the rice. Oh mon! It was all so good.

Stewed

I don't cook much meat or poultry, but when my market had chicken thighs for 99 cents a pound, I grabbed a package and decided to make my mom's stewed chicken. It's tomato-based and it's easy. And delicious. And like most stews, it gets tastier every day it sits in the fridge. Oh- and before I forget, this dish is healthy to the max. Did you know that... 1 red pepper has 3 times the amount of vitamin C as an orange? I use 3 peppers. And mushrooms and tomatoes help lower your cholesterol? Plus, something I just learned, mushrooms strengthen your bones. That all sounds impressive- but the best thing is, this stew tastes great.

Elaine's Stewed Chicken

8 bone in chicken thighs, skin removed

2 tsp canola oil

1 1/2 cups onion diced

2 tsp garlic diced

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (I use more, but if you're serving children, stick with 1/4 tsp)

2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes

1 8 oz can tomato sauce

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

8 oz sliced button or baby bela mushrooms

3 peppers sliced (I used 1 red, 1 green and 1 yellow)

In large pot over medium-low heat add canoa oil, then onions. Cook onions on a low enough heat to soften and not brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Then add salt, pepper, Old Bay, and cayenne. Cook a minute or two more, until spices have combined with the onions and garlic. Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano and crushed red pepper. Increase heat to reach a high simmer. Add chicken. I carefully tuck the thighs in, so they are completely covered with liquid. Cover pot and reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Cook 40 minutes. Add mushrooms and peppers. Cover and cook 15 minutes more. It's done, ready to eat. Or cool and refrigerate for another time.

After cooking, I remove the meat from the bones, because it's just about falling off them anyway. Plus I think it makes a nice presentation. Serving suggestions? How about brown rice (that's what I did), but other options I like include egg noodles, pasta, mashed potatoes, polenta. You get the picture- anything that will soak up the flavorful sauce. And if the spirit moves you, add a sprinkle of parmesan on top.