Braised pork with tomato gravy and pasta

Last night I threw together an amazing meal! I didn't have a recipe to go by, didn't even know what route I was going to go. But it was good!

Start with 1 large-ish pork loin (2-3 pounds). Slice into 1 inch slices. Season with salt, pepper and Pizza seasoning, from Penzeys. I wasn't sure if it would work, but the spices in the seasoning blend worked great. In a large, deep pan, over medium high heat, with olive oil, sear the pork slices on both sides. Remove to a plate and work in batches; don't overcrowd the pan.

When the pork is seared, toss in 1 medium onion, diced. Toss around until the onions start to soften and pick up some color from the pan. Add about 1 TB each of dried basil and oregano. A large-ish pinch of red pepper flake. Stir to cook for a short 30 seconds. Deglaze the pan with 3/4 cup of red wine. A dry red is preferred. Scrape up all the bits from the bottom of the pan.

When the wine has reduced down by at least half, add 1 cup of chicken broth, 1 14 oz can of diced tomato and 1 8oz can of tomato sauce. Stir and bring to a simmer. I didn't have any fresh garlic, so at this point, I did a liberal sprinkle of garlic powder.

Return the pork slices to the pan and submerge in the sauce. Cover and place in a 300 degree oven for an hour. After an hour, remove the cover. Start a pot of water boiling for pasta. Once the pasta is added to the pot of water, remove the pork/sauce pot from the oven. Take the slices of pork out of the sauce and roughly chop the tender meat into bite size pieces. Return to the sauce. Optional, add a splash of cream to smooth out the sauce, mellow the flavors (I used a lot of black pepper) and add a richness.

When the pasta is done, drain and toss with the sauce. Reserve some cooking water, in case your sauce has reduced too much to dress the pasta. Serve hot and delicious!

For reasonable servings, you'd get at least 6 servings. I think we got five. I had enough sauce and meat to serve with 3/4 of a box of spiral pasta. 3 hefty servings for three hungry peeps, plus 2 good sized lunch portions. Not bad for a mostly pantry meal. I had the pork loin from the weekend shopping trip and everything else was in the cupboard or fridge!

Cozy Braised Chicken

The other night the Fabulous Becca & Mia from Red Letter Days in San Diego rolled into town on a cross country drive. As I continue to lobby the creation of Red Letter Days East Coast, I thought I'd try seducing the ladies with some braised chicken and plenty of sparkling wine!

It might take some time, but I'm pretty sure it worked!

Start with the recipe here.

Braised Chicken with Shallots, Fennel and Bacon

Get some of your ingredients ready. Fennel. Shallots. Carrots. Bacon.


Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Sear until the skin is crispy in the reserved bacon fat! Don't worry, the chicken doesn't cook through, just get the skin crisp and some of the fat is rendered out.


Pour out the fat from the pan, reserving one to two tablespoons. Start sauting the vegetables.


Carrots, Fennel, Shallots with an herb blend of thyme, sage, rosemary and parsley.


Snuggle the chicken into the vegetables and add some dry white wine and chicken broth, bring to a simmer, cover and place in the oven for an hour.


Remove the chicken from the braising liquid and scoop the veggies out to the side. Boil the liquid until it's reduced down to about one to two cups. Stir in a tablespoon or two of butter. In the last minute or two of simmering, add the bacon. Pour over the chicken.


Serve steaming hot.

Catch Up & Wine Tasting

Let's play catch-up...again...?!!?? Sorry I haven't been blogging as much lately. It's one of the few things I feel guilty about. I've committed so much time to Eat With Me, that when I let days slide by without posting, I feel like a neglectful baby. Well, such is life and other ongoing projects. I'll keep trucking along and ask that you bear with me...

This week has been about not spending extra money and using what we have at home. To that end, we had some bratwurst in the freezer and those became Sunday night's dinner.

I wasn't up for firing up the grill, so I par-boiled the brats to cook them through. Then they were give a quick fry up in a pan, followed my a nice bath in beer, onions and butter. Heaven on a bun! Oh, we didn't have buns, we had a left over loaf of Italian bread that was purchased over the weekend. All was good.


Monday night I took some frozen chicken thighs out of the freezer and prepped them for a warm, slightly spicy/smoky braise. First, I cooked up a few slices of bacon that was cut into 1/2 pieces. With the fat rendered, I seared the chicken after seasoning it with salt, pepper and a blend of sweet paprika, smoky paprika, dried mustard and oregano. After the chicken was seared, I sauted some onions, red peppers and two medium tomatoes that I had seeded and diced. To that I added about 1 cup of chicken broth. When brought to a simmer, I returned the chicken to the pan, covered and placed in a 300 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes. Tender, juicy and flavorful chicken. Just prior to serving, I removed the chicken to a plate and simmered the braising liquid down to create a sauce. I returned the cooked bacon bits to the sauce and served over the chicken with some steamed rice and green beans. A very satisfying dinner. I'll make this again.


I felt I needed to get away and get lost this weekend so I took a great drive to the Shenandoah National Park and drove about half of Skyline Drive. What a beautiful day! I got lost in thoughts and reflection on things that have been happening over the past years and just let myself absorb all Mother Nature had to offer. It was a great experience.


On my way back from the Shenandoah National Park, I stopped at three different wineries and participated in their tastings. There was Rappahannock Cellars, Fox Meadow Winery and Philip Carter Winery. Rappahannock was the first stop and best for tasting, they seemed to really know the business of the tasting experience, great service and a nice atmosphere. The thing I think I appreciated the most; the bottle of water included with the tasting fee!!!! You know how often I've had to ask for water at a tasting? I loved it. The wines were all interesting and the guy who helped me out seemed to know what he was talking about and was genuinely interested in what my thoughts where. I left with a bottle of Meritage. Fox Meadow offered a tasting with food pairings. The pairings were tiny pieces of nibbles...I'm talking small, but you got enough to notice the differences with the wines. The most interest was Pinot Gris with rice krispie treats! It was a lovely pairing. I left here with a bottle of Merlot. The last visit was a terrifying experience for me, considering how mellow of a day I had been having. Philip Carter had some sort of special event going on and there were LOUD stinky children running around and screaming...and LOUD drunk adults screaming everywhere. I considered leaving, but I was curious about the wine. Finally, I got someone to help me out and I enjoyed several wines, they were good, but the most interesting here was the Chardonnay, which was oaked and not something I usually like, but the oak wasn't in your face monster oak, I really appreciated it, so I brought a bottle of that home with me! Good times...except for all the loud people!

More wrappin'

On Tuesday night, we continued our wrappin' dinners. This time I was going to make a braised chicken/Mexican-style wrap.

I started by sauteing some boneless/skinless chicken thighs in a Dutch oven. The chicken was seasoned with salt & pepper and cooked in olive oil, just until crispy, but not cooked through. Remove the chicken to a plate.

,Add in 1 medium red onion, sliced. Give the onions about five minutes to dance around.

After the onions have softened add some veg. I thought I had a few bell peppers I planned to use. Wrong! I had one sweet Hungarian pepper, so I used that. If I had more, I would have used more. Let those move around a bit, then add some minced garlic and the spices. In this case I used some ground cumin and chipotle chile powder. The recipe I used called for using two chipotle en adobe, I recommend caution with chipotle, I think the flavors can go from nice to overpowering and bratty way to quickly.

Stir in a can of diced tomatoes and some addition water. Stir in some uncooked rice and return the chicken to the pot. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 20-25 minutes. The chicken will finish cooking, as will the rice. Now we wrap...

Scoop in some rice and vegetables. I roughly chopped the chicken and put some ontop of the rice. Add some avocado and maybe some cheese (used up some mozzeralla). If you have some black beans, you could add that, as well as some salsa.

Roll up and enjoy...very filling, totally satisfying and full of subtle flavors. The only thing missing for me, some more peppers, perhaps sauted instead of braised with the chicken and rice, so they would retain some of their crunch. And perhaps a little squirt of lime juice and some cilantro. But all and all, very good!

Recipe from Everyday Food.

Chipotle Chicken & Rice

2 TB vegetable oil
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 pounds total)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced lengthwise
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo, minced
2 large tomatoes, diced large
1 cup long-grain white rice
Lime wedges, for serving
Chopped cilantro leaves, for serving (optional)

Directions

1. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Season chicken on both sides with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Working in batches, brown chicken on both sides, about 6 minutes total; transfer to a plate.
2. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and saute until soft, about 5 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pot (if necessary, add a bit of water to release browned bits).
3. Add garlic, cumin, and chiles; cook until garlic is soft and fragrant, 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and 1 teaspoon salt and cook until tomatoes begin to break down and release their juices, 3 minutes. Stir in 1 cup water and return chicken and any accumulated juices to pot. Cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook 25 minutes.
4. Remove several pieces of chicken and stir in rice, making sure it is completely submerged in liquid. Replace chicken, cover, and cook until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed, 25 to 30 minutes more. Serve with lime wedges and cilantro if desired.

Ribs & Polenta

Last night I made pork ribs and served it on cheesy polenta. All pretty tasty. The only not awesome part of the meal was the polenta's texture. I had regular, finely ground cornmeal. A more coarsely ground cornmeal would have been nicer.

Creamy, cheesy polenta...or grits...depending on your heritage.

To make the polenta, I used about 3/4 cup of cornmeal, that I slowly added to a pot of boiling liquid (1 cup water, 1 cup 1/2 & 1/2), plus one tablespoon of butter. Stir until cooked thru, depending on the type of cornmeal you make (10-30 minutes). Season with salt & pepper. If the polenta will be cheesy, add a handful or two of your favorite cheese, shredded. Another pat or two of butter are also acceptable additions. Chopped herbs as well.

Ribs resting on the cheesy polenta with some extra broth.

I made the same ribs as this recipe, the only difference was the type of seasoning I used as a dry rub. The variety I used was loaded with extra black pepper. Without the polenta as a side, the ribs were super tender and juicy, but also little pepper pots. Not that that is bad in and of itself, but the other flavors were very muted and pushed to the back of the line, barely being noticed, even while raising their hands and shouting for attention.

All in all, the pork paired with the polenta was a delightful combination.

Braised Beef-Italian Style

Here's another "Two from One" meal. This was accidental, and I haven't made part two yet, so I'm hoping it will be delicious.

Monday night's dinner was a braised beef roast. I was looking for a brisket, but the store did not have it. So I went with a London Broil. I don't know the cuts of beef...that's one of those areas of cooking I'm just not that knowledgeable about. I braised the beef with "Italian" flavors. It was tasty. The second part of the meal will be tonight, so stay tuned.

Start by seasoning the beef with salt & pepper, then searing it. After browning, add some broth (beef and/or chicken), add a can of diced tomatoes,with their juices. Season all with oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary and parsley. Next time I think I'll add some red wine as well.

Cover and braise in the oven for 2-3 hours. Half way through your time, add frozen pearl onions and in this case I added some carrots for the veg.

Slice the beef and serve with the veg. Spoon some of the sauce over the beef.

I will admit, the beef was quite dry. I'm sure it was the temperature I cooked it at. As I was making this on a school night, I didn't want to eat dinner at 10 pm, so I cooked the roast at 350 degrees for just two hours. The meat was tender and had a nice flavor, but it was dry. If I had more time, say a Sunday afternoon, I would braise it at 300 for three hours or so. The heat causes the meat to tighten up and release it's moisture. With the lower heat, the meat won't tighten up as much and won't force out as much moisture.

Braised Beef-Italian Style
Beef Roast-Brisket or London Broil about 3lbs
1 TB olive oil
1 can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups frozen pearl onions
4 carrots, cut to 1/4-1/2 inch pieces
1 cup broth (beef or chicken or combo of both)
1 tsp, dried oregano, basil, parsley
1/2 tsp, thyme, rosemary
1 TB butter (optional)

Liberally season the beef with salt & pepper.

Add olive oil to a large oven proof pan over high heat. Sear the beef on both sides. About 5 minutes per side.

Add the broth and spices. Bring the liquid to a simmer. Add the onions and carrots. Cover and place in a 350 degree oven for two hours (or 300 for three hours). Half way through the cooking, check the veggies--if they are tender, spoon them out to a bowl and cover with foil. You don't want mushy carrots and onions. For the last 30 minutes of cooking, remove the cover to allow the sauce to start to reduce.

When cooking is complete, remove the roast to a cutting board and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes. Add the veggies back to the sauce, bring sauce to a very low simmer, to warm the veggies and continue the reduction of the sauce. Add the butter to enrich the sauce.

Slice the beef for serving. Drizzle sauce over the beef and serve the veg on the side. Enjoy.

Save 1/2 the roast for part two of our "Two from One" meal plan. Coming tonight!

Welcome to February

Welcome to February everyone. I hope the month started well for you all.

I was living the bachelor life for the weekend while J-lo was visiting family, so I didn't do much of anything. I roasted some garlic to make up a batch of hummus and the always killer "Over The Rainbow Mac & Cheese" for little Anna's 2nd birthday party. The hummus was tasty and the mac & cheese...well...it was pretty redonk.

Outside of that I had take-out pizza and granola and oatmeal and apples and peanut butter and chips. NICE!

Last night was a freezer raid dinner. I thawed out a previous batch of sauce for Indian Butter Chicken and some chicken thighs. I seared the chicken for a quick bit in a large pot. I removed the chicken and removed the chicken skin. I poured in the thawed sauce and brought it to a very low simmer. The chicken went into the sauce. There wasn't enough sauce to cover the chicken so I added a little chicken broth to cover. I covered the pot and put it in a 350 degree oven for an hour. If you've been following what I've been doing a lot of, this is a braise. Slow, gently cooking in a wet environment.

I love making the butter chicken sauce and freezing it for moments exactly like this. 5-10 minutes of work and a succulent and delicious dinner! So easy.

Not a great picture...but one hour after cooking, the chicken was tender, juicy and full of the great flavors of the sauce. Nice dinner.

I've been a braising fool

For some reason I was feeling particularly German the other night. No reason that I can point out. Maybe it was my mood for beer and mustard. So I decided they should marry and be my dinner, in one combination or another. What happened? Chicken braised in beer with carrots and mustard roasted potatoes. How was it? OMG, so good! This is one of those things I just threw together, so I can't guarantee the recipe until I try it at least one more time...but in the meantime, here you go...

Beer Braised Chicken
4 Chicken Thighs-bone in/skin on
1/2 onion, diced
1 garlic clove, peeled
3 carrots cut into equal size sticks
1 cup beer
1/2 cup chicken broth
3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt/Pepper
2 TB Olive Oil

1. Season the chicken with salt & pepper. Heat oven to 400.

2. Heat the oil over medium high heat until shimmering. Add the chicken, skin side down. Don't crowd the pot or the chicken will steam. Let the chicken cook and sear for about 5 minutes. Flip and cook for 3 minutes. Remove to a plate.

3. If the pan is full of fat (olive oil & rendered chicken fat), drain all but 1 TB out. You may not need to do this.

4. Add the onion and saute until translucent, season with a pinch of salt and grind of pepper. Add the garlic clove and stir. Pour in the beer. Bring to a simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken broth, thyme and bay leaf. Stir. Place the chicken back in the pot, skin side up. Pour in any accumulated juices from the chicken. Toss the carrots around the chicken. The chicken should be at least 1/2 covered with liquid--if not add additional broth, beer or water. Cover and place in the hot oven for 30 minutes.

5. If you wish to serve the chicken with the skin on (recommended!), place on a rimmed baking sheet and place under the broiler for about 5 minutes--the skin will crisp up in that time. Otherwise it will be soggy, flabby and unappetizing.

6. With the chicken out of the pot, remove the carrots to a bowl and keep warm. Place the pot and the braising liquid over high heat and boil until reduced by half for a lovely jus to serve with the chicken. Spoon the sauce over the chicken after it's plated.

The pot before it goes in the oven. You need to sear it first to start to get a crust on the skin, build a flavor base and to render out some of the chicken fat. The carrots will come out very tender. If you want them to have a firmer texture, add about 1/2 way through the braising process.

Serve the chicken, sauce and carrots with Mustard Roasted Potatoes for a lovely German/Bavarian-style dish.

Another Flavorful Braise

This dish is the cover recipe of the recent Fine Cooking magazine. Before I get to the recipe; Fine Cooking has undergone a make-over and I'm not loving it. Makes me a little sad, as it has been THE food magazine for me for ages, I credit it often in teaching me new recipes, techniques and tips. Most of the changes have been cosmetic, but I also felt a lack of recipes in this first re-designed issue. Just my opinion...

Anyway, braised chicken. I seriously have grown fond of braising chicken thighs for some serious flavor and beautifully tender meat, as well as the thighs are very affordable, and who doesn't like that! If you're not a fan of dark meat, give this method of cooking a chance, you may not turn back. Also, braising is easy, fairly forgiving and open to many different interpretations for flavor.

Using bone-in/skin-on chicken thighs, you need to sear the meat. I switched the recipe steps around and cooked the bacon first, then seared the chicken in some of the bacon fat.

When the chicken is done, you start to saute some fennel, carrots and shallots, add some fresh parsley and thyme.

Braising has one downfall, you can't have crispy skin on your chicken. Usually, I sear the chicken to render the fat and start to establish a flavor base for the cooking liquid, then I remove and discard the skin. This time, when the braising was complete, I put everything on a baking sheet and put it under the broiler. The skin crisped up perfectly. The veggies got a light touch of crispness as well.

The braising liquid (wine & chicken broth) is fairly light and needs to be reduced on the stove top to make a rich, lovely sauce. Let this boil for about 10-15 minutes, reducing to about one cup of liquid.

Plate up. Chicken, veggies, bacon, sauce. Delicious. The carrots kept a bit of crunch, the fennel and shallots were soft, the bacon chewy. Great textual contrast paired with wonderful flavor components. The fennel's anise flavors paired beautifully with the carrots and contrasted the rich sweetness of the bacon and shallots and complimented the moist chicken. Well done.

NOTE: The recipe will be forthcoming when I have it in front of me.

alla Italiana

WOW...right...I'm actually posting something I made...woot...first time in ages it seems...I mean with work travel, busted camera, being the sick and a national election...i've been seemingly preoccupied!

Tonight's dinner is my Italian version of Coq au Vin (Chicken in Wine), a slow-cooked dish that warms the belly and fills the home with a great aroma! This one came together fairly quickly in my head and the prep time is pretty quick as well. An added bonus...it's CHEAP, tasty and filling.

Coq au Vin alla Italiana
1 package, boneless, skinless chicken thighs (5 thighs in the package)
salt & pepper
3 TB olive oil
1/2 large onion, diced
6 garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp dried parsley
pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
Splash of water or chicken broth (as needed)

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the olive oil to a medium pot, over medium high heat. When shimmering, add the chicken. Sear until browned, about 4 minutes per side. Remove to a plate.

Add the onions and garlic to the pan. Stir for about one minute. Add the wine. Stir to bring up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Cook until the wine has nearly evaporated and the pan is almost dry. Add the herbs and spices. Pour in the tomatoes and their juice. Stir to incorporate. Bring to a simmer. Add the chicken back to the pot, cover and simmer over low heat for an hour. Make sure the chicken is covered at least 1/2 way with the tomato/sauce mixture, if not, add water or chicken broth to cover chicken at least half way with the braising liquid.

When you're ready to serve, uncover, remove the chicken and bring to a boil and reduce, allowing sauce to thicken.

Serve chicken and sauce over rice, pasta or couscous.

The chicken is seared with salt/pepper. The chicken does not cook all the way thru, it will finish cooking later in the braising liquid.


This the bottom of the pan. All the bits and fat and yumminess, that's fond. That will yield a lot of great flavor when dissolved in the wine.


Onions, wine and garlic.


Notice how the wine has nearly evaporated, leaving a rich flavor base for the tomatoes to stir into.


The chicken has been nestled into the sauce and braising has begun.


Served up with rice. Make sure to serve a little extra sauce for the rice to soak it up.

Braised Ribs

Something went right last night! I did braised spareribs. They were tender, moist and had great flavor. Why did something go right? All the times I've tried to braise ribs before, they were dry, tough and had good flavor. Something went right. I'm guessing two things. 1) Low heat. I braised at 300 degrees for 90 minutes. In the past I braised for longer at a higher temp...maybe too long or maybe too hot? 2) I think I had the right amount of braising liquid! The ribs were just about 2/3rds covered. In the past I might have covered too much? As for the great flavor, I marinaded the ribs in a dry rub over night. Vann's Mesquite Rub. Perfect for pork, which I recently used here.

After your ribs marinate over night. Sear them in a medium hot pan with a little olive oil. You want to develop a crust and leave some flavor in the bottom of the pan, a.k.a. "fond." Don't pack the ribs in the pan or they will steam instead of searing, that's not good eats.

Once the ribs are seared you need to create your braising liquid. Add 1/2 an onion that has been diced. Add a little garli and a few pinches of hot pepper powder (I used Ancho Chile Powder), coriander, cumin, cinnamon, thyme, oregano and another spoon of the Mesquite spice rub. Add 1 TB of tomato paste. Pour in 1/2 cup of a pilsner beer. Simmer until the fond (good stuff stuck on the bottom of the pan) has scraped up and dissolved. Add the ribs back into the pan and add water until they are 2/3rds covered. Use a broth if you like for more flavor. Bring to a simmer, cover and put in a 300 degree oven for 90 minutes.

The liquid will reduce further and the ribs will be very tender. Serve and spoon a little of the liquid on top.

Ribs with cornbread. Serve with slaw or mashed potatoes or polenta or....you name it. Very tasty.

Smokin' Flavor

Not the best photo, but you get the idea...slow, tangy, smoky, tender, juicy, satisfying.


Beer & Chipotle Braised Pork Chops
4 pork chops, trimmed of excess fat
2 TB olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 tsp each of dried cumin, coriander, oregano
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup dark/amber beer
1 chipotle pepper, finely diced
1 8 oz can of tomato sauce
salt & pepper

Place a medium fry pan over high heat. When hot, add the olive oil. Season the chops with salt and pepper. Gently place in the fry pan, careful not to splash hot oil. Allow to sit for a few quick minutes until the chops develop some color and crust. Flip. Repeat until the second side is browned. Remove to a plate.

Add the onions and stir to pick up the left over oil and they start to become translucent, two or three minutes. Add the herbs and spices, allow to toast for a minute, stirring frequently. Pour the beer, stir to pick up all the bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the tomato sauce and finely diced chipotle pepper. Stir to incorporate. Place the pork chops back in the pan, nestle them down into the sauce, cover and simmer over the lowest heat for 45 minutes to an hour for tender, fall apart chops. Check every 15-20 minutes, move the chops around so they or the sauce don't burn.

I served with rice and steamed corn; a good dinner.

Monday and Tuesday

Monday night's dinner was the Pasta Frittata that I made a few months ago. Very tasty, very satisfying. This was the budget version. The original calls for marscapone and creme fraiche. I used cream cheese and sour cream. Very good. I also added one small green bell pepper diced. This will come as a shock to those of you who know me, but I even considered...thought about...but didn't...add a small bit of broccoli. I can't stand it, but I know it's good for me...I thought this might be a good way to use it. Maybe next time...or I'll still not use broccoli and try another green veg.


On Tuesday morning, I got up and threw together the Braised Brisket recipe and put everything in the slow cooker. When J-lo left for work, he turned it to low. When I got home last night, perfectly cooked. One hour before dinner, I added some quartered white potatoes. When they were tender, served up! Very meaty. Very old skool meat and taters dinner. Nice to use the slow cooker!

Braised Greek Chicken

And we're back...with Kara's Greek Chicken Throwdown.

This was a pretty simple recipe that can easily take some alterations for personal preferences.


Braised Greek Chicken

I started with:
2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
2 TB olive oil
2 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped into large pieces
1/2 large onion, medium dice
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, medium dice
1 TB tomato paste
1 cup dry white wine (only use 1/2 cup next time)
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 lemon, sliced (omit next time, perhaps a squeeze of juice when serving?)
1 small bunch fresh thyme
1/3 cup fresh oregano leaves
Salt/Pepper

Serve with rice

Start by preparing all your ingredients. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.

In a medium, oven-safe sauce pan, skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat, sear the chicken breasts in the olive oil until golden brown. You are not cooking the chicken through, just browning. About 4-5 minutes skin side down and about 2-3 minutes on the flip side.

When the chicken is browned, remove to a plate or bowl. Lower the heat to medium and add your onions. If the pan is pretty dry, add a drizzle of oil. Allow the onions to sizzle and saute for about 4 minutes, until they begin to become translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Add the tomato paste and allow to caramelize for about 30 seconds. Add the peppers.

After the tomato paste has caramelized, deglaze the pan with the white wine. Stir up all the bits on the pan and allow to dissolve in the wine. Turn the heat to high. Allow the wine to reduce by about 1/3.

Add the chicken broth and lemons (if you use them.)


Nestle the chicken into the sauce.

Add the herbs, tomatoes and more lemon. Cover the pan and place in the hot oven for 20-30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

Done! Remove the chicken to a plate and scoop out the lemons and thyme sprigs; discard. Put pan with broth over high heat, allow to simmer and boil down by about 1/2; about 5 minutes.

Serve on a bed of rice and spoon extra sauce and simmered vegetables on top of the chicken. Garnish with a sprig of oregano.

This was delicious. The chicken was tender and moist. The vegetables absorbed the flavors of the wine and herbs. And the rice soaks up that great broth. Why do I want to omit the lemons next time. My first taste of the broth right out of the oven; it was slightly acrid, probably from the lemon rind. The wine brings enough acid to cut through the richness of the broth and tomato that the extra lemon really isn't necessary, except maybe a drizzle of juice just prior to serving to brighten the flavors.

Now The Kara's challenge had olives and feta in addition. If I were to go that route, I would add the pitted olives along with the tomatoes and herbs prior to throwing this in the oven. The feta; I'd probably crumble it and sprinkle over the top when serving?

So Kara, does this seem like what you had? Or am I completely off base?