Cacciatore with Cabbage

I did find that I posted a simplified chicken cacciatore recipe way back in the early days of the blog.  The one I came up with for this post has more ingredients and is a bit fancier.  I'm also doing it as low carb, since I had a pasta dish coming up next on my meal plan.  The sweet potatoes were still in the oven when I took the photo.

It is still a very simple dinner.  It can be made in two hours on the stovetop or 6 in the slow cooker.  That was me keeping the menu flexible in case my work schedule changed.

1 Tb olive oil
*1/2 cabbage, about 1 lb, thinly sliced
*1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
*2 cloves garlic, minced
*4 bone-in chicken thighs
8 oz mushrooms, quartered
*1 15 oz can tomatoes, any cut
*2 Tb tomato paste
2 C chicken broth (lower salt if possible)
*2 Tb cooking wine such as Marsala, optional
salt and pepper to taste
fresh or dried herbs of choice (I used *oregano and *cilantro)

1.  Drizzle oil in a large skillet with a lid or a slow cooker.  For slow cooker, it's a dump and go for 6 hours on low.  For skillet, heat over medium.

2.  Add onion, garlic, and cabbage.  Cook until fragrant and cabbage is about half wilted, 10 to 15 minutes.  I also added the tomato paste at this point because it was frozen.  Or, you can add it now if you want a caramelized flavor from it.  Add mushrooms and cook until they start to give off water, another 5 minutes.

3.  Nestle in the chicken pieces.  Add tomatoes, broth, wine, and pepper.  I skipped salt because of the broth.  For water or sodium-free, add about 1/2 tsp.  I chose to add the fresh herbs at this point as well, or you can add them at the last 10 minutes.

4.  Bring to a low boil.  Lower heat to a simmer, cover, and cook 1-1/2 to 2 hours.  The chicken will be done in under 45 minutes, but you want it fall-apart tender and for the bones to leach flavor into the broth.  Check the water level every half hour or so, and add broth or water if too dry.  For slow cooker, check every 2 hours if possible.

5.  Serve hot, either on top of the vegetables or with them on the side.  Noodles or rice make a great side.  I turned the last of the leftovers into soup with just a bit more tomato paste and water.

Difficulty rating  π

Greek-Style Crockpot Turkey

The market was teaching someone to butcher poultry.  I can tell, because there are suddenly rows of turkey parts at a good price.  It generally happens in October and again in the spring, when they're trying to get rid of the excess holiday turkeys.  I bought a bone-in breast, intending to do a Thanksgiving-style meal.  Then my annual labs came back, and it turned into something much healthier.  It also went into the Crockpot because my schedule changed at the last minute.  I've been wanting to do larger meals in the big one anyway.

I am not a green olive fan.  However, they do fit the flavor profile of the dish.  Lemon, garlic, thyme, oregano, and a few spices round it out.

This did end up tasting primarily like lemon, probably because it cooked for 10 hours instead of the planned 7-8.  Overtime.  The two extra portions I put in the freezer are labeled "lemon turkey dinner".  I discovered that, when lemons caramelize in the slow cooker, they taste like preserved lemons.  That helps future recipe planning a lot.  Adding a touch more salt at the beginning will temper the lemon, or you could simply not use one the size of a grapefruit.

1 Tb olive oil
1 brown onion, thinly sliced
1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 red potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
1 split turkey breast, about 2 pounds
1 8 to 12 oz-ish can or jar green olives, drained
*1 tsp dried thyme or 2 sprigs
1 tsp dried oregano, or *2 sprigs
Kosher salt and pepper as desired
*1 or 2 lemons, thinly sliced
2 C water or chicken broth

1.  Early in the day, set up the slow cooker.  First drizzle oil into the bottom and spread around to grease the crock.

2.  Arrange half of the onion slices on the bottom of the crock.  Arrange the potato quarters around the edge.  Set the turkey breast in the middle.

3.  Add the chickpeas, remaining onion slices, and olives, then sprinkle with thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper.  Top with lemon slices.  Lastly, pour the broth or water into the crock.  This water is the conduit that will cook the potatoes.  It's okay that you may not see it under everything.  The turkey will be giving off more juices as it cooks.

4.  Cover and set the slow cooker to high for 4 hours or low for 6-8.  Check the thickest part of the turkey for a temperature of at least 165ºF.  The potatoes should be falling-apart tender.  Everything else either went in cooked or can be eaten raw.

5.  Serve hot, with sides as desired.  I just had steamed broccoli.  You could serve this with salad, rice, pasta, or any vegetable.

Serves about 6

Difficulty rating  π

Chicken with Cabbage "Noodles"

I actually planned this before I saw that my blood sugar is creeping back up.  I dropped a jar of pasta sauce off the top shelf.  It didn't break, but the lid was severely dented and I decided to open and use it right away.  I already had pasta this month, and thought cabbage sliced just the right way and stewed kind of has the same texture.  It couldn't hurt as an experiment, and I could always cook up some pasta if it didn't work.

Aside from I should have gotten a bigger cabbage, this worked.  I could have cooked it longer.  Some of the pieces were still quite crunchy.  The good news in that is you don't have to worry about overcooking it.  There just isn't enough liquid for it to become completely limp.

While I used marinara, the cabbage is really a blank slate.  Pair it with any protein, extra vegetables, and sauce.  Pork chops and pineapple BBQ sauce would make it Hawaiian.  I would gladly make it a base for a curry instead of rice.  Peanut butter sauce, pesto, sofrito, mole...the list goes on.  Might not try a dairy or cheese sauce, though.  That seems awkward.  I'm listing the recipe as what I made, so it matches the photos.

*1-1/2 to 2 lbs bone-in chicken pieces (four servings)
1 small or 1/2 large cabbage, about 1-1/2 lbs
1 Tb olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt 
1 12 oz bag frozen peas
*1 C frozen or canned corn
*2 C marinara sauce

1.  Preheat oven to 350º.  Arrange chicken in a roasting pan.  Bake until thickest piece reaches 165º, about 40 minutes.

2.  Once the chicken has been in the oven for about 15 minutes, start the cabbage.  Remove the outer one or two leaves and rinse well.  Quarter, remove the hard core, and slice into 1/2" thick strips.

3.  Drizzle oil into a large pan or soup pot and heat over medium.  Sprinkle in the cabbage as you separate the strips.  It's going to be a lot fluffier than it looks on the cutting board.  Sprinkle with the salt and stir to coat all the pieces with oil.  Cover and cook until it wilts down, stirring every 5 minutes.

4.  Once cabbage has reduced, add in frozen veggies.  If the cabbage did not give off water, add a few tablespoons to keep everything from scorching.  In a side pan, warm the sauce.

5.  To plate, pile the vegetables on a serving platter.  Top with sauce and chicken and serve.

Difficulty rating  π

Matzoh Arayes

I saw this idea on a YouTube short.  Can't remember the name of the channel.  I'm making these a little different than she did.  Triangles were unnecessarily hard to fold.

I know I said before that I wasn't sure if it was safe to make arayes with ground poultry.  I decided it was worth a try with matzoh, since it was going to take a long time for the bread to crisp back up after being made soft enough to fold in half.  I cooked them a long time, probably longer than I needed to.  The meat wasn't tough, so I guess I did it right.

As with the original arayes recipe, it looks like you're putting in too many spices, but you aren't.  I added more this time.  The sage was poultry-specific, and could be omitted if you're using red meat or changed to thyme or rosemary.

1 lb ground turkey (or other lean ground meat)
*4 green onions, finely chopped
*2 cloves garlic, minced
*1 tsp celery salt
*2 Tb dried parsley
2 tsp ground coriander seed
1 Tb cumin
2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp allspice
*1/2 tsp sage (optional)
*4 sheets matzoh
olive oil for cooking

1.  Combine ground turkey, onions, garlic, spices, and dried herbs.  Mix until evenly distributed.  Form into four balls and chill for an hour, for flavors to meld.

2.  When ready to cook, run matzoh under water briefly on both sides.  Set aside to soften for about 5 minutes.  They should be pliable but not so soggy that they fall apart.

3.  Lightly grease a griddle with oil and preheat on medium-high.

4.  On a work surface, set one of the softened matzoh flat.  Spread a meatball over one half, all the way to the edge.  Gently fold the clean side over the meat and press lightly, to make sure the meat is of even thickness.

5.  Gently transfer arayes to the hot skillet.  Brush top with more oil.  Cook until matzoh is crisp underneath and meat is partially cooked, about 5 minutes.  Flip and cook other side until the meat reaches 165º.  It's hard to get a thermometer in there, but worth it.

6.  If desired, cut finished arayes in half to make squares, or smaller pieces as an appetizer.  Serve as is, or with a pareve sauce.  I used some of the leftover Green Goddess dressing from Seder.

Serves 4 as a main, 8 as an appetizer

Difficulty rating  :)

Spatchcocked Chicken

Here's a new thing for me.  I rarely cook a whole bird, and this was the first time I did a spatchcock.  It almost didn't happen because the bird was still frozen solid the night before.  Seriously, three days to defrost a 5 lb chicken?  I finally gave up and ran it under cold water until it was workable.

So what is spatchcock, and why would you do it?  It's simply cutting out the backbone, then breaking the breastbone, so the bird lies flat.  This allows it to cook faster and more evenly.  I don't know why the process has a funny name, instead of calling it butterflying.

It's very easy to do, far easier than taking apart a chicken.  You still get to carve it afterwards, if that is something you like to do.  It works with any species of fowl.  You may need dedicated garden clippers and time at the gym to do a turkey, but the anatomy is the same

1.  Lay the bird spine-side up.  Going either through the neck or tail, cut the bones on either side of the spine.  Guess they would be ribs.  Remove the spine.  I put mine in a saucepan with the giblets and made broth.

2.  Flip the chicken over so the breast is up.  Spread out the legs a bit.  I'm short, so I stood on my kitchen step to get leverage.  Press down until the breastbone snaps and it's easy to spread out the chicken more or less flat.

3.  Either grill or roast.  I put mine on a rack (with a few extra thighs because one chicken wasn't enough for 7 people) and seasoned with salt, pepper, and tarragon.  Rubbing it all over with oil first will help to keep the meat moist.  Use any spice, herb, rub, or sauce you would use for a roasted whole chicken.  Cook to an internal temperature of 160, then let rest 10 minutes before carving.

Serves about 6, depending on size of chicken

Difficulty rating  π

Turkey Stock

In the theme of clearing out the freezer, I've had a turkey carcass in there since April.  It was long past time to make broth out of it.  Couldn't believe how much space opened up when I pulled it to defrost.

I don't use much stock or broth and just keep a bag of vegetable trimmings for whenever I need it.  I had two soups in a row on the meal plan calendar.  I could have changed one, but I was in a soup mood.  Caught two colds in a row, one possibly a mild Covid.  The first recipe was to use any meat left on the carcass.  The other was intended as a vegetarian one, but there's no dietary reason I couldn't use a turkey broth in it.  Many so-called vegetarian soups in my older cookbooks use chicken broth.

I had to look up the difference between stock and broth for this post.  I tend to use them interchangeably, but there is a subtle difference.  Broth is usually a quick simmer of only a few hours.  For stock, you cook the carcass/bones low and for a very long time, even 24 hours, to draw as much goodness out of the bones as possible.  Both can contain vegetables or not, and seasonings or not.  I tend to go easy on the herbs and spices and omit salt.  All that will be added when it's used.

Because I was using scraps instead of chopped chunks of vegetables, I took the extra step of making a vegetable broth first, then using that as the water for the long simmer.  This was purely to make it easier to save the meat off the carcass.  If you're trashing everything, save yourself the trouble.  Just letting you know for the photos.

*1 turkey carcass, either raw or leftover roasted, plus the neck and giblets if desired
3 qt water
*1/4 C apple cider vinegar 
*1 or 2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp peppercorns
*2 lbs mirepoix (1/2 onion, 1/4 carrot, 1/4 celery) or vegetable trimmings
*1 tsp dried thyme or sage, optional
Salt to taste

1.  To a large stockpot or a slow cooker, add all the ingredients.  The vinegar is for dissolving the collagen and marrow in the bones.  You don't taste it.  This is what makes the cooled stock gel up.  Stir everything and heat until just beginning to boil.

2.  Reduce heat and simmer for at least 4 hours.  You want it just below the boil, so it doesn't kick up impurities.  I left mine in the Crockpot for over 8 hours.  You can go up to 24 if you have the patience.  Check on it every couple of hours.  Poke it to separate the bones as the cartilage dissolves.  Be careful, it's hot.

3.  Strain out all the flavorings and discard.  I used a fine mesh produce bag.  If desired, pick the meat off the bones and save to use as shredded meat.  I got 4 cups of turkey off a 12 lb bird's carcass.  That's a lot.  If desired, chill overnight and the fat will solidify at the top, then can be removed easily.

4.  Can be used immediately, refrigerated for up to a week, or frozen for longer storage.

Makes about 6 cups to 1 quart, depending on evaporation 

Difficulty  π

Khoresh Fesenjan

Techie Smurf told me about this Persian recipe.  He made it with duck for Rosh Hashanah.  It's a special-occasion recipe that I figured I could make for Chanukah with duck or turkey if I liked it with chicken thighs for myself.

Thus began my quest for the specialty ingredients.  Ralphs carries pomegranate molasses, so I didn't have to go to an ethnic store.  It's pomegranate season, but I know that Pavilions carries frozen arils if I ever want to make this when fresh aren't available.  I decided to get basmati for the Persian rice, as long as I was spending on this one anyway.  A $2 pack of chicken thighs turned into a $20 meal very quickly.  It really made me appreciate the way I have stocked my pantry with ingredients I use regularly.

Making this and the rice at the same time was a bit exhausting.  I was toggling between recipes on computer tabs, trying to get everything to finish at the same time, and blogging.  There were elements I could have prepped in advance, like both the onions and walnuts.  Once those are done, it's just putting everything in the same pot and simmering until tender.

I think this would have become even more tender if I had used bone-in chicken, either with or without skin.  I'll do that next time.  Using the boneless thighs was on my wish list for the month, before restocking during a very good sale on chicken dark meat.

And this is another one that's going to land you with a ton of pots and things to wash.  Not necessarily from the stew itself, but the food processor and everything that goes into the rice.  Plus, it was my challah baking day.  After a month or so of phoning it in, I was overdue for some elaborate recipes.

3 Tb vegetable oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1-1/2 C walnuts
1/4 C water
*4 chicken leg quarters (or 1 chicken, cut up)
1 C pomegranate molasses
1 tsp sugar
salt and pepper
pomegranate seeds for garnish

1.  Heat oil on medium-high in a wide skillet or large pot.  Add onion and cook until well browned, stirring frequently.  This isn't caramelized onions.  You want them fried.  It's going to take 15-20 minutes.

2.  While the onions are cooking, run the walnuts in the food processor until ground.  Slowly trickle in water to make a paste.

3.  Add chicken pieces to the pot and arrange the fried onions on top.  Smear with the walnut paste.  Pour in the pomegranate molasses, the generous sprinkle of sugar, and top everything with a dusting of salt and pepper.  Heat on medium until everything comes to a boil and the chicken starts to give up its juices.

4.  Cover pot, reduce heat to low, and cook until chicken is fall-apart tender.  Stir every fifteen minutes or so, to make sure the molasses isn't scorching and the chicken is basted.  This could take anywhere from 30 minutes to over an hour, depending whether you use bone-in or boneless, skin on or off, etc.  My boneless/skinless thighs took a little more than half an hour to cook.  Also, I ended up with far more sauce than I expected.  Once the walnuts melt into the molasses and chicken fat, you're going to end up with a pool of gravy.  You can remove the chicken and turn up the heat to reduce it if desired.

5.  Serve chicken and sauce hot, with Persian rice and pomegranate arils to garnish.

Difficulty rating  :)

Harvest Chicken Salad

I took off for the High Holy Days, as I generally do most years.  There are so many commitments and services, plus staying up late for most of them.  What that meant to my eating schedule was that I would be having lunch at home 5-7 days a week, instead of two.  For two days, I like toasted cheese bread and an apple.  More than that, I needed a bit of variety and got out the last jar of chicken until I decide to can another batch.

For me, a summery chicken salad is what I already posted.  Going into the fall, I like to add more flavors to it.  The herbs change a bit.  Also, it was all items I had on hand.  The point was something easy to have ready to eat while doing a dozen projects and adulting things between the services that had been postponed during a hard month at work.

*1 10-14 oz can chicken, or 2 C cooked shredded
*2 green onions, finely sliced
*2 ribs celery, small dice
*1 apple or pear, diced
*2 Tb sliced or slivered almonds
*2 Tb dried fruit such as cranberries or chopped figs
*1/2 tsp orange zest
*1 Tb dried parsley flakes (or 1/4 C fresh)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
*1/4 C mayonnaise 
*1 tsp mustard of choice

1.  Drain chicken.  In a bowl, combine bite-sized chicken pieces, green onions, celery, apple, almonds, dried fruit, orange zest, and parsley.

2.  Stir in mayo and mustard until everything is evenly distributed.  Add salt and white pepper gradually, tasting and adjusting amounts.  You may use more or less.  Chill until ready to serve.

Difficulty rating  π

Chicken Gravy for Biscuits

If I don't home-can chicken again, it will only be because I don't use it as much as I expected.  I really thought I was opening a can per month, but I'm not quite done with the ten jars I made last July.  Or, I could just make smaller batches.  Maybe five pounds instead of nine.  The taste is fantastic, and the texture is much better than commercially canned meat.

This chicken and biscuits recipe was one of the alternate breakfast ideas I had when eggs were super expensive.  I didn't get around to making it until now.  It's just like making sausage gravy, except you have to add more herbs and spices to make up for them not being in the meat.  You do benefit from not having to spend time cooking the meat, and you can adjust the seasonings to your taste.

*1 10-12 oz can chunk chicken
1 Tb flour
1 Tb margarine
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp each sage and thyme
1 C milk, or less for thicker sauce
*biscuits for serving

1.  Add chicken and its juice to a saucepan and heat over medium-low.  Add margarine and let it melt, then sprinkle with flour and stir until it cooks and starts to thicken the pan juices.

2.  Stir in some salt and pepper and the herbs.  Begin to add the milk a few tablespoons at a time, stirring and allowing each addition to thicken the sauce.  Continue until you reach a desired consistency.  Taste and add seasonings if needed.

3.  Spoon over split and toasted biscuits.  (I used some sweet potato biscuits I forgot were in the freezer.)  Serve hot.

Makes a generous 2 C of gravy

Difficulty rating  π

Quiche with Chicken and Chard

Eggs are finally a "normal" price again.  Ok, it was an extreme coupon sale, but we're back to 25¢ apiece.  The quiche that I've been wanting for months was about to happen.

I don't know if I've ever had a chicken quiche.  Don't see why not, but I usually just put veggies in mine.  Sometimes there's fish or pork, but it's usually vegetarian.  I'm glad I remembered to buy milk.  I want to say I tried using the powdered milk I keep in the pantry once, and it separated.

I forgot how good the pâte brisée is.  That is definitely the crust you should use for any custardy pie.  It stayed crisp until the quiche was finished, while most pastry crusts get soggy or stale by the third day.

Since everything in a quiche is pre-cooked, that makes this a good way to use canned or leftover chicken.  I keep looking for ways to use the chicken I canned last year that isn't pot pie.  So, here is an actual pie.

1 batch pâte brisée
1 Tb olive oil
*1/4 C diced onion
*1 clove garlic, minced
*1 bunch red chard, leaves only, finely chopped
*1 12 oz can chicken, drained or 2 C shredded leftover chicken
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp celery salt
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
3 eggs
1 C milk
4 oz Swiss or Havarti cheese, shredded

1.  Make the pastry, roll out, and shape in an 8" or 9" pie tin.  Full disclosure, I was using a 7" to make four servings (and one baby for a snack one day), and have adjusted the quantities here to a six-serving pie.  Place the pie tin in the freezer while you work on the filling, at least half an hour.

2.  In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the diced onion and garlic.  Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

3.  Add the chard and chicken.  Cook until the chard is thoroughly wilted and the chicken is heated through.  Set aside.

4.  Preheat oven to 375º.  In a bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, pepper, celery salt, and tarragon.

5.  Set the pie tin on a rimmed baking sheet, in case of overflow.  Add half of the filling.  Sprinkle with half of the cheese.  I bought slices, so they're just torn up and strategically distributed.  Add remaining filling and cheese.

6.  Slowly pour egg mixture over the filling, then let it sit up to five minutes.  It will gradually sink in.  Bake 30 minutes.  Rotate for even cooking and reduce the heat to 350º.  Bake an additional 15-20 minutes, until it passes the toothpick test.  Allow to rest at least 15 minutes before slicing.  May be served warm, room temperature, or chilled.  I prefer warm.

Makes 1 8" or 9" quiche, about 6 servings

Difficulty rating  :)

Chicken Risotto with Kale

I'm trying to add more home-canned food to the rotation.  It isn't meant to sit on a shelf and be pretty.  That's a waste of money and my time.  This idea got down two pints of broth and one of chicken.  Then I cut back the kale and made a Tuscan-themed risotto.  The kale seedlings I gave to my boss are thriving, so I can't unload the extras on her anymore.

When I was putting the risotto back in the pantry, I saw their recipe on the back of the package.  It was almost identical to what I planned to make, as far as the rice part was concerned.  That made me feel better.  I was adding kale, chicken, and herbs.

2 Tb butter
2 Tb olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
*1/2 tsp celery salt
*1/4 tsp white pepper
*1 tsp dried tarragon
*1 C arborio rice
1/4 C white wine, optional
*4 C chicken broth, low sodium or unsalted
*2 bunches kale, de-stemmed and chopped
*1 12-14 oz can chicken
*1/4 C grated parmesan cheese

1.  In a small saucepan, bring the broth up to a simmer.  Keep it warm, put a ladle in it, and put it near the burner where you're going to make the rest of the recipe.

2.  In a large saucepan or soup pot, melt the butter and oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

3.  Add the celery salt, white pepper, and tarragon and stir to combine.  Add the rice and stir to coat.

4.  If using wine, add and allow it to cook off.  Start to ladle in the broth half a cup at a time.  Stir and allow the rice to absorb it over about five minutes, stirring often, before adding more.

5.  About halfway through the broth process, stir in the kale.  It takes a while to cook, and will affect the amount of liquid in the rice.

6.  When you get to the last ladle of broth, the rice should be cooked al dente and somewhat creamy.  Add the can of chicken, stir everything together, and taste to adjust the seasonings.  Every broth is different, and brings something new to the dish.

7.  Remove from heat, stir in the cheese, and serve hot.  Garnish with more cheese and/or herbs.

Difficulty rating  :)

Chicken with Artichoke and Tomato

The artichokes are getting ready to bloom, and I still have one bag left from last year's harvest.  Oops.

I was thinking of a sauce to have with roasted chicken and pasta, and decided to flavor some oil with the vegetables roasted alongside the chicken.  A little garlic and herbs later, we have a lovely Mediterranean baked dinner.

*4 chicken thighs
*8 oz artichoke hearts, drained if canned or thawed if frozen
1 lb Roma tomatoes
*8-10 cloves garlic, peeled
*about 12 kalamata or green olives, pitted preferred
1/4 C olive oil
1 tsp Italian seasoning or 1/4 tsp each dried rosemary, parsley, marjoram and oregano
salt and pepper to taste
crumbled feta for garnish
*linguine or farfalle for serving, optional

1.  Preheat oven to 350º.  Arrange chicken evenly in a 9x13 casserole or a 12" round.

2.  Cut any large artichoke pieces in half.  Core the tomatoes and cut into quarters, or smaller wedges if the tomatoes are huge.  Arrange in the casserole with the peeled garlic and olives.

3.  Drizzle the oil evenly over the ingredients.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and herbs.  Roast until the chicken is 160º, about 45 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let rest until it stops bubbling.  Be careful, the level of the liquid will be higher than when you put it in the oven.

4.  If having with pasta, start boiling the water at the 30 minute mark.  It should be done by the time the casserole has finished resting.

5.  Serve hot, with plenty of pan juices used as the sauce.

Difficulty rating  π