Yet Another (Suprise!) Chicken Dish

Chicken and dumplings were on my mind today, especially when I happened upon some free potatoes.

So, what to do with the desire for chicken and dumplings when you have not yet conquored the way of the dumpling?  When you want a pot pie, but are just too darn tired?

You make a chicken skillet and serve it over biscuits or toasted sourdough!

Brown some chicken (4 cut up breasts, or a similar amount of chicken) in a skillet, remove then deglaze with some (about a third to half cup) white wine.  keep over the heat and get all the brown bits up.  As soon as you do that, add about 5 or 6 cups of chicken broth, a bit of your favourite chicken seasoning (in this case some pappy's brand seasoning and two bay leaves) and bring to a boil.  Add the chicken back in, along with some diced potatoes and whatever veggies you want (in this case a little frozen mixed and broccoli).  Simmer over medium heat for about an hour.  Remember to taste and adjust seasonings as you go :)  Finally, add some flour mixed with water to make a gravy as thick as you'd like (I like it pretty thick, so 2 tablespoons of flour in a bit of water works).

This was served over toasted sourdough bread, and there was nary a bite left.

Garlic Soup Dipped Sandwiches

I had a hankering  for garlic a few nights ago.  In the fridge I found a jar of minced garlic, some dark beer, smoked cheddar, and roast beef.  What better makings for a soup and sandwich night?

Use a head's worth of garlic.  Brown it in 2 tablespoons of butter, along with about 2 packed tablespoons of minced parsley in the bottom of a soup pot.  As soon as the garlic colours up slightly, slowly add 8 cups of beef broth, 1 or 2 tablespoons of worchestershire sauce, a little salt & pepper, a bit of cayenne or a piece of dried/smoked chile, and about a third of a bottle of dark beer.  Simmer at a low boil, uncovered, for an hour.

Like any broth soup, you can add whatever strikes your fancy.  Brown rice, spinach, eggs (temper in some yolks or go for an egg drop soup effect with whole eggs), mushrooms all work very well.

But we just had it as is last night, with some pan-seared sandwiches on sourdough with just Italian seasoned roast beef and good smoked cheddar.  The flavours went together perfectly, and the light browning and long cook time softened the sharpness of the garlic while intensifying other components.

Gotta love a hot soup and sandwich on a cold day!

Arugula Bacon Quiche

Pie. Bacon. Yum!

Using a very small square pan, I made a crust and baked for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, I mixed two eggs, maybe a third cup of ricotta, enough milk to thin it out a bit, a couple of spoons of pesto, and a bit of salt. I also fried some chopped bacon, then added some chopped arugula after I killed the heat, just to wilt them slightly in the hot bacon drippings. Into the shell this went, then I poured in the egg mixture on top. This would do well topped with some parmasan.

God Wants Us to be Foodies

Brian Steinburg posted this on Chowhound and his blog, http://lastoneeating.wordpress.com/ and I thought it was a wonderful piece about why we should love our food.

"If god indeed made humans in her own image, then it stands to reason that she wanted us to be foodies. After all, humans are super-omnivores. Unlike other mammals who eat a narrow rage of foods, meat or vegetables, humans can eat almost anything.

If the wheat crop craps out this year, we can eat potatoes, or corn, millet, rice, barley, oats etc. We can eat meat, seafood, vegetable, fruit, nuts, seeds, grains, fungi, flowers, and even bark in the form cinnamon. We also have the capacity to combine our foods for infinite flavor variation for our foodie pleasure. The better a food tastes, the more we want to eat. The more variety we eat the better chance we have to receive adequate, balanced nutrition. In other words, the more we are foodies, the better chances we will be healthy enough to stay alive, and find a mate and make foodie babies, who will make more babies in God’s image.

God has a plan and that plan is for us to eat from a bountiful garden. Of course this does not really explain God’s “Just say no to apple’s” policy. I figure, as the omnivores they were Adam and Eve should have left the apple alone and BBQ’d the snake in a marinade of berries and fresh herbs, and paired it with a nice chardonnay."

Pics From the Shop

Just as the title so subtly implys, here is an example of what I get to work with almost daily. I love decorating the tanks :)

I Almost Felt Like I was Cheating

Stuff like this is too simple, for how good it is. Just a couple of pieces of chicken, several large pinches of basil, a bit of a dried pepper, and a can of Italian stewed tomatoes. Place in a crock and cook till done. Serve over pasta or rice.