Chicken with Artichokes, Onions, Potatoes and Rosemary

The autumn weather has inspired an array of comfort food recipes into my kitchen. Even though we haven’t seen any sign of snow yet, my internal clock is craving hot oven roasted meals. In an effort to stay out of restaurants until my trip to Miami to see the Eagles massacre the Dolphins, I am challenging myself to everyday in-house cooking. This might seem very easy to some people, but somehow things always comes up, don’t they? This challenge will also, hopefully, keep my weight down and give you all more ideas for your own kitchens.

The rosemary chicken with artichokes recipe that I have chosen can be described as the true meaning of comfort food. It is extremely easy to make as the oven does all the work for you. Assemble all these simple ingredients and be amazed by the warm aromas filling your home. This is my first time cooking with artichokes and I was a bit sceptical of how they would turn out. But they give the dish a buttery tender flavour that complements the potatoes and chicken perfectly. I suggest serving this recipe with a side salad or even on a bed of rice for a late Sunday lunch.

Xo Dom Appetit!

Chicken with Artichokes, Onions, Potatoes and Rosemary

Taken from: Two Greedy Italians

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 1 hour

Tools Needed: cutting board, knife, measuring spoons, large roasting dish

Ingredients:

8 small artichokes prepared and quartered (you can use those in water not brine in a jar)

6 skinless chicken legs with thighs cut apart

1 large white onion chopped

8 small red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into chunks

2 tablespoons of rosemary needles (2 sprigs) keep a few additional sprigs for garnish

6 tablespoons of olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1)      Preheat the oven to 400 F

2)      Put the chicken pieces, artichokes, onion and potatoes into a large roasting dish. Sprinkle with rosemary needles, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix well with your hands so that every piece of meat is coated well.

3)      Put into the preheated oven for 30 mins. Take out, mix all the ingredients together well, using a spoon, and return to the oven for another 30 mins. Chicken should be cooked through and the potatoes should be tender. Serve immediately with a few sprigs of rosemary and a simple green salad.

Housewives’ Chicken in White Wine and Vinegar

My colleagues surprised me yesterday with a belated B-day gift (yes, my birthday is typically a week-long event) and I was quite impressed with their choice of purchase. They presented me with the most appealing rustic Italian cookbook titled: Two Greedy Italians {you might recognize them from their sitcom on BBC}. It was such a genuine gift that I had to take the night off and browse through every single colorful recipe.  There is something exciting about two traditional, authentic, brawly Italian men, creating full succulent simplistic meals (within minutes), that appeals to almost anyone’s appetite. 
 

One recipe that really caught my eye was the Housewives’ Chicken in White Wine and Vinegar. Despite the sexist connotations behind this title, the minimalism of the ingredients was just what I needed for the night. The results were quite surprising considering the lack of effort on my part. The chicken was extremely juicy and tender. It literally melted off the bones with a light citrus flavor allowing the cloves and peppercorn to shine through. The origin of this recipe (per our big boy authors), is that “housewives” would combine all the ingredients to marinate in the morning and leave to go work in the fields all day….only to come back home and serve this no fuss flavorful meal to their loving husbands and children. These women seemed to do it all, and almost certainly the dishes too. Well, times have definitely changed! Goodbye field working wifey’s and welcome the Real Housewives of Orange County!

Xo Dom Appetit!

PS. Serve this on a bed of jasmine rice! Yum Yum!

Housewives’ Chicken in White Wine and Vinegar

Taken from: Two Greedy Italians

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 50 mins ( I let mine cook for 1.5 ours…)

Tools Needed: large skillet and lid, cutting board knife, measuring cups and spoons

Ingredients:

1.2 kg of chicken pieces (I used legs and thighs, brown meat is the juiciest!)
600 ml of white wine
3 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
2 shallots finely sliced
2 carrots roughly chopped
1 celery stalk roughly chopped
4 bay leaves
1 green onion
2 cloves
10-15 peppercorns
40 g of butter
4 lemon slices
Salt

Directions:

1)      Place all ingredients into a large saucepan or casserole. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and cover with a lid, but not completely, so some of the steam can escape. Cook gently over low heat for about 50 mins, turning halfway through, until the chicken pieces have cooked through and are golden brown on all sides and the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and serve with rice.

Shish Taouk- Adonis Style!

All of you who shop at Adonis know how tasty their Shish Taouk chicken is. There is nothing like it. You probably also know how exclusive their recipes are and that this recipe is nearly impossible to find anywhere, even on the World Wide Web. It’s a savory garlic yogurt sauce marinated chicken cult and only those privy to this information are fortunate enough to share this very classified dish at their table. Sadly, even I could not obtain this sacred authentic Mediterranean recipe. I was now determined to find anything that would be remotely equivalent to the famed Adonis Shish-Taouk style chicken. 

After sitting with a few fellow S-T fans, I was proficient enough to put together an adequate recipe attempt that blew me away and fulfilled my appetite. I am convinced that any Adonis S-T fan would approve of this succulent garlicky BBQ’d chicken and gobble it down in 1 or 2 pitas…not forgetting the tomato and cucumber side salad (which is the essential ingredient to completing this trio). Oh, one last thing… make sure you have breathe mints nearby as this marinade calls for 8 garlic cloves! The more the tastier I always say!

Xo Dom Appetit!

Chicken Shish Taouk

Ideas: Shish Taouk Ideas

Prep Time: 15 mins (at least one hour to marinate)

Cook Time: 25 mins

Tools Needed: large mixing bowl, cutting board, knife, measuring spoons and cups, saran wrap, spoon, fork, BBQ thongs

Ingredients:

16 boneless & skinless chicken thighs

½ cup of olive oil

8 garlic cloves mashed (the more the tastier)

350 ml of plain yogurt

2 tablespoons of white vinegar

1 teaspoon of dried oregano

1 teaspoon of dried thyme

1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice

Salt and Pepper

Directions:

1) Prick the chicken with a fork and put it in large mixing bowl. Add all other ingredients and mix. Let marinate in the fridge for at least one hour (tastes best if left in fridge overnight).

2) Add to BBQ over medium heat and cook for 25 mins, turning every 5 mins. Check if cooked by cutting a slice in the middle ensuring that chicken is well done. Serve immediately with a pita and side salad

I feel like…Beer Chicken Tonight! Beer Chicken Tonight! Beer Chicken Tonight!

I am sure you all remember that catchy jingle from those 90’s commercials for Chicken Tonight pre-made chicken sauce, and if you don’t then here’s a little look: Chicken Tonight Ragu. Catchy isn’t it? Well, I was feeling like Beer Chicken last night and decided to cook my full grain fed chick that I bought from the Jean Talon Market. If you have never been to the JT Market it is definitely something worth checking out. It is an indoor farmer’s market with wall to wall fruits, veggies, eggs and more. In the summer they extend their produce outdoors and sell fresh flowers and plants, which I am really looking forward to.

I have made Beer Chicken a few times now, but I believe that last night’s attempt was a real success. I stuffed my bird with the usual chopped onions and garlic and made sure to marinate it overnight in a ziplock baggy with a rub down of all my favorite spices. The next day when I removed it from the bag, the chicken smelt heavenly, and I couldn’t wait for the end result. I ran down to the little Dépanneur on the corner of my street and bought a can of Coors Lite to stuff up my bird. Now that just sounds plain dirty, but that’s exactly what you need to do. Make sure to take a couple sips of the beer before inserting into the bird as it needs room to boil once inside. The beer keeps the chicken from drying up, and adds moisture to the baking process while creating a crispy outer layer. The constant outflow of liquid will ensure a perfectly tender fall off the bone chicken with that delicious crispy skin that we all fight over. I served this moist tender chicken plate with a side of sautéed mushrooms with chives in balsamic with long grain brown rice. I promise that you will be flapping those arms and singing that jingle over and over after this meal!

PS. It doesn’t matter what kind of beer you use (ale or lager). Next time I will attempt with my favorite cola! Don’t be afraid to experiment…just don’t burn the chicken!

BEER CHICKEN

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 1.5 – 2 hrs

Tools Needed: large mixing bowl, large ziplock bag, 8 inch pie pan, chopping knife, oven mitts

Ingredients:

5 LB Chicken (grain fed preferably)

1 small onion (chopped)

4 garlic cloves (chopped)

½ teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper, Black Pepper, Chilis

1 teaspoon of Salt, Roasted Red Pepper and Garlic Mix (Clubhouse), Thyme, Worchester Sauce

2-3 tablespoons of Olive Oil

1 can of beer (brand of your choice)

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In the large mixing bowl rub down your full chicken with olive oil while adding all the spices listed above (cayenne, pepper, chilis, salt, roasted red pepper and garlic mix, Thyme, and splash of Worchester). Make sure to cover all grounds not leaving any of the chicken undressed

2) Stuff the chicken with the chopped garlic and onion and insert into the ziplock bag. Leave in the fridge to marinate over night

3) Empty half of a can of beer and stuff up the chicken rear. Make sure that the chicken is standing stable on the can and sit on the pie pan

4) Put into oven and cook for 1.5 – 2hrs, rotating every 25 mins

5) Let sit for 10 mins and then carve and serve! Dom Appetit! J

Beer Infused Chicken

Beer Chicken with sauteed mushrooms
and chives with balsamic and long grain brown rice