I've been cooking a lot out of the Taste of Home Soups magazine I picked up on the news stand, and from Eating Well's Jan/Feb issues after the merger of Cooking Light and Eating Well.
The Meal Plan
Sat (L) leftover chili (S) take n bake pizza (Spicy Hawaiian!)
Sun (L) pasty (S) Chicken Cacciatore with Polenta
Mon (yoga) - leftover chicken
Tues - leftover chicken
Wed - leftover chicken
Thurs (yoga) - leftover chicken
Fri - take n bake pizza (Bacon Cheeseburger!)
Lunches - Husband: veggies and fruit, nuts
Me - Thai Curry Soup, fruit, nuts
Chicken Cacciatore with Polenta (Eating Well, Jan/Feb 2019) gluten free option**
I need to remember to double check that I have all the little miscellaneous ingredients in the fridge and not just assume that I still have them. I was looking forward to the briney, saltiness of the capers and the olives in this dish and lo! when it came time to assemble, my capers and olives were no where to be seen. Alas...I didn't check ahead of time.
Still, this was a very tasty dish. It's easy to assemble and it makes a lot. If you are serving little tastebuds, skipping the capers might be the way to go. You can serve it over the polenta, or not. It was good both ways. It reheats very nicely - I cut the polenta into squares and popped into the oven to reheat.
One observation - EW serving size seems a bit large. I got 6 meals for two out of this, no sides, no seconds and we were nicely full. Recommended if you need something to feed a crowd - add a salad, some rustic bread, and you're set! Recommended.
Makes 10-12 servings.
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| photo from EatingWell.com |
2 cups chopped red bell peppers
2 cups chopped yellow onion
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, halved
½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour**
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 tablespoons minced garlic
¼ cup chopped fresh oregano
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
½ cup red wine
4 pounds bone-in, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
(I used 3.75 lbs boneless thighs because I didn't want to fart around with pulling bones out)
1 (28 ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 cup unsalted chicken broth
3 cups water
1⅓ cups uncooked instant polenta
(I used regular polenta and cooked according to directions on pkg)
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers, onion, mushrooms and ¼ teaspoon salt; cook, stirring often, until beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. Add flour, tomato paste, garlic, oregano and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in wine; cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits, for 30 seconds.
Transfer the mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker. Stir in chicken, tomatoes, broth and capers. Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours.
Transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board; let cool for 5 minutes. Remove bones and return the meat to the slow cooker. Stir in olives and the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Cover to keep warm.
Meanwhile, bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in polenta; cook, stirring often, until thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan. Serve the chicken and sauce over the polenta, topped with basil.
Veggie Thai Curry Soup (modified from Taste of Home Soups) gluten free options, vegetarian
Noting right off the bat, this was my second "oops!" in not double checking I had everything on hand. I could have sworn I had curry paste in the fridge. And a spare in the pantry. I did not. So...flavor profile was probably a bit different. I took some creative liberties and used ketchup and siracha and it came out pretty darn tasty. Still, I wish I had been able to use curry paste.
The other significant modification was I skipped the noodles. I was going to cook and add last so they wouldn't get sticky, but once I finished the soup itself, I didn't see a reason to add. There was a lot of ingredients and since this was for my lunches, I didn't want to be slurping noodles over my keyboard. Honestly, I didn't miss the noodles. This is so tasty with the rest! Recommended.
Made 5 servings/lunches.
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons red curry paste
1 cup light coconut milk1 carton (32 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce or fish sauce
(I used fish sauce - use soy sauce if fish sauce is too pungent of a flavor for you)
1 package (14 ounces) firm tofu, drained and cubed
1 can (8-3/4 ounces) whole baby corn, drained and cut in half
1 can (5 ounces) bamboo shoots, drained
1-1/2 cups sliced fresh shiitake mushrooms
1/2 medium sweet red pepper, cut into thin strips
Meanwhile, in a 6-qt. stockpot, heat oil over medium heat. Add curry paste; cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Gradually whisk in coconut milk until blended. Stir in broth and soy sauce; bring to a boil.
Add tofu and vegetables to stockpot; cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, 3-5 minutes. Drain noodles; add to soup. Top each serving with basil; serve with lime wedges.
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