Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Get Yo' Man Chicken (Workin' the Deals!)

Today the recipe suggestions feature sale items. At Bi-lo chicken thighs are on sale for 99 cents a pound, cabbage is 99 cents, and onions are 99 cents. Sweet potatoes are on sale for 89 cents at Harris Teeter. Bacon is on sale everywhere. Sweet deal!!

These may push you out of your comfort zone - chicken thighs and cabbage are not staples around my house. But that's good for us, right? Don't fret too much over ingredients you don't have. I am not going out and buying celery seed. I've got some celery salt that's probably 10 years old, but it will do!

Get Yo' Man Chicken (recipe is from Food Network)

Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 6 chicken thighs, skinless
  • 1 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoons pepper
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup white wine ( I recommend Sauvignon Blanc, not Chardonnay. Buy a bottle and freeze 1/2 cup portions in a baggie for future use) ((if you'd like to skip wine, substitute more chicken stock and add 2 Tb. vinegar))
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed tomatoes in thick puree
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 tablespoon dried rosemary
  • 1 tablespoon lemon-pepper
  • Hot buttered rice
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.

Pat chicken dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Brown the chicken, meat-side down first, and turning once, about 4 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate to reserve.

Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of oil from the pan.

Add onion to the pan and saute until tender, roughly 3 minutes. Add the stock and wine and stir, scrapping any brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Turn heat to high and reduce by half, about 3 minutes. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and add the dried herbs and lemon pepper. Add the chicken thighs back into the pan.Cover and cook on medium-low heat for 40 minutes.

Remove chicken from liquid and serve on hot buttered rice. Ladle the sauce on top and garnish with fresh chopped parsley.


Braised Cabbage and Carrots

Ingredients

  • 1/2 large head green cabbage
  • 4 slices extra-thick bacon, cut into 1-inch squares
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons Smash Seasoning, recipe follows
  • 1 (10-ounce) bag baby carrots
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Core cabbage and chop into 2-inch pieces. Clean thoroughly and let drain.

In a large pot over medium heat, cook bacon halfway through. Cook's Note: It will release its fat and be lightly browned, but still moist.

Add the cabbage, water and Smash Seasoning. Cover and reduce to a simmer and steam 2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes. [To save an hour, place cabbage in a large bowl, cover with water, microwave for about 10 minutes, drain water and then add to bacon.]

Drain water from pot and add carrots. Cover and simmer another 15 minutes, until carrots are tender. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

Smash Seasoning:

  • 1 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1 teaspoon celery seed
  • 1/2 tablespoon lemon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder

Mix ingredients thoroughly and keep in a tightly sealed container for up to 6 months.

3 comments:

AmyA said...

I just wanted to throw out there that if you don't have white wine or don't wish to buy it, I have had success substituting more chicken broth in its place.

green bean said...

A little white vinegar will also add that tang that comes from wine

green bean said...

OK - I've now sampled the recipe. You won't need the sweet potatoes. It's plenty of food as is. I'm editing the recipe to use 1/2 cabbage and to pre-steam it in the micro. It'll save you an hour! Also, it makes a lot of sauce, so you could double the chicken or half the sauce.

Your house will smell amazing!