Chicken with Rice and Mushrooms...

This recipe is based on the recipe for Chicken Rice Roger in Peg Bracken's I Hate To Cookbook, circa 1950s or 1960s.  The original recipe is baked in the oven; over the years I have adapted my own stovetop version...and without further ado, here it is!

Image source: Wikipedia

Chicken with Rice and Mushrooms...

serves 5

2/3 cup(s) uncooked white rice   

5 oz cooked skinless bone-in chicken thigh(s)   

2 cup(s) fat free chicken broth   

1/2 tsp table salt

1/2 t garlic or onion powder

1/4 tsp black pepper   

3 oz canned mushrooms, save the juice   

1 Tbsp all-purpose flour   

1/2 Tbsp olive oil   

1 Tbsp butter, broken into small bits   

Dust the chicken pieces with the flour, then brown it in the oil. Once browned, remove chicken from pan. Brown the onion in the same skillet. add chicken broth, rice, salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Scrape the bottom of the pan to pick up the brown bits. return chicken to pan and top with the mushrooms, juice included. 

Dot the top of with buttery bits and cover with skillet. Simmer over low-med heat for 20 to 30 minutes until rice is tender, chicken is cooked through, and liquid is absorbed.

Make you own Marinara Sauce!

This recipe is great any time of year; it makes a great base for a pot of spaghetti sauce, or lasagna..it's also a great dip for fried mozzarella or  fried calmari.

Image source: Wikipedia

Basic Marinara Sauce

1/4 to 1/2 cup(s) olive oil 

2 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), peeled and minced

2 small onions, peeled and  roughly chopped    

2 rib(s) (medium) uncooked celery, roughly chopped

2 medium uncooked carrot(s), peeled and roughly chopped

1/2 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste   

1/2 tsp black pepper, plus more to taste   

28 oz canned crushed tomatoes   

2 leaf/leaves bay leaf   

In large pot, heat olive oil over med-high heat. Using a food processor, grind the onions, carrots, and celery until they are nearly pureed. Add celery, carrots,and onion to the pot, sauté for a few minutes,  until onions become somewhat translucent. Add garlic and sauté another minute or so,until garlic is fragrant. Add 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper. Sauté until all vegetables are soft, about 10 min. Add tomatoes and bay leaves and simmer uncovered over low heat until until the sauce thickens, about 1 hr. Cool cover and refrigerate until needed. Can be made a day ahead, frozen, etc. Makes 2 quarts.

Ribollita

This hearty soup comes from the Tuscany region of Italy.  In Italian, ribollita literally means reboil or reheat...and, true to its name this soup is even better when it's reheated for another meal!

Tuscany ca 1897
Image source: Wikipedia

Ribollita

serves 6

1/4 cup(s) olive oil    

1 medium uncooked onion(s)   

 1 medium uncooked carrot(s)   

4 oz pancetta or bacon   

2 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s)   

1 tsp sea salt   

1 tsp black pepper   

1 Tbsp tomato paste   

15 oz canned diced tomatoes   

10 ounce box chopped frozen spinach   

15 oz cannellini beans   

1 Tbsp herbes de Provence   

4 cup(s) fat-free reduced sodium chicken broth   

1 leaf/leaves bay leaf   

Parmesan cheese rind

Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, pancetta, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook until the onion is golden brown and the pancetta is crisp, about 7 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir until dissolved. Add tomatoes and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release all the brown bits. Add the spinach, beans, herbs, stock, bay leaf, and Parmesan rind. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.