Chicken Stew with Olives and Lemon

I am back! I have been a busy girl. I apologize for not posting in a while. I went to Germany for a wedding of a special couple in May. I hope to post on that trip after I get through all the photos.

Sunday, I got back from Las Vegas where we celebrate a 25th Wedding Anniversary. That trip was loads of fun. It was great getting to spend time with some High School friends. The weekend was way too short. They renewed their vows at Graceland Chapel. That was a hoot. Jon Bon Jovi was married there along with other celebrities. We found out the next day Jon Bon Jovi stopped by there to show his son where they got married. That would of been the icing on the cake to see him there. So much fun, great memories were made.

Before I left for Vegas, I golfed in league, this recipe was what we had for dinner after golf. I had to try it at home. It is delish!

Chicken Stew with Olives and Lemon
Adapted from Sunset Magazine – My Recipes

• 2 lbs boneless, skinned chicken thighs, rinsed and patted dry
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons each salt and freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoon capers, drained and minced
• Grated zest and juice of 2 lemon

• 1 cup dry white wine
• 32 oz  chicken broth
• 2 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 3/4-in. cubes
• 2 cans artichokes, drained and quartered *see note
• 2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley *see note
• 2 cup pitted medium green olives

Cut each chicken thigh into 2 or 3 chunks. In a resealable plastic bag, combine flour, salt, and pepper. Add chicken, seal, and shake to coat.

2. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add chicken (discard excess flour) in a single layer and cook, turning once, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.

3. Reduce heat to medium. Add garlic, capers, and lemon zest and stir just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add wine and simmer, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan, until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add broth, potatoes, and chicken and return to a simmer. Lower heat slightly to maintain simmer, cover, and cook 10 minutes.

4. Add artichokes to pot and stir. Cover and cook until potatoes are tender when pierced. Stir in parsley, lemon juice to taste, and olives. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot, with lemon wedges on the side.

Note: I could not find the Flat Italian parsley at the local grocery. I prefer that kind of parsley to the curly stuff. I bought the curly stuff to put in there…but just could not put it in there. I cannot stand anything curly like that. It gives me heebie jeebies! It tasted fine without it!

The original called for frozen artichoke hearts, I could not find them either. Canned worked out fine.

You can find boneless, skinless thighs in grocery stores. Cut each thigh into 4 -5 pieces.

Put flour, salt and pepper into a plastic bag.

Add the chicken and toss around to coat the chicken with the flour mixture.

Brown the chicken thighs on both sides.

When brown, put on a plate.

While your chicken is browning, zest your lemon.

Mince your garlic and capers.

Add capers, garlic and lemon zest. I think I did this part wrong…but it turned out.

Add the wine.

Scrap up the yummy brown bits off the bottom of the pot.

Add the chicken broth, potatoes and chicken. Bring to simmer.

Cover, simmer for 10 minutes. Add the artichokes; stir. Cover and cook until potatoes are done.

Stir in olives, lemon juice. Season with additional salt and pepper.

This was good. I am not a big olive lover, but this was mighty tasty. I even ate the olives

Bacon, Black Bean and Poblano Pepper Chowder

Cold + Rainy = Soup Day!

I cannot even remember what I was searching for, but I came across this recipe on Bitchin Camero’s Blog. It was really good and hit the spot on a cold night.

Bacon, Black Bean & Poblano Pepper Chowder

• 8 10 sliced bacon, sliced into small pieces
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large Poblano peppers, roasted, seeded and roughly chopped
• 2 3 cups chicken broth, divided use
  
• 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
  
• 2 T tomato paste
• 2 cups corn
• juice of 1 lime
• salt to taste
• hot sauce to taste
• avocado
• cilantro

Set a large pot over medium-high heat and add the bacon. Cook until the fat is rendered and they are nice and crisp, then remove the bacon to a plate.

Add the onions and saute for 5 – 7 minutes, or until soft. Add the garlic and saute for another minute, then add the roughly chopped roasted poblano peppers, 2 cups stock, black beans and tomato paste. Bring to a slow simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and let cook for 15 minutes.

Using an immersion blender, pulse the soup until all big pepper pieces are gone. Stir in the corn, 1 cup Broth and hot sauce. Cook for another 5 minutes, then stir in the lime juice and salt to taste. Stir in the bacon.

Ladle the soup into bowl and top with avocado  and cilantro.

There are only 2 things I ever need from Wal Mart. (I am not a fan of Wal Mart! I will not get on my soap box on why.Call me if you want to know ) One: is Poblano peppers when the Mexican Store in Breese does not have them. Two: Cajun Trail Mix.That trail mix is the best darn stuff. It is not too spicy, kind of sweet, it is just right. I have turned many people onto that mix!

I wanted to show you what it looked like, so I went to walmart.com and did a search, Great Value Cajun trail Mix. You would have thought it would have been the first thing. NO, it brings up over 1,000 products. I searched through 10 pages and gave up. I went to google and typed it in....got it instantly! Seriously! Anyway, this is really good.

I had to share this.....I asked if they had anymore peppers (the ones out did not look good) in back and she kindly went and got me some. I then told her that this is not spelled right. She said "That does not surprise me!"

Fry bacon in a soup pot until crispy. Remove the bacon from the pot.

Add onions to the pot. Saute until soft.

Meanwhile, you need to roast your peppers. I have shown this a bunch of time. It is so easy. Put the peppers on a cookie sheet lined with foil. Broil on high until it is blistering and kind of charring on all sides. You will need to keep an eye on them, turning as needed.

Put into one of your plastic grocery bags for 5 - 10 minutes. My peppers were huge. If you find small ones, you should use 3 or 4.

Peel off the outer skin. Super Easy. Poblano peppers are so so good. They are not as hot as a jalapeno. Just right! Locally, you can find them at the Mexican grocery store or the other place I mentioned. Grocery stores in Fairview heights and St. Louis also has them. You can also grow them in your garden. I have them planted. So excited!

The onions should look like this. Then add garlic; saute a few minutes.

I added the poblanos and sauteed them for a few minutes then added the stock.

Then add the tomato paste. I love the tubed tomato paste. When you buy a can, it seems like you never need the whole can. I can squeeze out what I need and store in the frig until the next time.

Add the beans. Simmer for 15 minutes; covered.

I know I have said this before, get a stick blender if you do not have one. You will love it. This one is my Mom's ♥, who has not been with me for 12 years. She was so up on her kitchen tools! Blend the soup just until the big pieces of pepper are blended.

This is when I decided it was too thick.  Kate made a comment that it was the consistency of re-fried beans….that was all I needed to hear. I hate the thick re-fried beans. This is where I added one more cup of chicken broth. That was a good decision!

After I added 1 cup of broth, I added the corn, that I cut corn off the cob. I am sure you could use frozen.

I also added a squirt of hot sauce. I used Sriracha. It is a great sauce to use to heat things up.

Simmer the soup for 5 minutes. We had an ASA student come over to interview Mark, so I just put the lid on it until we were ready on low low heat. I wish I had taken a photo of her, she was so cute and professional with her recorder and clip board. She had GREAT questions. I hope she will share her report with us.

Add juice of one lime. Again, if you do not have this gadget...you need it. You will not believe how much more juice you get.

Dump the bacon in the pot.

Garnish with cilantro and avocado. Kate and I loved the avocado in it, Mark not so much.

Tomorrow I am going turkey hunting with Mark. Yes, you heard me right!

If I want Mark to go to this with me tomorrow, 4 Hands Food Truck, I need to go turkey hunting with him in the morning! I had rules: it has to light out, half way warm outside and NO snakes! Stay tuned! I am going to bring my kindle and read or listen to 50 Shades of Grey! Holy cow, have you read that book. Steamy!

~Relish Food & Life