winner winner chicken dinner

Looking for a flavorful chicken dish? We all know how tiresome chicken can become.  It really can get boring fast if it is your go to protein, here is a recipe i came up with for a delicious chicken dinner with my idea of a Moroccan flair.  I used bone in chicken thighs which keep the chicken super moist while it is cooking, and the braising liquid is really flavorful and cooks down into a great sauce.  Check out the recipe below, and until next time .. eat laugh love & enjoy!

-6 chicken thighs, bone in and skin on [as a member of WW i cooked the chicken with the skin on but when it came time to eat i removed the skin, boyfriend kept his on for an added crispiness]
-1 onion diced
-3 oz of dried apricots, cut in half
-1 can of diced tomato
-1 apricot beer [i happened to have a leftover Dogwood Apri-hops in my fridge which is part of the dishes inspiration]
                                                                -1 half of a box of chicken stock
                                                                -1 large teaspoon of brown sugar

Start by seasoning your chicken thighs with a little salt and pepper and place them skin side down in your dutch oven/oven safe large pot.  you want to cook at a med-low temp to render out the skin's fat creating a bit of crispiness on your chicken thighs.  once the skin looks crispy, remove chicken and add in the onions to begin to sweat, add in your can of tomato, beer, chicken stock, brown sugar and apricots.  nestle the chicken back into the braising liquid, cover and pop in your oven for 2 hours at 325* COVERED.  after 2 hours remove the cover and continue to cook for 30 min uncovered, this will give the liquid a chance to reduce and thicken.  [side note, you can also reduce the liquid on your stove top]

The great part about this dinner is it is pretty much set it and forget it.  it takes minimal effort in prep time and you get maximum flavor at eating time. i chose to serve this dish over a bed of cous cous because i thought it would really tie in with my middle eastern idea.  cous cous is great, its good for you and really easy to make. 1 whole box will feed 4-5 people and it is good warm and just as good cold.  for this dish i added some golden raisins and sliced almonds to add texture and flavor.  the raisins added a bit of sweetness and the almond adds a nice crunch.  Recipe is super easy, follow the box instructions [i sub the water out for chicken stock] when the cous cous is done use a fork to gently fluff and add in your almonds and rasins.  serve on the plate as a bed for the chicken and voila time to eat!

A Taste of NoLa in CT

when I started to think about Sunday dinner i began to panic.  let's be honest, we have all been in that situation between paychecks where money is just a little tighter than we would like, and we are just a little to lazy to run to the grocery store...in that case it is time to RAID...THE... PANTRY -- and fridge and freezer, and that is how i came up with this recipe for my NoLa style chicken and chorizo.  this is a wildly flavorful dish, and it was super easy to make, only took about 30 minutes which is all i could stand in a hot kitchen in the summertime.  try it out, feedback is always appreciated!  eat laugh love & enjoy.




3 chorizo links [removed from casing]
1 lb of boneless skinless chicken cut into bite size pieces
1 medium red bell pepper
1 medium yellow bell pepper
1 medium red onion thin sliced, or 1/2 a large red onion
1/2 can of diced tomato
1/2 cup of chicken stock
heaping spoonful of minced garlic
salt pepper to taste
crushed red pepper flakes to taste

Start by rendering out the fat from your chorizo links.  begin to break up the chorizo as it cooks down and it will almost resemble ground beef.  once the chorizo has cooked through remove from the pan to a separate place and add in your veggies along with the garlic, the veggies will sweat down in the chorizo fat giving great flavor.  when the veggies are just starting to soften add in the bite size cubes of chicken and cook until chicken has turned white in color.  add in the diced tomato, chicken stock and bring to a simmer.  the last step is to taste test so you can add your S&P and crushed red to your liking.  my boyfriend and i are heat seekers so we really turn up the heat with our crushed red, but the chorizo adds a nice spice all on it's own so you will definitely want to taste your broth before adding.
i topped this over a bed of creamy, cheesy polenta. its healthier than mashed potatoes, better than pasta, and down right DELICIOUS! *recipe serves 6 = 5 points plus for WW*

1 QT of chicken stock
1 1/2 cups of polenta/corn meal
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 tbs butter
1/4 cup of heavy cream, or half and half
salt and pepper to taste
bring your chicken stock to a rolling boil, when you start to see bubbles whisk in your polenta so it does not clump and turn down the heat, splattered polenta will HURT if it gets on your skin.  add in the cream, the butter and just before serving add in your cheese.  it is creamy and the perfect supporting actor to the main dish! *recipe serves 10 = 3 points plus for WW *