Chicken with Zucchini and Red Onions

This is a new combination of loved ingredients. I love the versatility of boneless chicken thighs. I like red onion for its mild but tasty results when lightly cooked. Zucchini is another versatile ingredient. I added lemon zest and juice, lots of crushed garlic and served it with capellini pasta. It is light but flavorful. Great for a midweek supper. I add a vegetable side or more likely a green salad to complete the meal.

NOTES: don’t make it too soupy: add enough broth to steam the veggies a bit. You could use pasta water for this purpose. Use 4 garlic cloves if you enjoy garlic a lot. If the oil is mostly gone after frying the chicken; add an equal amount more of oil and butter; maybe 2 tsp. more for sautéing the veggies. You can use more zucchini and onions if you want. Chose whatever pasta you enjoy although I like a long skinny pasta for this dish.

Chicken with Zucchini and Red Onions

Ingredients:

3 boneless chicken thighs

1/3 cup white rice flour mixed with 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt

2 Tbsp butter and a Tbsp of mild olive oil

one medium zucchini

a medium red onion or half a big one

3 or 4 garlic cloves

1/2 cup chicken broth

the zest of one lemon and after zesting, juice it

freshly cooked pasta

Veggies cooking

Directions:

I always pound out chicken before sautéing it; tenderizes it and makes it thin so it fries faster. I use 2 pieces of wax paper and a pounding hammer. Do this first; make sure it is no thicker than half an inch. After that do some more prep. I cut the zucchini in half the long way and then across into 1/3-inch-thick half-moons. Peel and slice the onion in half and then cut into thin slices top to bottom and then cut across in half. Try to not get them too thin. Zest the lemon and then juice it. I have an old-fashioned glass lemon/orange juicer.

Heat the butter and oil in a large nonstick frying pan. I have a new ceramic one that is 16 inches in diameter. I still could only fit 2 of them at a time as they get kinda big when you pound them out. Dredge the chicken in flour; add salt too before dredging. Lay two thighs in the hot oil/butter and cook about 3 inches on a side. When you take out the first one add the third thigh. I put the fried chicken into a low oval ceramic baking dish and put it in a 300-degree oven to cook slowly, make sure it reaches 165 degrees. By the time you add the third thigh you can probably turn your oven off. It will still cook on residual heat for a few minutes as you cook the veggies. Add the zucchini to the pan and cook a minute or 2. Add the sliced onion and cook another minute. Add most of the broth. Add the garlic and cook one more minute. The zucchini should be tender but not soggy. Add the zest and the lemon juice. Add the rest of the broth as needed. Add the chicken back to the pan and let cook one more minute. Adjust with salt and pepper as needed. Serve on pasta of choice. Enjoy!

Italian Peasant Soup…Winter Tummy Warmer

Yet more snow, high winds, and frigid cold….perfect soup weather.  Yeap, I have another soup to share: rib sticking winter fare – on my menu today. I’ve been making this recipe for a long time; it is a favorite for me.  This Italian Peasant soup hits the spot. chocolate heart cake 016 It is full of flavor but is fairly cheap to make: doesn’t have any meat or pricey ingredients.  If you use vegetable broth your soup can be vegetarian. It isn’t tricky either to throw together and it is naturally gluten free.

Do make sure your broth is safe; most of the brands out there are not suitable for use by anyone with celiac; they somehow seem to have some small measure of gluten in it rendering the soup uneatable for those of us with celiac disease.

I strongly suggest that you make your own beans from dried ones; much more flavor than canned already cooked beans, cheaper and really not much trouble.  Savoy cabbage, located right next to the usual green cabbage: it is a bit pricey than regular cabbage but the green crinkly leaves are a big part of the flavor appeal of this soup so get a small head for this recipe if at all possible.  Oh and, you really need the Arborio rice as it won’t be right with regular rice; Arborio rice soaks up liquid and is creamy with a different texture than long grain rice.  arborio rice

This recipe makes a lot of soup and is great leftover for lunch.

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Italian Peasant Soup

1 cup dried navy beans

2 quarts chicken broth

1 bay leaf

¼ cup EVOL

1 cup red onion, diced

1 cup carrot, diced

2 garlic cloves minced

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley; flat leaf

1 lb Savoy cabbage

1 cup Arborio rice

1-2 tsp. sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper.

Directions

Soak 1 cup dried white beans in water to cover; I use the quick method; bring to boil, boil 2 minutes, let stand 60 minutes.  Rinse really well and clean the pot too.  Then return the beans to the washed pot and cover with fresh filtered water.  Cook beans with the bay leaf for 1-2 hours until tender but not mushy. Puree half the beans in a blender or food processor.  I have used either; both work.

In a big, heavy bottomed soup pot heat the olive oil, add the onion and carrot, stir a minute, add the garlic and stir a minute.

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Add the parsley. Cook 5-6 minutes.  Add the cabbage which you have diced fine.chocolate heart cake 010

Stir well for a minute or two, add 1 cup chicken broth. chocolate heart cake 011

Cover and cook 10 minutes.    Add the rest of the broth, bring to a bubble; add the pureed beans and whole beans.

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Cook 10 minutes, stir 2-3 times as it cooks.  Add the Arborio rice and cook 12-15 minutes; until tender but al dente. Stir it 3-4 times so the rice stays blended and doesn’t stick to the bottom and burn.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Let rest 15 minutes before serving. Serve with a drizzle of EVOL on top.  Great with a slice of hearty bread, gf of course!chocolate heart cake 016