A Week in Review: Stewardess Diet

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Confession: I really hate New Year’s Resolutions. They always seem forced, and cliché, and I never keep any of them for more than three days anyway. But something about turning 25 this past November makes me feel like it’s time to develop better habits, and start behaving a little more “grown up.” So, I joined the masses and made some resolutions for 2013 resolutions…two weeks late, of course.

I swear, this does eventually tie into the title of the post. Wait for it.

So, it’s really one resolution, but in three parts. And that resolution is to stop putting off until later what I can get done now. I procrastinate a lot, then once I’ve done something, I wonder why it took me so long in the first place. It’s stupid. It makes me feel guilty about watching the Mindy Project with a glass of wine on a Tuesday night, just because I know that I really should have thrown a load of laundry in first so I’d have clean clothes to wear to work the next day.

On that note, the first part of this resolution applies to being cleaner. As in more organized, living with less clutter, etc. I’m not a dirty person, however I can be a messy person. But when I maintain an organized space every day, it’s much easier to notice when I need to dust, or vacuum, or do laundry. And I feel bad leaving my socks next to my bed instead of in the hamper. My mother always used to tell me “clean begets clean!” but now I think she may have had a point. Maybe.

The second part applies to saving money. The idea of buying something now and budgeting for it later was fine when I was 19. Now, it’s just ridiculous. Having some extra money left in my bank account after all my bills are paid doesn’t mean I should be spending it, nor does finishing one week under budget justify going over budget the next. I’ll never be able to afford the things I really want if I spend all my money on things I don’t really need.

Lastly (getting back to the point), I want to apply it to getting healthier. While I’m pretty good about cooking healthy, my workouts during 2012 were sporadic at best, and the size of my portions slowly increased as well. Leading to a slow weight gain over the last year. Not fun. And that whole “diet starts tomorrow!” and “I’ll hit the gym tomorrow!” mentality just ain’t cutting it.

Ah, finally!! The point!! So as a way to get myself back to a normal portion size, I spent Monday through Thursday doing the four-day “stewardess diet.” It takes some will power, but other than some weird food combinations, it’s not that bad. Second day is the worst (for me, at least). And you drop weight quick. I lost 6 pounds in 4 days. And I cheated. I had sushi on Tuesday night and tuna fish + a few glasses of wine last night. I’d probably be down 8 to 10 pounds if I hadn’t.

WARNING: If you do this diet for four days, then on the fifth day order a burger and fries, you’re going to gain all (or most) of it back just as quickly as you lost it. But if you use it to kick off a better eating plan, or to push past a plateau, or even to drop a couple pounds before an event, then this diet is great. And since it’s only four days, you can bang it out during the work week then enjoy your weekend a few pounds lighter!

Day One:

Breakfast: 1/2 grapefruit

Lunch: 4 oz. steak, 1 cup lettuce, 1 tomato, and 1 apple

Dinner: 2 hard-boiled eggs, 1 cup green beans, 1/2 grapefruit

TOTAL CALORIES: 742 (with 4 oz. steak, with 6 oz: 908, and with 8 oz. 1,075)

Day Two:

Breakfast: 1/2 grapefruit

Lunch: 1 lamb chop, 1 cup lettuce, 6 oz. tomato juice (I don’t like tomato juice, so I substitute a tomato)

Dinner: 1 cup squash, 1 cup cauliflower, 1 cup green beans, 1 cup unsweetened applesauce (I usually just eat a regular apple)

TOTAL CALORIES: 550

Day Three:

Breakfast: 1/2 grapefruit

Lunch: 4 oz. broiled chicken, 1 cup lettuce, 1 cup celery, 1 apple

Dinner: 4 oz. hamburger, 1 cup stewed tomatoes, 6 oz. prune juice (I substitute stewed tomatoes for a tomato and the prune juice for an apple and 1/2 grapefruit)

TOTAL CALORIES: 728 (with 4 oz. chicken, with 6 oz: 808, with 8 oz: 888)

Day Four:

Breakfast: 1/2 grapefruit

Lunch: 2 hard-boiled eggs, 1 cup green beans, 6 oz. tomato juice (I subsitute a real tomato, which I throw in with the green beans)

Dinner: 4 oz. steak, 1 cup lettuce, 1 tomato, 6 oz. pineapple juice (or real pineapple)

TOTAL CALORIES: 748 (with 4 oz. steak, with 6 oz: 914, with 8 oz: 1,081)

Guidelines:

This diet is based on excluding all sugars, dairy, and fats. So try sticking with black coffee, and steam your vegetables instead of, say, sautéeing them in olive oil. I’ll admit, I like doing dinner on Day 2 by roasting the vegetables with a little olive oil, kosher salt and pepper, but I try to use as little olive oil as possible. Instead of salad dressing, use plain vinegar instead (balsamic works, but rice vinegar is even better).

None of these meals are going to become “new favorites,” and some of them you just have to force yourself to eat, but it helps to remind yourself that they’re not lifestyle changes–it’s only four days!

And I’ll keep everyone posted now and then on how my resolutions are coming along!

Sirloin Steaks with Pepper and Caper Salsa

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This is probably one of my favorite main-stay meals. Originally, I used jarred roasted red peppers for this, which is still delicious, but once I tried it with fresh sautéed bell peppers, I couldn’t force myself to go back. It’s one of those times when you can really taste the difference. And since you can easily sauté the peppers while the steaks are cooking, it doesn’t even add to the cooking time! Except the time it takes to slice the peppers, but that’s irrelevant.

This recipe is for enough pepper salsa for two medium-sized steaks, so adjust accordingly.

Ingredients:

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced

2 (8 oz) boneless sirloin steaks, about 1 inch thick

Kosher salt

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling on steaks

2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp. capers, drained and rinsed

2 Tbsp. parsley, chopped

Freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Heat an outdoor gas grill or a grill pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle both sides of the steak with kosher salt and drizzle with olive oil. Grill for 4 to 6 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Let the steaks rest for 5 minutes before serving.

While the steaks are cooking, heat the olive oil in a separate skillet over medium heat. Toss in the bell peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 8 minutes. Once soft, remove from heat and let cool for a couple minutes.

If you’re feeling fancy (I wasn’t), then pour the peppers and oil from the pan into a small serving bowl. Add the balsamic vinegar, capers and parsley, and mix. Season with salt and pepper. If you’re feeling lazy (I was), just do all of that directly in the skillet.

Thinly slice the steak and top with the salsa. Enjoy!

Sauté the peppers in olive oil

Sauté the peppers in olive oil

Grill the steaks over medium-high heat

Grill the steaks over medium-high heat

Combine peppers, olive oil, balsamic, capers and parsley

Combine peppers, olive oil, balsamic, capers and parsley

Coconut Curry Chicken with Cashews

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I found this recipe while perusing the New York Times website a couple of weekends back, and decided that it would be worth trying, even though the recipe sounded insanely (and unnecessarily) over-involved. I enjoyed the dish, even though I was cursing the recipe the entire time I was cooking it. But that’s why I’m giving you a much easier version here! It was a fairly strong curry taste, which I enjoyed, but if you aren’t a curry fan, this one’s not for you.

I’ve also decided I really need to get better about throwing some garnishes on my dishes. I don’t really care about eating them, but they definitely make the pictures look prettier. My food photography could use some work. I blame the horrible lighting in my house. The pictures I take over at Eli’s turned out so much better.

Oh, and I really need to make this recipe again. Now that I’m writing it up, I realized I missed a bunch of things that would have made it even better. Like the cashews for garnish at the end. And covering the pot to simmer so the sauce thickens. Stuff like that.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 3-inch chunks

Salt and pepper

1 Tbsp. grated ginger

2 tsp. grated garlic (I just used minced)

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 tsp. fennel seeds

1/4 tsp. ground cardamom

1/8 tsp. ground allspice

1/4 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 tsp. ground coriander

1/4 tsp. turmeric

Dash of cayenne, or more to taste

3 Tbsp. lemon juice

3/4 cup roasted cashews

1/4 cup shredded dried unsweetened coconut

1 lb. small parsnips, peeled and cut into 2-inch batons

2 Tbsp. coconut or vegetable oil

1 large onion, finely diced (I used an extra half, too, which worked well)

1 1/2 Tbsp. tomato paste

1 2-inch piece cinnamon stick

3 cups chicken broth or water

1 cup thick coconut milk

A few sprigs cilantro for garnish, optional

Directions:

NOTE: Cayenne pepper gets hotter the longer you cook it, so a little bit goes a long way. If you like it mild, go light, and if you like a little more heat, feel free to add more than the recipe calls for.

In a large mixing bowl, season the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Add ginger and garlic and massage into the chicken. Add the cloves, fennel, cardamom, allspice, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne and lemon juice and mix well. Let marinate at room temperature for at least 15 minutes, or refrigerate up to 1 hour.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spread the shredded coconut on a baking sheet and toast until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Let cool, then grind the coconut with 1/4 cup cashews in a small food processor to make a rough powder–mine looked more like a crumbly streusel topping, so “rough powder” is a loose term. Reserve the remaining cashews for garnish (which I forgot to do, and in retrospective would have been awesome thrown in for texture).

Bring a small saucepan of lightly salted water to a simmer, then add parsnips and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain and cool.

In a wide heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add cooked parsnips and sauté until lightly browned. Remove and reserve. Mine were a bit mushy, because I cooked them for too long, so I skipped this step. They were fine. Add chicken pieces to the pot, stirring occasionally until lightly browned, about 5 minutes, then remove and set aside. Add onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes more. Add tomato paste and let sizzle with the onions for about a minute.

Add broth and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add cinnamon stick, chicken and the ground coconut and cashew mixture, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for about 30 minutes. I just realized I never covered the pot, which is probably why the sauce wasn’t that thick. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning if necessary. Mine needed more salt.

Once done simmering, stir in the coconut milk and reserved parsnips. For the “thick coconut milk,” I used a can of regular coconut milk, which has a tendency to separate, and used the thick part at the top and left the watery part at the bottom. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until parsnips are heated through and the sauce has thickened slightly. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the remaining cashews. Garnish with cilantro.

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The marinating chicken

Boiling parsnips

Boiling parsnips

Ground coconut and cashew mixture

Ground coconut and cashew mixture

Cover and simmer over low heat

Cover and simmer over low heat

Finished product!

Finished product!

 

Wine Review: Madonna di Como 2009

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DSC_0008Details:

Bottle: Madonna di Como

Variety: Dolcetto d’Alba

Year: 2009

Price: $19.99

Review:

I’m not sure if it’s the cold weather, or the fact that I’m taking advantage of my developing appreciation for red wines, but I’ve been very into trying new reds recently. So when I saw this article about Italian dolcettos on the NY Times website last Saturday, it piqued my interest big time. I’m Italian on my dad’s side, and I blame that for my love of Italian cooking and Italian wines. In my opinion, every good recipe should start with garlic and olive oil, finish with some basil and Parmesan cheese, and there should always be a bottle of prosecco, the Italian take on champagne, chilled in the fridge.

So naturally, when I stopped to pick up my groceries for the week, I couldn’t help popping into the package store next to the Harris Teeter to check out their selection. Unfortunately, the selection wasn’t that great, and none of the bottles of dolcetto mentioned in the article were sold there. In fact, there were only two dolcettos sold there at all, and they were both by the same wine maker (at the same price). So I took a stab, grabbed one, and decided to give it a shot.

I absolutely loved this wine, which is almost unfortunate because it’s about twice the price of the bottles I usually grab. But it was worth the price, with its light, mellow flavor. I like my red wines to be a little bitter and not overly dry, and this wine fit the bill perfectly. It was fruity without being sweet, dry without leaving my mouth the same way, and bitter without being overpowering.

The wine struck a great balance, and as a result could easily be paired with just about any dish you happened to be cooking up (or ordering). Except the cheese I bought, which I thought was a brie, but I didn’t look at it closely and it just happened to be next to the brie. It was gross. Don’t buy imposter-brie. Buy dolcetto instead.

Wine Geekery:

Most Dolcetto is found in the Langhe or Piedmont region of northwest Italy, where, as Eric Asimov, the NY Times wine critic states in his article, “the Nebbiolo grape rules.” The hierarchy there is clear–it begins with Dolcetto, proceeds to Barbera, and ends with Nebbiolo. He also states, however, that “while we acknowledge a hierarchy of genres, excellence is excellence.” And I have to agree.

Knowing the Nebbiolo grape sit atops the hierarchy of this genre doesn’t demean the excellence of a great Dolcetto, it just elevates the Nebbiolo in my mind. Besides, with prices comparable to a good French Champagne–starting at around $60 a bottle and going up from there–a good Nebbiolo isn’t exactly in my price range anyhow. But the Dolcetto, thankfully, is.

The name “dolcetto” means “little sweet one,” although it’s not clear whether that refers to the grapes themselves or the hills where the vines are cultivated. It does tend to be produced on less favored sites as an “early to market wine” to generate some income for many of the top estates while the Nebbiolo and Barbera are being matured. The wines are typically meant to be consumed one to two years after release.

While the name implies sweetness, the wines produced are nearly always dry, with moderate to low levels of acidity. Asimov puts it best, describing the wine as “an object lesson in the very Italian push-pull of blending bitter and sweet flavors.” Most dolcettos available come from the Alba region, like the one I tried, however the oldest current plantings of Dolcetto are actually located in Australia, with vines dating back to the 1860s.

Roasted Red Pepper and Avocado Soup

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I’ve been wanting to make this recipe since I saw it on PaleOMG, and I finally made it for lunch on Sunday. It was quick, easy to make, and had a very interesting taste. There was a little bit of sweetness thanks to the coconut milk and the lime juice, but with more heat than you would expect thanks to the paprika and red pepper flakes. Also, I used hot turkey sausage, which I enjoyed, but Eli does not have a high tolerance for spicy stuff, so if I were to make it again, I’d probably pick up some mild sausage for his.

Also, when I was assembling this recipe, I was so tempted to skip the diced avocado on top–especially since you use a whole avocado to get the creamy texture in this recipe–but Juli at PaleOMG was right. The garnishes really do make a huge difference. The diced avocado on top, combined with the sausage, gave it the perfect all-around texture. I ended up walking back into the kitchen to drop some more of both into my soup.

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp cooking fat (I used coconut oil, Juli used bacon fat)

1 yellow onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced (about 3 teaspoons)

2 jars roasted red peppers (about 3-4 peppers), drained and roughly chopped

1 cup vegetable broth

1 cup coconut milk

1 Tbsp smoked paprika

1 Tbsp paprika

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp dried oregano

Salt and pepper, to taste

4-5 cooked sausages (I used hot Italian turkey sausages, Juli used sundried tomato chicken sausage that sounds amazing, but my grocery store didn’t have any)

2 avocadoes, pitted

1/2 lime, juiced

Cilantro, chopped (to garnish)

Directions:

Place a saucepan over medium heat, and add in the cooking fat, onion and garlic. Cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the roasted red peppers, broth, coconut milk, smoked paprika, paprika, red pepper flakes, oregano, and salt and pepper. Let simmer for 8-10 minutes.

While the soup is simmering, cook the sausages on a skillet. Once cooked through, remove from heat and cut into slices.

Once the soup is done simmering, scoop out one of the avocadoes and add it to the saucepan along with the lime juice. Use an immersion blender (or a food processor or blender, though you may have to do it in batches) to blend the soup until smooth.

Dice the second avocado. The easiest way to do that, in my opinion, is to cut the avocado in half (moving around the pit), then leaving it in the skin, use a knife to cut a criss-cross pattern into the avocado half (being careful not to cut through the skin, or your hand) and use a wide, flat spoon to scoop out the avocado. You’ll be scooping it out already diced, which is much easier than trying to dice it out of the skin.

Top the soup with diced avocado, sausage, and chopped cilantro, then serve. I was impartial to the cilantro, but that could be because mine was partially frozen from being too close to the freezer, and therefore didn’t really offer much additional flavor.

Wine-Related Reading (Plus A Food Extra)

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Since I probably won’t get the time to write a proper post until later this evening, I’m throwing out a few links to some wine-related articles I’m reading right now while at work–plus an extra little article about food, complete with a recipe that I’ve decided I have to try out.

Happy reading!

Journey Into the Wine Cellar of France’s Presidential Palace
This article, which spotlights the wine collection you’d have access to if you were the President of France, made me wonder if it was too late to pursue a career in French politics.

A Shy Italian Shines
I will admit that I skimmed over a couple parts of this article when the wine terminology got a little heavy, but overall this article left me really looking forward to trying out some great new bottles. Plus all the bottles listed ranged from $15 to $23 a bottle. I hate when articles list their “top ten picks” that feature nine bottles of $40+ wines, and one “best value” at a meager $25. I’m sorry, snobby-wine-review people, but for those of us who aren’t paid to drink wine, a $25 bottle does not qualify as a “bargain.”

Rothschilds Take a Gamble on Spain’s Rioja
I really enjoyed this article. It felt a little lavish, getting a glimpse into the most recent venture of the famous Rothschilds family, yet it was very unpretentious and informative in their spotlight of Rioja. That balance made this article very enjoyable and easy to read. And it also supplied the pretty photo up top.

Sri Lankan Dishes Answer Call for Inspiration
I will admit that I really like curry dishes. It took a long time for me to warm up to them–in fact, I hated anything with curry in it for years–but now I’m hooked. And I’ve recently fallen in love with the versatility of all the coconut products available nowadays. Coconut milk, coconut oil, coconut flakes, coconut flour. You name it, chances are I have it in my pantry right now. Which is probably why this article (and the accompanying recipe) caught my eye. It does look a bit involved, but assuming it comes out as good as it looks, I may be spending the next couple weeks experimenting with an abbreviated version to feature here!

And now, a completely random and unrelated rant:

Does anyone else get creeped out when you’re on one website, then go to another, and the advertisement in the sidebar is for the exact website you were just on? When I’m reading a CNBC article on swaps trading (i.e., work-related), and there’s an advertisement at the top of the page for Barnes & Noble and advertisements on the side for ModCloth, West Elm and Amazon (and the Amazon ad features the fancy electric wine opener I was just looking at), I know it’s not a coincidence. The Internet is officially stalking me.

Photo credits: Abel Alonso/European Pressphoto Agency (at top); Evan Sung for The New York Times (in middle)

Product Review: Trader Joe’s Puttanesca Sauce

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Work has officially turned crazy. Every year, this is not only the time when the old year ends and the new one begins, it’s also the point in which any free time I had also ends, and crazy work hours begin. New Year’s Day is the calm before the storm, then it kicks off. I put in 15 hours on Wednesday. I have a mandatory Saturday tomorrow. I haven’t been cooking.

Unless, of course, you count heating up frozen meatballs in some jarred pasta sauce as cooking, in which case I’ve been a cooking goddess!! I can’t totally complain, though, because at least one good thing has come of it–I’ve officially found happiness in a jar, in the form of Trader Joe’s Puttanesca Sauce.

I should preface this by saying that I’m a jarred pasta sauce snob. Growing up, we always made a homemade pasta sauce every Sunday, and that was generally the one day a week we ate pasta, and therefore I’ve been spoiled when it comes to premade sauces. The only time I use jarred sauce is when I’m making a homemade sauce but don’t feel like waiting two hours for the bitterness of tomato paste to cook off and thicken the sauce. Then, and only then, I’ll toss in some of the jarred stuff.

But I was at Trader Joe’s the other day, and realized I was going to be working a lot, and should probably have something on hand in case I got desperate. So I decided to give it a shot, and I’m so glad I did! This sauce is delicious, and actually tastes like a real puttanesca sauce.

If you’re not familiar with a puttanesca sauce, it’s basically like your normal tomato sauce, then made awesome by the addition of olives, anchovy paste, and capers. It’s a little bit saltier, a little bit spicier, and a lot more delicious. It’s name also translates into “whore’s pasta” in Italian, since the ingredients are so inexpensive. Which makes me like it even more.

Anyway, if you’re lucky enough to have a Trader Joe’s close by, I highly recommend stocking up on a few jars of this. It’s a great sauce to have on hand for those nights when you want something fast, but don’t feel like cooking. I might slip out on my lunch break and pick up some more, because I have a feeling I’ll be finding all kinds of ways to use this sauce in the next couple months!

Wine Review: Pine Ridge 2011

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Happy New Year!!

I figured that it would be only appropriate to celebrate the new year with a wine post. Instead of the usual, somewhat brief review of a bottle, I’ve included here a review and also some interesting tidbits that I learned about the two varietals included in this blend. Hope you enjoy!

Pine Ridge, Chenin Blanc + Viognier, 2011

Details:

Bottle: Pine Ridge          Variety: Chenin Blanc + Viognier          Year: 2011          Price: $14.99

Review:

I picked up this wine at the package store the other day because I had bought it before and remember enjoying it. Once opened, though, the bottle was quite different than I had remembered it–apparently, I had previously purchased the 2010 blend, not the 2011, and there were some marked differences.

The 2010 bottle was noticeably drier and less sweet than the 2011, but when reading about the two varieties of grapes used to make this bottle, it seems that the 2011 bottle is as it should be, and the 2010 was most likely considered a poorer year for the grapes. Which is probably why I remember the bottle being $9.99, but paid $14.99 this time around. I originally assumed that particular store was just overpriced. Makes sense now.

Despite being noticeably fruitier (is that a word?) than the wines I usually gravitate towards, it was still very easy to drink. It wasn’t over-the-top sweet, and didn’t leave me feeling hungover before I even finished the bottle (or, in this case, the two glasses I had while making myself some 5-minute tuna salad).

If you’re more partial to a sweeter wine, this is a great option. It has a very cute label (which is obviously very important to the overall taste of the wine), it’s a respectable price, and it won’t embarrass you if you’re bringing it over to a party or as a hostess gift. If, however, you like your wines a little drier, your money is probably better spent elsewhere.

Wine Geekery:

This particular blend is 79% Chenin Blanc and 21% Viognier. It’s noted as having “a dazzling spectrum of fruit and floral aromas, from crisp white peach, honeyed pear and sweet mango, to touches of fresh jasmine blossom and white chai tea. Filled with bright and juicy fruits, the palate flaunts flavors of succulent whie nectarine, candied pineapple, green fig and subtle grapefruit.” I can honestly say the only thing I picked up when tasting this bottle was a hint of pear, but kudos to you if you pick up any of those other flavors.

However, from my research into the two wine varieties included, I learned some pretty interesting stuff. For example, the Chenin blanc is a white wine variety from the Loire valley of France, and its high acidity means it can be used to make everything from sparkling wines to well-balanced dessert wines. During the 1980s, however, the California wine industry had more acreage of Chenin blanc planted than France–which makes sense as this particular bottle is from the Sacramento River Delta of California.

However, for most of its history in the California wine industry, the grape was considered a “workhorse variety,” which could be used anonymously in bulk and jug wine blends since its natural acidity and ability to adapt to wines of varying degrees of sweetness made it an ideal blending partner in mass-produced blends. In 1999, DNA profiling suggested that Chenin blanc may be a parent of Sauvignon blanc.

Viognier is the second grape variety included in this blend, and it is presumed to be an ancient grape, possibly originating in Dalmatia (current day Croatia) and then brought to Rhone by the Romans, although the actual origin is unknown. The origin of the name is also obscure, the most common namesake being the French city of Vienne, which was a major Roman outpost. Another legend has it drawing its name from the pronunciation of a Roman term meaning “Valley of Hell,” most likely an allusion to the difficulty of growing the grape.

Viognier was once fairly common, but in 1965 the grape was almost extinct when there were only eight acres in Northern Rhone producing just 1,900 liters of wine. It has since grown in both price and popularity, and plantings have increased as well, but the grape still remains a difficult one to grow because it is prone to powdery mildew and has low and unpredictable yields. Regardless, since the 1980s there has been a dramatic increase in the plantings of the grape in the US and Canada, and has received international attention growing in Virginia, where it was named Virginia’s official state grape in 2011.

Braised Chicken with Capers

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WARNING: This is not the most attractive recipe you’ll ever make. In fact, the first time I made it, it looked just plain ugly. The fresh parsley sprinkled on top does make it look a little nicer, but it’s still not going to win any beauty contests. It is, however, incredibly delicious. Which is way more important than looks, anyway.

I got this recipe from Bon Appetit, and I’ve already made it twice in the past two weeks. It does take close to 2 hours to cook, but there’s only about 30 minutes of active time, and then you leave it alone to finish cooking. It’s perfect for a Sunday night dinner, since it’s savory and has a “special occasion” feel to it, without being labor intensive. Or if you’re one of those people who actually gets out of work at a normal time (I am not usually one of those people), it also works as a weeknight meal.

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp olive oil, divided

2 medium onions, minced (1 1/2 cups)

2-3 lb. bone-in chicken (legs, drumsticks, thighs)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup parsley, minced (plus more for garnish)

1/3 cup capers, soaked well in several changes of water

2 cups low-salt chicken broth

1/2 cups white wine vinegar

Directions:

Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in the largest skillet you have, over medium heat. I used my dutch oven, since the sides are high enough so the chicken doesn’t splatter all over me, and it can hold all the liquid, which worked perfectly. Add onion; cook until softened, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and wipe the skillet clean.

Add another 2 Tbsp olive oil to the skillet and increase heat to medium-high. Season the chicken well with salt and pepper on both sides. Add chicken to skillet and cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, 10-12 minutes. Don’t worry if the skin starts sticking to the bottom of the pan, or if the bottom of the skillet starts turning very brown. That’ll scrape up later, and it makes it even more delicious. Transfer chicken to a plate.

Turn heat back down to medium, then toss in the reserved onion, parsley and capers. Cook for 1 minute, then stir in the broth and vinegar. Take this opportunity to scrape up some of the browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Add chicken with any juices, reduce heat again to medium-low, then cover and simmer for about 1 1/4 hours. At this point, the meat will be tender and falling off the bone.

Transfer chicken to a plate, then spoon the sauce in the skillet on top. Garnish with the parsley, and serve.

Brown the chicken on both sides, then transfer to a plate.

Brown the chicken on both sides, then transfer to a plate.

Add onion, parsley, capers, broth and vinegar. Scrape up the browned bits.

Add onion, parsley, capers, broth and vinegar. Scrape up the browned bits.

Add chicken, cover, then simmer for 1 1/4 hours.

Add chicken, cover, then simmer for 1 1/4 hours.

Transfer to plate, spoon sauce on top, and sprinkle with parsley.

Transfer to plate, spoon sauce on top, and sprinkle with parsley.

Wine Review: Punto Y Coma

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Punto Y Coma, 2009

Punto Y Coma, Garnacha, 2009

Details:

Bottle: Punto Y Coma          Variety: Garnacha          Year: 2009          Price: $9.99

Review:

The Granache grape, which the Spanish refer to as Garnacha, is one of the most widely planted red wine grape varieties in the world. It ripens late, so it needs hot, dry conditions, which is why the grape lends itself nicely to Spain. Which is also why we ended up opening this bottle last night, since Eli has been all about the Spanish reds recently.

First thing I noticed was the strong aroma of the wine. It definitely had a more bitter smell, and Eli even commented that it distinctly smelled like alcohol. Probably because this wine was 14% alcohol by volume, instead of the 12% you find in most wines.

Grenacha is generally spicy, berry-flavored and soft on the palate, with a relatively high alcohol content. We certainly found all of that to be true while drinking this bottle. Despite the bitter smell of the wine, it actually had a pretty light finish. It went down smooth, wasn’t overbearing, and was very easy to drink. I thought it had a little kick to it, while Eli also commented that it was sweeter than he expected it to be.

Overall, I thought the bottle earned a solid B+. Not quite good enough to qualify as an all-time favorite, but one that I wouldn’t mind buying again, either. When pressed for his overall opinion, Eli commented, “It’s good.” A winning review.