Culinary Disasters

Last week marks a sad day for me and probably one of the lowest points of the whole year.  Yes I am being overdramatic however, the garden got ripped out which makes me sad.  Peppers were overabundant, along with tomatoes, and always the jalapenos and habaneros have me wondering how much hot sauce I can make this year.  So all and all it was a good year for farmer Jeff.

I have a fall garden planted but my travel schedule it did not get the water it deserved and the only two things that seemed to survive from lack of water is the peas and beans.  Thankfully I found another farmer’s market in town that is open till Thanksgiving.

I met my old boss last week for sushi and as it always does the conversation turned to food almost immediately.  He mentioned that they are trying something where for two weeks they only eat meat that is in the freezer.  This got me thinking because I have a couple freezers at home yet I always seem to be picking up meat and other random stuff at the grocery store.  So for the next couple of weeks I am going to try and dwindle down what is in my freezer, fridge, and cupboards. 

Roasting peppers is very stinking easy.  If you have a gas stove put the peppers over a high burner.  If you are lacking a gasser than throw them on a grill or under a high broiler.  Once the skin is blackened all over put them in a covered container for a couple minutes and then the skin should peel right off.

For this recipe you will need:

• 1 whole chicken cut up
• 4-6 peppers that have been roasted and then chopped up
• 1 onion diced
• 2 stalks of celery diced
• 3 cloves of garlic finely diced
• 1 TB of tomato paste
• 1/2 cup of white wine
• 16 ounces of diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup of diced olives
• 6 ounces of quartered artichoke hearts (I buy jars or cans because I hate dealing with artichokes)
• 1 TB of fresh oregano
• 4 stems of thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• Pinch of crushed red pepper
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• Olive oil

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and then brown the chicken over medium-high heat.  Once the chicken is browned all over remove and set aside.

Add in the onion, peppers, and celery with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook till the onions are softened (about 5 minutes).  Add in the garlic and tomato paste and stir for another minute.

Add in the white wine and cook till it is reduced by 1/2.  Add in everything else including the chicken.  Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook till the chicken is done (about 25 minutes).

If you have some orzo sitting around while the chicken is cooking bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the orzo till al dente. 

Serve and enjoy!

Tags: Healthy, chicken, All //