Month: November 2009

Remember this nice soup recipe from a few weeks ago?  Well, I know it’s not a giant Christmas tree made from lobster pots, but this is pretty exciting to me!  I have posted the recipe again for you but scroll down past the recipe to see what I won!

Pesto Kissed Tuscan Chicken and Olive Stew

3 bone in chicken breasts with skin, trimmed
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup fennel, diced
1 cup sweet onion, diced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
1 ½ teaspoons thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1-15.5 oz can diced tomatoes in sauce
2 bay leaves
5 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup pitted olives of your choice (not brined) drained and cut in half
1-1lb 13 oz can navy or small white beans, rinsed and drained
8 tablespoons prepared basil pesto

Shredded parmesan cheese (optional)

Heat the oil in a heavy 7 quart Dutch oven over medium heat.  Season chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper and place them skin side down in hot oil to brown, turning frequently to prevent scorching.  Brown the skin and remove breast to a plate.

To the pot, add the fennel, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme and rosemary and saute until vegetables are translucent, about 5-minutes. Sprinkle in flour and stir until flour turns slightly brown, about 2 minutes.  Stir in the tomatoes, stock, tomato paste and bay leaves and the browned chicken to the pot.

Bring the mixture to a low boil and then reduce the heat to low.  Allow the chicken to cook, uncovered but submerged, until cooked through, about 25 minutes.  Remove the chicken to a cutting board and allow to cool to a workable temperature.  Remove skin and bones from breast and cut or pull chicken into bite sized pieces.

Remove bay leaves from pot, add beans and olives and allow broth to thicken and reduce slightly.   When broth is thickened, return chicken to the pot, stir and re-season with salt and pepper to taste.  Bring soup back to a simmer. Ladle soup into serving bowls and drizzle with one tablespoon prepared basil pesto and top with shredded cheese.  Serve immediately.

It won me this!

This is an Emile Henry 7 quart Dutch Oven!

Here is the link to my winning recipe and those of my equally as talented cooking pals Sally and Deborah who came in 2nd and 3rd–check them out!

http://www.calolive.org/TheCaliforniaOliveCommitteeCookingCookingArticlesThreeTalentedChefsarePotLucky.aspx

It has been along “dry spell” since I have won anything in any of the many recipecooking contests that I enter so hopefully, this will start another winning streak!  If you make the soup, please let me know what you think and thank you all for your nice comments when I see you out and about.

More recipes to come!