Damsel in dis Dress > wrote:

> On Thu, 17 Aug 2006 20:47:25 +0100, (Debbie Wilson)
> wrote:
>
> >Chicken and Green Peppers
> >Serves 2
> >
> >2 chicken breasts, skinned and cut into bite-sized chunks
> >2 green peppers (sweet peppers, bell peppers) or one green + one yellow
> >for colour. Red is too sweet
>
> How 'bout if the eaters in question *only* like red? Is it still too
> sweet? This sounds good.

Glad you like the sound of it, Carol!
BTW should have mentioned in the original recipe that the peppers should
be cored and chopped into pieces, about 1"-1.5" squares approx! Just in
case anyone was going to add them whole!

Hmm... if they only like red.. I dunno, never tried it. The green
peppers do complement the bouquet garni well, I'm wondering if the red
might overpower it a bit, but it's worth a try. But DH created a variant
of this recipe a while back that would work with red, and there's
another one I do that would work:

Chicken and Red Peppers
Serves 2
2 chicken breasts, skinned and cut into bite-sized chunks
2 red peppers, cored and cut into 0.5" strips.
3-4 button mushrooms, sliced
Olive oil for frying
0.5 teaspoon dried rosemary and 0.5 teaspoon dried oregano
1-2 teaspoons garlic puree
1 glass white wine (or about 4-5 tablespoons lemon juice as an
alternative)
Salt & pepper

Fry the chicken gently in about 2-3 tablespoons olive oil until
whitened, then add the garlic puree and stir well in. Add the peppers
and mushrooms and fry for a further 2-3 mins. Add the wine or lemon
juice, stir in well, then add herbs, salt & pepper, stir then cover and
simmer on a low heat for about 15 mins or until the peppers are soft and
chicken is done. Serve on a bed of rice accompanied by the rest of the
wine.
(DH usually does a nice-looking tricolour version of this with green,
red and yellow peppers)


Chicken and Oranges
Serves 2

4 chicken thighs, with skin left on
2 red peppers, cored and sliced (I usually use yellow for looks, but red
would work)
1 orange, peeled and cut into 8 chunks or 6 thick slices
Knob of butter
1 glass orange juice, I suppose about 0.25 pint?
0.25 pint chicken stock
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
Salt & pepper

Fry the chicken thighs in the butter until browned on both sides. Add
the orange juice and stock, stir in well, then add the peppers, orange
and rosemary and s & p to taste. Simmer covered for about 15-20 mins
until chicken is cooked. Serve with rice (brown rice is quite nice with
this) and a green salad.

Sometimes the rosemary makes this slightly bitter - any suggestions for
better herbs to add that would complement the citrus sweet flavours
would be welcomed :-)

As you can tell our recipes tend to be v simple 'peasant cooking'! Have
got others but don't want to risk ridicule ;-}

Deb.
--
http://www.scientific-art.com

"He looked a fierce and quarrelsome cat, but claw he never would;
He only bit the ones he loved, because they tasted good." S. Greenfield

Debbie wrote:

> Chicken and Red Peppers
> Serves 2
> 2 chicken breasts, skinned and cut into bite-sized chunks
> 2 red peppers, cored and cut into 0.5" strips.
> 3-4 button mushrooms, sliced
> Olive oil for frying
> 0.5 teaspoon dried rosemary and 0.5 teaspoon dried oregano
> 1-2 teaspoons garlic puree
> 1 glass white wine (or about 4-5 tablespoons lemon juice as an
> alternative)
> Salt & pepper
>
> Fry the chicken gently in about 2-3 tablespoons olive oil until
> whitened, then add the garlic puree and stir well in. Add the peppers
> and mushrooms and fry for a further 2-3 mins. Add the wine or lemon
> juice, stir in well, then add herbs, salt & pepper, stir then cover and
> simmer on a low heat for about 15 mins or until the peppers are soft and
> chicken is done. Serve on a bed of rice accompanied by the rest of the
> wine.
> (DH usually does a nice-looking tricolour version of this with green,
> red and yellow peppers)


Reminds me of this (fairly easy and very tasty) recipe from America's Test
Kitchen:

Pork Chops with Vinegar and Sweet Peppers

For this recipe, we prefer rib chops, but center-cut chops, which contain a
portion of tenderloin, can be used instead. If you do not have time to brine
the chops, "enhanced" pork (pork injected with a salt, water, and sodium
phosphate solution, so stated on the package label) presents an acceptable
solution; the enhanced meat will have more moisture than unbrined natural
chops. To keep the chops from overcooking and becoming tough and dry, they
are removed from the oven when they are just shy of fully cooked; as they
sit in the hot skillet, they continue to cook with residual heat. The
vinegar stirred into the sauce at the end adds a bright, fresh flavor. We
advise, however, that you taste the sauce before you add the vinegar--you
may prefer to omit it.

Serves 4
1 cup sugar
Table salt
4 bone-in rib loin pork chops, each 3/4 to 1 inch thick and 7 to 9 ounces
Ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped fine (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 large red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips
(about 1 1/2 cups)
1 large yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch-wide
strips (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 anchovy fillets, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
1 sprig fresh rosemary, about 5 inches long
2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2
teaspoons)
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup white wine vinegar, plus optional 2 tablespoons to finish sauce
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

1. Dissolve sugar and 1/2 cup table salt in 2 quarts water in large
container; add pork chops and refrigerate 30 minutes. Remove chops from
brine; thoroughly pat dry with paper towels, season with 3/4 teaspoon
pepper, and set aside.

2. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat oil
in heavy-bottomed ovensafe 12-inch nonreactive skillet over medium-high heat
until oil begins to smoke; swirl skillet to coat with oil. Place chops in
skillet; cook until well browned, 3 to 4 minutes, using spoon or spatula to
press down on center of chops to aid in browning. Using tongs, flip chops
and brown lightly on second side, about 1 minute. Transfer chops to large
plate; set aside.

3. Set skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring
occasionally, until just beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add peppers,
anchovies, and rosemary; cook, stirring frequently, until peppers just begin
to soften, about 4 minutes. Add garlic; cook, stirring constantly, until
fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add water and 1/2 cup vinegar and bring to boil,
scraping up browned bits with wooden spoon. Reduce heat to medium; simmer
until liquid is reduced to about 1/3 cup, 6 to 8 minutes. Off heat, discard
rosemary.

4. Return pork chops, browned side up, to skillet; nestle chops in peppers,
but do not cover chops with peppers. Add any accumulated juices to skillet;
set skillet in oven and cook until center of chops registers 135 to 140
degrees on instant-read thermometer, 8 to 12 minutes (begin checking
temperature after 6 minutes). Using potholders, carefully remove skillet
from oven (handle will be very hot) and cover skillet with lid or foil; let
stand until center of chops registers 145 to 150 degrees on instant-read
thermometer, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer chops to platter or individual plates.
Swirl butter into sauce and peppers in skillet; stir in optional 2
tablespoons vinegar, if using, and parsley. Adjust seasonings with salt and
pepper, then pour or spoon sauce and peppers over chops. Serve immediately.

BOB'S NOTES:

1. I've made this a couple times. The first time, I served it on top of soft
polenta with parmesan and peas, with garlic-flavored pan-seared zucchini
planks on the side. I think the parmesan was superfluous, though the peas
were good with the piquant pork and peppers. The next time, I served it
with anise-flavored Moroccan bread, and I liked that combination a lot. (I
had a Moroccan carrot salad and an orange-olive salad as side dishes.) It
would probably be good over plain white rice, too.

2. I used cider vinegar rather than white vinegar; I figured (rightly, by my
tastes) that the slight apple taste would harmonize well with the pork. The
web site has a variation where you use balsamic vinegar, and that would
probably also be nice.


Bob

Bob Terwilliger > wrote:

> Reminds me of this (fairly easy and very tasty) recipe from America's Test
> Kitchen:
>
> Pork Chops with Vinegar and Sweet Peppers

Ooh yes - that does sound very nice! Will have to give that a try.
Interesting addition of the anchovy fillets too. Were these the usual
kind you can get in jars, or fresh cooked?

> BOB'S NOTES:
>
> 1. I've made this a couple times. The first time, I served it on top of soft
> polenta with parmesan and peas, with garlic-flavored pan-seared zucchini
> planks on the side.

Can you tell me how you did the zucchini, Bob? We have a *lot* that is
just ripening and always on the lookout for different ways of cooking
it. Thanks!

Deb.
--
http://www.scientific-art.com

"He looked a fierce and quarrelsome cat, but claw he never would;
He only bit the ones he loved, because they tasted good." S. Greenfield

Debbie wrote:

> Ooh yes - that does sound very nice! Will have to give that a try.
> Interesting addition of the anchovy fillets too. Were these the usual
> kind you can get in jars, or fresh cooked?

I used salt-cured anchovies from a tin. I rinsed them off before chopping
them. Your "usual" anchovies are probably what the authors of the recipe
intended.


>> garlic-flavored pan-seared zucchini planks on the side.
>
> Can you tell me how you did the zucchini, Bob? We have a *lot* that is
> just ripening and always on the lookout for different ways of cooking
> it. Thanks!

Slice a couple cloves of garlic thinly. Put about three tablespoons of
olive oil into a skillet and cook the garlic slices over medium-low heat,
swirling occasionally, for about fifteen minutes, or until they turn tan.
Cut off the zucchini tip and stem, cut the zucchini in half crosswise, then
cut each half into lengthwise "planks." (If the zucchini are small, just
halve them lengthwise.) Remove the garlic from the pan and raise the heat
to medium-high. Add the zucchini slices in a single layer and just leave
them alone for about five minutes. After that time, they should have a nice
spotting of brown. Turn the slices over and cook the other side about 3 1/2
minutes. Remove from the pan and immediately sprinkle with salt (I use
coarse sea salt) and any herbs or spices you like.

Depending on what the zucchini will be accompanying, I've used savory, dill,
herbes de Provence, oregano (especially with a splash of lemon juice), hot
pepper flakes, or a mixture of toasted cumin and coriander. Harissa would
probably also be to many people's tastes, but I don't like the caraway in
it. You don't HAVE to add any additional seasoning at all; the zucchini
planks are good with just the salt.

You can apply similar treatment to any summer squash; I've used it for much
of the varied summer squash I get each week in my CSA delivery. The main
trick is to keep the heat high enough to caramelize the exterior of the
squash before the interior turns mushy, but low enough to keep the oil from
smoking.

Bob

Bob Terwilliger > wrote:

(snip)
> Depending on what the zucchini will be accompanying, I've used savory, dill,
> herbes de Provence, oregano (especially with a splash of lemon juice), hot
> pepper flakes, or a mixture of toasted cumin and coriander. Harissa would
> probably also be to many people's tastes, but I don't like the caraway in
> it. You don't HAVE to add any additional seasoning at all; the zucchini
> planks are good with just the salt.

That's a delicious-sounding, simple treatment, Bob - thanks very much. I
will be trying that this weekend! Oregano and lemon juice sounds great.
Thanks for the tip about keeping the heat high enough too, would not
have thought of that otherwise.

Deb.
--
http://www.scientific-art.com

"He looked a fierce and quarrelsome cat, but claw he never would;
He only bit the ones he loved, because they tasted good." S. Greenfield

Damsel, I took your suggestion seriously as I am mostly a lurker but I
tried this and served it last night and it was a hit, moist and light
so here you go--and the frosting was fun and exactly as it says... Oh,
BTW use good coffee<g>- you can't taste it but it works...

(From Wanda Adams, Honolulu Advertiser columnist)
Old Fashioned Prune Cake

1.5 cups dried, pitted prunes
2 and ¾ cup flour
..5-teaspoon salt
1-teaspoon mace or nutmeg
1.5 teaspoons baking soda
1-teaspoon cinnamon
¾ cup butter or oleo
1.5 cups sugar
3 eggs beaten
¾ cup boiling coffee

Heat oven to 375 degrees; 350 if using a glass-baking dish. Prepare
(grease and flour and tap til pan is coated) three 9-inch pans or a 9
X 13 and set aside.

Place prunes in food processor and chop; set aside. In a medium bowl,
sift or stir together flour, salt, mace, cinnamon and ½ teaspoon of
the baking soda; set aside. Cream butter; add sugar and cream until
light colored and fluffy. Add eggs and mix well. Add prunes and mix.

In a bowl combine coffee with remaining soda. Alternately add dry
ingredients and coffee mixture to creamed mixture; stirring well
between each addition.

Pour into prepared pans and bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes,
until centers spring back when lightly touched and toothpick inserted
into center emerges clean. Cool and frost as desired. Makes 8
generous servings.

(also From Wanda Adams, Honolulu Advertiser columnist)
7 Minute Prune Icing
2 egg whites
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons water
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
Dash salt
1 cup chopped prunes

In the top of the double boiler over simmering (not boiling) water,
combine egg whites, sugar, water and cream of tartar and beat with
electric mixer about 7 minutes, until whites stand in peaks. Stir in
prunes with mixer.

aloha,
Thunder


--smithfarms.com
farmers of pure kona
roast beans to kona to email

On Sun, 20 Aug 2006 06:50:22 -1000, wrote:

>Damsel, I took your suggestion seriously as I am mostly a lurker but I
>tried this and served it last night and it was a hit, moist and light
>so here you go--and the frosting was fun and exactly as it says... Oh,
>BTW use good coffee<g>- you can't taste it but it works...

I think of you as a regular. Not a prolific regular, but definitely a
regular. Of course, you must use the best coffee available.

I hope, this year, to finally have something in the budget so I can
buy Kona from you for Christmas gifts.

>(From Wanda Adams, Honolulu Advertiser columnist)
>Old Fashioned Prune Cake

Ya know, I'll bet this is fabulous, but Crash has serious problems
when he eats prunes, and if I ate a whole prune cake (with prune
frosting!) myself, I'd have to get a laptop and post from the throne.

Best I can do is try to imagine it, and it tastes very good in my
imagination.

Thanks for sharing. I hope someone who is more prune-tolerant makes
it and loves it. <sigh>

Carol

On Sun, 20 Aug 2006 13:28:07 -0500, Damsel in dis Dress
> wrote:

>On Sun, 20 Aug 2006 06:50:22 -1000, wrote:
>
>I think of you as a regular. Not a prolific regular, but definitely
a
>regular. Of course, you must use the best coffee available.
>
>I hope, this year, to finally have something in the budget so I can
>buy Kona from you for Christmas gifts.
>Ya know, I'll bet this is fabulous, but Crash has serious problems
>when he eats prunes, and if I ate a whole prune cake (with prune
>frosting!) myself, I'd have to get a laptop and post from the throne.
>
>Best I can do is try to imagine it, and it tastes very good in my
>imagination.
>
>Thanks for sharing. I hope someone who is more prune-tolerant makes
>it and loves it. <sigh>
>
>Carol

Aren't you sweet Carol! I never considered the other issue, sorry.
BTW..You can make that frosting with out the prunes. I remember it
from being a young kid, sticky white frosting-kind of like moist
meringues. (Going to have some cake for lunch, lucky me)

Take care!

aloha,
Cea
--smithfarms.com
farmers of pure kona
roast beans to kona to email