Chicken,Bacon & Mushroom Stew

Lately, I am trying to cook things that are easy and that I can freeze for heat-and-eats during the week.  After working a 15-hour day Monday to Friday, the last thing I want to do is come home and start a dinner from scratch.  This is one of those perfect recipes, that can be made in bulk and frozen. I take it one step further and also cook a huge pot of rice, portion it into sandwich bags and pop them in the freezer as well. Mid week dinners are easy in our home!

I like to use chicken thighs for this recipe cause they a soft and juicy.  You could take a whole chicken and portion it into 8 pieces if you prefer.  Any flavoursome mushrooms can be used - just not white button ones - they have no flavour and are chewy.  Pancetta can also be used if you prefer to that of smoky bacon, just make sure you use nice thick chunky cubes.

Chicken, Bacon & Mushroom Stew

Serves 4

1.5kg chicken thighs, skin removed
2 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp olive oil
200g thick smoky bacon, cubed
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
200g brown chestnut mushrooms, quartered
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup white dry white wine
1/2 cup cream
1 Tbsp parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp dried tarragon
Salt & pepper to taste

Place flour in a plastic bag and season with salt & pepper.  Add chicken pieces.  Tie the bag tight and shake wildly so flour coats the chicken evenly, then set aside.  Add half the oil to a deep pan and heat on medium.  Add chicken and brown evenly on all sides, then remove and set aside.

Add remaining oil to the pan and saute, bacon, onion, garlic and mushrooms until brown.  Remove from pan and set aside. Add stock and wine to the pan and scrape all drizzle off the bottom.  Return chicken and cook covered for 25 minutes.

Add the bacon, onion, mushroom mix, cream, parsley, tarragon, salt and pepper and simmer uncovered for 8 minutes until reduced and thickened.

Enjoy
~ Michelle ~

eatloveplaywithfood

Roasted Butternut & Apple Soup

The big surprise with this delicious soup is it is actually a detox soup piled with loads of healthy ingredients and can be enjoyed hot or cold.

Who doesn't love a hearty butternut or pumpkin soup when the rain sets it and temps start dropping. The secret in this recipe - besides the apples - is the butternut that is roasted in the oven.  This allows for it to caramelise which really brings out that lovely sweet flavour.

When choosing your apples, stay away from Grammy Smith as they are really tart and although we want a little acidity to cut through the sweetness of the butternut, they can be too strong.  I like to use Gala or even Honeycrisp apples which offer a milder flavour.

The chilli here is optional, but to be honest with you, it does do wonders and again, cuts through that overall sweetness of the soup... and is beneficial for detox.

Enjoy with a little country farm-style bread
~  Michelle ~

Roasted Butternut & Apple Soup

1.4kg butternut squash
1 large onion, quartered
1/4 cup olive oil
4 large sweet apples (Gala/Honeycrisp) inch cubed, skin on
225g shiitake mushrooms, halved
1 cup celery, chopped
8 cups chicken stock
2 cups apple juice
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp chilli (optional)

Preheat oven to 220'c.  In a large bowl mix butternut, onion and 1/2 of the oil.  Toss well and bake on a baking tray for approx 40 min until squash is tender.  Meanwhile mix apples, mushrooms and remaining oil on a second tray and bake for 15 min until apples are tender.

In a large pot add celery, roasted veg from the two baking trays, chicken stock, apple juice, salt, pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, red pepper flakes and simmer for 30 min.  Allow to cool.  In batches blend until smooth in a foo processor.

Finally, simmer for a further 5 min and adjust the consistency if needs be with a little more apple juice.

Hearty 'French Onion' Meat Soup

Hearty 'French Onion' Meat Soup
Eatloveplaywithfood.blogspot.com

Julia Child would be horrified with what I did with her classic recipe of French Onion Soup in Mastering The Art Of French Cooking.  

My efforts started out rather classical, but I felt more like a thick and hearty, tummy warming soup with some meat, risotto a few other things along with the onions, which made 'classical' go pear-shaped from there.




In order to cut down on the cooking time by almost 2 hours and still to get the onions to develop a deep, rich flavour, I added a tablespoon of sugar allowing them to caramelise.  The more traditional way would be to cook the onions slow firstly in butter and oil and then on a slow simmer in some stock. Sorry, didn't do this one either ... definitely pear-shaped!

I have used Shiitake mushrooms, cause I love them, but you can really use any flavoursome mushroom you like - that does not include a button mushroom which really offers little flavour all the way round!

RECIPE 
This is suitable for 4 - 6-foodie lovers  

Olive oil
2 medium onions, cut into 8 wedges
1/2 cup shallots, small dice
2 tsp fresh ginger, medium dice
4 cloves garlic, small dice
1 Tbsp flour
2 cups Shiitake/Chestnut mushrooms, large dice
1 tsp brown sugar
500g sirloin steak, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
6 cups water
3/4 cup uncooked risotto
1/4 cup sherry
3 tbsp soy sauce
300ml beef stock
1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce

Heat a generous glug of oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat
Add onions, shallots, ginger, garlic and flour and sauté for 10 min on medium
Add mushrooms, sugar and beef and sauté on high for 7 min
Add water, risotto, sherry, soy sauce and stock and bring to the boil
Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 50 min until meat is tender and liquid is thick
Stir in worcestershire sauce at the end and serve

4-Wild Mushroom Soup

This has got to be one of my all time favourite soups.  A little effort goes a long way, and if you going to make soup - make a lot.  This one freezes really well.

www.facebook.com/eatloveplaywithfood
4-Wild Mushroom Soup

130g Shitake mushrooms

150g Portobello mushrooms
100g Cremini mushrooms
100g Porchini mushrooms
Olive oil
115g + 1 tbs butter, divided
1 cup red onion, chopped
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 cups leeks, chopped white and green
1/2 cup flour
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup cream
1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped

Wipe mushrooms with a paper towel.  Do not wash with water!
Separate stems and coarsely chop
Chunky slice mushroom caps
To make the stock:
Heat oil and 1 tbsp butter in a large pot
Add stems, onion, 1 sprig thyme, salt, pepper and cook on medium for 10 min
Add 8 cups water, bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 min
Strain, serving liquid
In a large pot heat remaining butter, add leeks and cook for 20 min until soft
Add chopped mushroom caps and cook another 10 min
Add flour and cook for 1 min
Add wine and cook for 1 min
Add stock, thyme salt and pepper and bring to the boil, reduce and simmer for 15 min
Add cream, parsley and season, heat through, but do not boil
Serve hot