A Chicken in Every Pot

As I posted before, one of my go to blogs is Steamy Kitchen.  She always has recipes with exciting flavors, but explains them in a way that makes the home cook feel at ease tackling even the most elaborate recipes.  One of her recipes Ginger, Coriander, & Orange Braised Chicken is the first one I ever tried.  It not only creates an incredibly flavorful dish - the scent of the ginger, coriander, & orange fills your home.  I had a bunch of odd chicken pieces from a couple of chickens I had practiced my knife skills on.  A little rice with almonds and peas made a nice bed for the chicken.  Whole Foods makes a great fully cooked frozen brown rice, but I didn't have any in the freezer.  Sometimes I'll mix the frozen brown rice with a couple squeezes of an orange & a little zest, mix in some cashews & currants, and then pop it in the oven to heat thru.

Cooking the chicken in my big green dutch oven ensures all the chicken stays nice and moist.  If you don't have a dutch oven, I highly recommend investing in one... a good one.  A good one runs about $120-$200 (depending on size), but they do everything.  Braising meat, making stews & soups, and even bread.  I have a bight green one by Calphalon that is enameled cast iron.  It has since been discontinued.  My next piece will be a Le Creuset... ahhhh Le Creuset, the holy grail of cast iron.

Some people get excited about new electronics and gadgets (dad), others covet jewelry, but I lust after pots, pans, and cutlery (and other kitchen accessories).  The other day walking home from my volunteer gig in South Philly, I stopped in the snow outside one of the shops on Antique Row to stare longingly at an old & obviously well loved set of heavy copper pots.  A single pot with a lid cost between $300-$400.  OY!  I do scoop out thrift shops & discounters in hopes of finding more affordable finds & occasionally come across a real diamond.  Older stuff from the 50's, 60's, & 70's is really built to last.  I got my mom's juicer she got as a wedding shower gift.  It plows thru bags of oranges in minutes.

After a very satisfying dinner, I still have plenty for lunch tomorrow.  I have a couple of projects planned for tomorrow... stay tuned.