Drowning my sorrows in new recipes, especially those of the spring variety even though slightly cold temps have returned.
This little beauty came to me via Yahoo! news, which states that the original source is Better Homes and Gardens.
Sigh. I want a better home and garden...
Anyway, without further ado,
Recipe: (with adaptations)
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 small carrots, with tops, trimmed and diagonally cut into 1-inch pieces (yeah. right. substituted baby carrots sliced lengthwise. moving on.)
1 large onion, cut into thin wedges
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
3/4 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
8 oz. new potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch slices (Organic potatoes at Kroger come in two varieties: regular and sweet. I opted for regular and sliced them.)
4 cups mushrooms, halved (Due to hubby mushroom phobia: substituted artichokes. Yummy!)
3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
2 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, sliced (I knew there was no chance 2 thighs would be enough. Chicken thighs are tiny. I used 4.)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon fresh, snipped tarragon (No. Used a teaspoon of parsley and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper instead. No rhyme or reason, just sounded appealing at the time.)
In extra large non-stick skillet heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Evenly layer potatoes and carrots in skillet. Cook, uncovered, until potatoes are golden, (way more than) 5 minutes, turning once.
Add mushrooms (artichokes) and onions. Cook 5-6 minutes, until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring often.
Add garlic and asparagus; cook 3 minutes. Transfer vegetables to bowl; set aside.
In same skillet, heat remaining oil. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Cook chicken in hot oil, about 3 minutes, until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.
Add broth; bring to boiling. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 3 minutes or until no pink remains.
Increase heat to medium-high. Add cooked vegetables; heat through. Stir in seasonings of choice.
Verdict:
First of all, if I make this again, I will be listening to my inner instinct and making it in my le Creuset magically non-stick French oven. Nothing sticks to that baby. Nothing. My stainless steel supposedly non-stick skillet on the other hand? I don't want to talk about it.
Also, transferring hot vegetables from a hot pan to a bowl was, um, not the easiest thing in the world. Maybe I need to refine my technique. Or I can blame the counter space since I blame it for pretty much everything else that frustrates me in my kitchen.
That said, delicious! Delicious enough that, even though I stomped to the table swearing that this meal would be awful, I would never make it again, and we should probably just order pizza because I just knew it was a fail.... After my first bite I literally had to eat. my. words. And folks, that doesn't happen often.
Yes, I was in a mood. Anyway. Moving on.
The chicken was tender. The vegetables were perfectly cooked; although, I did cook the potatoes for about triple the initial time stated. (Maybe it was because I had a different kind of potato. Or too many potatoes. Or my stove is wretched. Yep. That's the one.) The flavors blended perfectly. Everything was hot, tender, and tasty.
Minor technical and procedural changes will be in order the next time this is on the menu, but anything that is good enough to stop this Diva mid snit-fit? Well, it's worth keeping around.
Sounds yummy. I must admit, anything that is capable of stopping you " mid snit fit" is WELL worth keeping around:)
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