This one sort of strays from the simple philosophy just a bit.  It’s still pretty basic and easy to make, but it’s a little more processed then most of the recipes I’ll be sharing here.  It’s a great family favorite.  I regularly get requests from extended family and friends to make it as well.  And I had a request to share it here, so here goes.

I’m going to start by saying that I never measure the ingredients for this.  Last time I made it, I tried to get general measurements to share with you here.  Also, I cook large.  Really large.  For one thing we have a decent sized family.  And you know that old adage about the way growing boys eat?  So not a joke.  Or an exaggeration.  In fact, in my experience, everyone has been down-playing it all this time.  And since this is a favored dish, they go at it with an extra will.  Secondly, I like leftovers.  They make for a quick, easy, and nourishing lunch during the busy home-schooling day.  The more days a week that I can just pop something in the oven or re-heat it on the stove, the better.

Generally this amount serves as dinner for the 6 of us one night and either breakfast or lunch for the children and I later in the week.

Chicken Dippers

I start with 3 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breast and chop it into strips.

I dip each piece individually into a bowl of water, then dredge it in my flour mix.

For the flour mix, I use potato flour.  You can use any flour here and it will turn out delicious, but I’ve found potato flour to be particularly good.  The flavor combination is excellent and it makes a really nice, crisp coating.  To coat this much chicken, I use around 2 1/2 cups of flour, mixed with a tablespoon or so of sea salt and maybe 2 teaspoons of either chili powder or cayenne pepper (you’ll have to experiment with this depending on how spicy you like things.  This is just about right for my family and gives a nice color to the finished chicken as well).

I cook this in two cast iron skillets at once, to save time.  Start by heating the oil of your choice in the skillet.  It should be enough to completely cover the bottom of the pan.    Using tongs, arrange the flour coated chicken in a single layer in your preheated pan.  I keep the burner at about a medium heat for the entire cooking process.  Cook until nice and browned on one side and then flip and cook the same on the other side.  Remove the cooked pieces to a platter (you can drain them on something if you like) and repeat the process with the remaining chicken.

My kids call these chicken dippers because they like to dip them in mustard to eat.  They like them cold as leftovers too, so they make a good picnic food.  Enjoy!

Thinly slice your yams and coat them with oil and spices.  You can also peel them before slicing, but I never bother.  This time I used chili powder and ginger and that was a particularly pleasant flavor combination.  Don’t forget the salt.  Arrange them in a single layer on a cookie sheet (or cookie sheets, if you are making many).  Bake at 450 until they are browned on one side, maybe 15 minutes?  Flip them and cook until brown all over.  Enjoy!

simple cookery- the art of preparing nourishing meals with the most basic ingredients.  A series of not-so-much recipes, as ideas, techniques, flavor combinations. 

This dish was somewhat revolutionary for me.  I’m somewhat known for throwing together random things in the kitchen and coming up with a meal.  Still when a dear friend prepared this on a visit to our place one day, it was like a epiphany for me.  So simple!  So easy!  So delicious!  Why hadn’t I thought of that?!?  I started wondering where else I was over-thinking and over-working our meals.  I’ll admit this inspired several weeks of take all the vegetables you have, add in the protein you have, maybe a little seasoning and cook it up, meals for me.

My friend says that this is the best way to stretch out a pound of fish, and I have to agree.  You start with your veggies.  Potatoes, onions, carrots and celery would be traditional choices.  I usually forgo the potatoes in favor of something a little more nutrient dense.  Many times I’ve made it with cauliflower or yams.  I’m sure there is any number of vegetable combinations that would work here.  Chop everything up and put it in your pan with a spoonful of fat.  As always, I think cast iron is the best choice.  I have an enameled dutch oven that I use for this type of dish.  For fat, use whatever you have on hand that sounds good to you, butter, the oil of your choice.  Personally, I use the traditional bacon grease.

So, heat up your fat and vegetables and cook, stirring often, over say a medium heat for a few minutes and let things start to soften up.  I usually add in a sprinkle of salt.  I’m sure it’s just in my head, but I swear that salt makes onions cook faster.  Add some broth (or water in a pinch), about enough to cover the veggies.  Cover and simmer until everything is just about done.  You can add in a bay leaf if you like.  I like to tear up some dulse and toss it on top.  It adds lots of nutrients and trace minerals, a punch of color and a deeper, richer flavor.  I also tend to add in a bit of tarragon at some point in the cooking process, just because I like tarragon with fish.

We usually use tilapia.  It’s very mild, readily available and not terribly expensive.  Chop up your fish while the vegetables cook.  Add it in when they are close to done.  The pot will be so hot at this point that it shouldn’t take long to heat all the way through.  Stir it in and let cook for a couple of minutes.  Once everything seems done, add in enough milk (of whatever sort pleases you) to bring it to the desired consistency.  A really creamy canned coconut milk is particularly lovely.  Warm everything up, season with salt and fresh cracked pepper and serve.  And it’s that simple!

It’s been a while since I’ve posted a recipe, so I thought I would share this simple, farm fresh, dish that our family has been enjoying recently.  This is actually something that I’ve been making for several years now, with slight variations.  I said I was sharing a recipe, but it’s really more of a method, as there are no exact amounts.

First you start with a skillet.  Years ago I could get away with one, now I make two!  Personally I think cast iron is the only way to go with this dish, but I feel that way about almost everything I cook.

Coat the base of your skillet with a thin layer of olive oil.

The whole thing is arranged in layers.  On top of the olive oil goes a layer of sliced onions and chopped garlic.  When they are in season, I like to add my favorite Italian sweet peppers to this layer.  This should more or less cover the bottom of your skillet.  We really like this soup chunky, I think that’s part of it’s appeal, so I don’t get too fussy about chopping things up.  Besides once everything is cooked through it’s easy to break up with a spoon, if it turns out that the chunks are a little too large.

Next comes the chicken.  Whatever kind or cut you like.  Cut it into chunks and cover your onion mix.

On top of that comes the slices of fresh tomatoes, again whatever kind you like.

And now for the top layer you’ll cover the whole thing with whole fresh basil leaves.

Now your skillet should be just about full.  Pour in a splash of red wine (maybe 1/4 C) and cover it.  I’ve used several scoops of yogurt instead in the past, for a creamier soup with a slightly different flavor.  Cook it covered, on the stove top, on medium heat for about 10 minutes, then turn it down to low for another 20 (you can also leave the lid off for a bit at the end to make sure that all of the alcohol evaporates, just be sure to check and make sure that your chicken is cooked through).  The juices from the chicken, tomatoes, and basil will all have combined to form a rich and flavorful broth.  Season with salt and pepper, serve and enjoy!