Chicago Chicken Stew – Chicken Stew with Carrots, Potatoes & Turnips

Chicago Chicken Stew – Chicken stew with carrots, potatoes, turnips and squash

This chicken stew is simply fabulous and hearty, without being too heavy or unhealthy.  I made my first batch in my largest pot last week, and it was gone before the night was over.  Considering that there are only two of us, that just might make this dish the most popular thing I have ever made.  And that’s saying a lot…

To start, warm some olive oil in a large pot over medium heat until it is sizzling.  Add onions, half of your garlic, Northwoods seasoning, some salt, pepper and garlic powder.  Cook for about five minutes until the onions are becoming translucent.

Add in potatoes, turnips, carrots, squash and half a cup of chicken broth and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.  Cook for another five or so minutes, stirring frequently so that vegetables are exposed to the bottom of the pot and the chicken broth.

Add the chicken breasts and cook for another ten minutes.  Move the contents of your pot out of the way with your spoon, add the flour and stir until the flour is absorbed, about one minute.

Add the rest of the chicken broth, the red wine, sugar, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, remaining garlic and bay leaves.   Stir, cover and let the mixture come to a boil.   Once at a boil, turn down to a simmer and let cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  After fifteen minutes, taste and add additional Northwoods seasoning, salt and/or pepper if needed.

Once the thirty minutes has passed, carefully take the chicken breasts out and cut them into bite-sized pieces and add back to the pot.  Cook for another fifteen minutes and enjoy!

Note – the longer you cook this stew, the more flavor it will have.  Also, any type of soup or stew always tastes best the day after you make it, so you may want to double or triple this recipe to have leftovers!

Olive Oil (extra virgin – always!)
Garlic, 6 cloves
Onions, 2 medium or 1.5 large
Carrots, 4 peeled and diced
Potatoes, 10 small or 4-5 medium
Turnip, 1 large
Bottleneck Squash, .5 Medium or 1 small
Chicken Breast, 2 large
Flour, 2 tablespoons
Sugar, 2 teaspoons
Balsamic Vinegar or White Balsamic Vinegar (I used aged white),  1 tablespoon
Bay Leaves, 4 crushed leaves
Red Wine, .5 Cup (any kind you like to drink will do)
Chicken Stock (I used low sodium so I can salt to my taste), 4-5 cups
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Northwoods Seasoning (from Penzeys – containing Salt, Sweet Paprika, Pepper Thyme, Rosemary, Garlic and Chipotle

Simply Delicious Sautéed Kale

My first recipe request comes from my friend Andrea, who like me is a total foodie and loves all things food.  I have known Andrea since second grade, but we were in opposite, often competing classes in elementary school.  To say we loved to compete when we were younger just might be an understatement.  One of our first conversations came when we were in Fifth grade, and I challenged her to race me in the 440 meter competition in the annual end-of-year track meet.  However, our friendship has long since outgrown these contentious moments, instead growing to include countless meals shared in restaurants and our kitchens. 

This recipe was suggested to me at the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market (the one on Third Street, which I still think is the much superior one compared to that one down on Main Street even after that big tragedy).  I was browsing the stalls and came across these huge, perfect bunches of bright green kale next to an unfamiliar green vegetable with green stalks and a small bulb.  Naturally, I had to inquire about this completely foreign vegetable.  When the farmer told me that it was green garlic, I was completely flabbergasted.  I, the lover of all things garlic, had never heard of this variety?!  How was this even possible?  Almost every recipe I make starts out with olive oil and garlic, how could there be another form of garlic that had never made it to my table?  That most certainly had to be remedied that evening!

Green garlic is young garlic which is harvested before the bulbs are mature.  Available almost exclusively in the spring at farmer’s markets, green garlic resembles a lighter and longer version of scallions.  This form of garlic has a much more mild flavor, and when cooked becomes sweet, adding amazing flavor and depth to any dish.  The entire stalk can be used to cook with, from the small bulb which resembles more of an onion than a head of garlic, to the delicious green stalk.  Prepare as you would scallions, by slicing the leaves into small pieces.

To prep the kale, remove the leaves from the long, fibrous center of the stalk and place the torn leaves in a bowl.  If green garlic is in season, I would highly suggest trying it out.  If not, mince two to three cloves of garlic.  Heat some olive oil in a sauté pan (do not use a wok) on medium-low and add the green garlic and chili pepper flakes when the temperature rises.  If you are using garlic, it is best to add the garlic after the kale so that it will not burn.  After the green garlic has sautéed for two to three minutes, add the kale and season with some salt and pepper.  Cook until your desired state of done-ness, about two to four minutes (some people like really firm kale, while I prefer mine to be a little more cooked).  When the kale is almost done cooking, squeeze some fresh lemon juice into the pan.  Serve when piping hot and enjoy.  This recipe has layers of delicious and deep flavors and is also super healthy, as kale is one of the most nutritious vegetables around.

Kale, half to one full bunch
Green garlic, one stalk or Garlic, two to three cloves
Chili pepper flakes
Salt
Pepper
Lemon, juice of one-quarter to one-half