happy food: French onion chicken

 

Last night was cold and perfect for trying this new recipe. While the ingredients are simple, the longest part of making this dinner was carmelizing the onions. It's worth it though. It was perfect for a cool evening. 

Ingredients

2 cups of shredded chicken 

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large yellow onion, cut into slivers

1/2 cup white wine 

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 cup heavy cream 

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon of dried thyme (to taste)

2 tablespoons of shredded gruyere

salt and pepper to taste 

Directions

Shred store-bought rotisserie chicken and return to fridge while you prepare the onions. 

Add olive oil to pan. When oil is shimmering, add the finely sliced onion and wine. Heat on medium. Cover and stir every now and then. It should take approximately 45  minutes to achieve that perfect caramelized consistency. If there is little liquid left, slowly add chicken broth to keep the onions moist.

Once the onions are caramelized, add flour, stir and add chicken broth, heavy cream, thyme, gruyere, salt and pepper. Cook until bubbly. 

*Notes

- I used a Costco rotisserie chicken or sauté chicken breasts, cooled then shredded

-  You can substitute apple cider vinegar or chicken broth for the white wine

- You can substitute cream cheese for the heavy cream

- Trader Joe's currently carries fresh thyme. I bough the thyme, rosemary, mint and basil plants. They line my kitchen window. In this recipe, the fresh thyme really brings a perfect balance to the richness of the onions and cream flavor

- The flavors are very smooth and rich. The serving should be small. This pairs well with white wine and a simple salad

happy food: Emma Leigh Plant Based Mini Empanadas

Having a four year-old, I'm always exposing her to new foods. While I don't cook red meat, I do prepare chicken and fish dinners. I also try to serve as many different foods from the world as well as plant-based products. Recently, I tried Emma Leigh's Plant Based Mini Empanadas which I found at Costco. 

Made with Beyond Beef, these empanadas were spiced perfectly and had a meat-like texture (if you're vegan, the beefy texture might put you off. It threw me a little. I haven't eaten beef since I was child.) They are packed with flavor but a little dry. I served them with freshly made guacamole, salsa verde and Greek yogurt. Dipped in the sauces, they were great. This was our main meal, which I served with a salad. While this gets two thumbs up from Larry and I, Waverly was a little more trepidatious. She liked the pastry but not so much on the filling. 

If you're trying to live a more plant-based lifestyle, these little pockets might be just what you're looking for.

The Bounty of Summer

Last week Waverly went to a farm to pick strawberries. The farmstandd we went to was overflowing with the bounty of summer, even with all of the rain we've had in Seattle over the past few months. In addition to the strawberries which literally melted in your mouth with sweetness, I also picked up some corn on the cob, warm biscuits, eggs and a marionberry pie (which made a lovely breakfast the next few mornings.)

My favorite way to eat strawberries is fresh from vine while sitting in the sun but strawberry shortcake is a close second. It's such a simple recipe. Wash, hull and slice strawberries and set aside. Slice a biscuit in half. (It's best warm so either serve immediately after baking or toast lightly.)  Top with spoonfuls of strawberries and sprinkle with a quarter teaspoon of sugar and pile high with vanilla whipped cream. Top with more strawberries.  I could honestly eat this for breakfast. lunch and dinner all summer. 

I purchased this strawberry huller and slicer and this $9 gadget was a game changer. I don't usually like to buy kitchen gadgets that do just one thing but thing one made hulling the strawberries a cinch. 

Available on Amazon for $8.98. 

Nantucket Beach House Sunset Playlist

I love summer. White linen, languid mornings watering the plants in the garden and days spent by the beach. 

Music is such a part of that whole summer vibe. This playlist, Nantucket Beach House Sunset, will remind you of that perfect summer evening outside with your favorite people around you, cool drinks in hand and laughter hanging in the warm, salty air. 

I hope you enjoy this playlist as much as we do.