Culinary Creation: Amy's Basquaise Chicken

Having never been to the Basque Country obviously makes me an expert in their cuisine. I have seen several recipes in the past, which have given me just the right amount of ammunition to attempt to make this on my own. To me, a little bit of French combined with a little bit of Spanish obviously equals Basquaise. And since it's my kitchen, what I say goes :-) That, and we really enjoyed this dish. Please note that this recipe is for two.* 1/2 pound fingerling potatoes
* Good pinch of saffron
* 1 chicken breast, cooked and thickly sliced
* 4 oz chorizo sausage, sliced
* 1 can Adobo Fire Roasted tomatoes
* 1 small onion
* 2 small different colored bell peppers (I used cubanellos), roughly chopped
* 1 zucchini, sliced thinly on the diagonal
* 1 yellow squash, sliced thinly on the diagonal
* 1 clove garlic, chopped
* Splash of rosé wine
* 4 sprigs of thyme
* 1 bay leaf
* Small bunch of basil
*olive oil, sea salt, pepper

Boil potatoes in water with a good pinch of saffron for around 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender but not over cooked.
Sauté the zucchini, yellow squash, onion, garlic, and peppers using a drizzle of olive oil on medium heat for 5 minutes.
Add the potatoes and chorizo and continue sautéing for another 3 minutes. Next, add the can of Fire Roasted tomatoes. Fire Roasted tomatoes add an amazing flavor to this dish. If you can't find one that is adobo seasoned, add a pinch of dried chili flakes. Regular diced tomatoes can be used, just use 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika to get the roasted, smokey flavor.
Stir in the tomatoes and cook for another 3 minutes before adding the chicken, thyme, bay leaf, and wine. You don't have to use rosé, both red or white wine are also fine to use.
Stir to evenly coat and simmer, covered, on medium low for 20-30 minutes.
Just before serving, mix in the basil. Now this is where my hunger took over. The smell was amazing and I was so eager to try it that I completed skipped taking a photo of the finished dish. I can assure you that we thoroughly enjoyed and definitely will make this again.

~ Topa! ~

Easy Provençal Pork Ragoût

This is one of my favorite week night treats. Pork makes a lighter summer alternative to the heavier taste of beef. You could also make a vegetarian version by substituting the pork with lentils ~ very French, or meat substitute. You will see that I'm using a jarred Italian Sausage Sauce, but the flavoring of Herbes de Provence and the use of a Rosé wine give it a Provençal twist. Using a jarred sauce is what makes this dish so forgiving: you're adding other flavors, but since the base had a head start, if you don't have the time, you don't have to simmer the sauce all day.

• 1 pound ground pork


• 1 small onion, chopped


• 1 rib celery, chopped


• 1 medium carrot, chopped


• 1/2 bell pepper, chopped


• 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped


• 1 jar of Italian Sausage Pasta Sauce


• 1 6 oz can of tomato paste


• 3 oz Rosé wine


• 1/2 tablespoon Herbes de Provence


• 1 spring rosemary


• 3 springs of thyme


• 1 bay leaf


• sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste

Start off by sautéing pork in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. As the pork slowly browns, chop vegetables and garlic, placing in a bowl.

Once pork is half cooked, add the garlic and vegetable mixture, stirring well.Next add the Herbes de Provence, rosemary, thyme, bay leaf, and a pinch of sea salt. Cook over medium heat until pork is cooked and vegetables have started to soften. Next add in the Sausage flavored sauce. I'm not loyal to any one brand, most likely choosing whatever is on sale, or better yet ~ buy one get one free!
Then add the can of tomato paste and wine. For this recipe, you'll need to use a proper dry Rosé, not White Zinfandel or the like which are way too sweet.Stir meat, vegetables, and sauce to mix well. Once mixed, cover and simmer. It really doesn't take long to make. If you're pressed for time, follow the instructions above for the sauce. Once the sauce is mixed, start to prepare your pasta. While the water is heating up and then the pasta is cooking, simmer the sauce on medium heat. Once your pasta is cooked, the sauce will be ready to eat. If you have a little longer, turn the heat down to medium-low and let simmer. While it simmers away, you can read a chapter or two of your book, look through a new magazine, call your mother, or do the laundry. Once you have relaxed or caught up on your chores, boil some pasta and you have a sauce that has slowly simmered, letting the flavors develop a little more.Taste before serving. I almost always have to add some more sea salt at this point. Season with freshly ground pepper.

Makes 4 generous servings.

Enjoy! x