Wednesday (cook)book club!

What to Cook When You Don't Feel Like Cooking by Caroline Chambers - Week 2

We are halfway through the week folks! And I don’t know about you, but this week has felt looooong. So, I’ve been especially looking forward to our meal this evening. Tonight’s recipe calls for dry white wine, so I will be helping myself to sauvignon blanc. Pour yourself a glass of your favorite beverage and let’s dive in!

Tonight I am cooking Caroline’s One-Skillet Balsamic Mushroom Braised Chicken (p. 70). There has been a chill in the air which makes me crave casseroles and cozy dishes, and this dinner definitely fits the bill. It comes out of the ‘30 Minute’ chapter of the book, and being a one-skillet meal makes it feel very approachable for a weeknight dinner.

Chicken tenders are relatively new choice for me, and I love how budget friendly they are. Caroline calls for pre-sliced mushrooms, which are a much-loved timesaving hack in our house. Better Than Bouillon (one of my all-time favorite ingredients) plus water is honestly better than any stock I have ever bought or made myself. I completely forgot to purchase shallots, so I am using half a white onion because it is what I have on hand.

You guys, this meal honestly feels almost too easy (even if you do happen to drop peppercorns all over the floor when refilling your pepper grinder). There is minimal chopping and the heaviest lifting is throwing in wine, stock, and balsamic vinegar at the end to make the sauce.

This week has been very tiring, yet nothing in this recipe felt like too much effort. In fact, I had enough time while waiting for chicken or mushrooms to brown that I threw together some rice and a quick salad.

My Favorite Simple Salad:

1 bunch of kale

Juice of 1 lemon

1/4 c good olive oil

Salt and pepper

LOTS of parmesan cheese

Wash your kale twice and spin dry in a salad spinner, tear into bite size pieces.

Mix juice of 1 lemon, 1/4 c olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, and pour over kale. Take a minute to massage the kale with the dressing.

Top with as much cheese as you like and be prepared to feel impressed! So simple! So good!!

The true test of any recipe in our house is the Nolan test - will he take a bite? And while he still wanted frozen chicken nuggets after, he tried the chicken and even said he liked it! That is high praise!