So Melissa, I tried to carve in a little time to write a post! I believe this is the first one featuring my beloved cast iron pot. It’s beginning to get chilly and you can feel the impending snow in your bones. This kind of night inspires a slow cooked one pot chicken stew, that I know will hit the spot. I started with a little olive oil in the heated pot and browned the chicken. Tonight I’m using organic thighs and legs; reasonably priced and perfect for stewing. Perfection will be the meat falling right off the bone. After browning I removed the chicken from the pot and put in a chopped white and red onion, mushrooms, and  potatoes. I used salt, thyme, herbs de Provence, pepper, and garlic. I cooked this mixture until the white onions were translucent and then deglazed the pot with a little white wine and lemon juice. I added the chicken back in and added a tablespoon of butter – very French!

 

I put the lid on the pot and let it do its thing! This pot is very unique in the structure. It has a series of spikes cast into the lid to create a self basting environment, making the cooking time efficient and the food comes out succulent and tender. While the mixture simmered I cut up some Kumato and yellow tomatoes. This was my first time trying a Kumato tomato. I’ve seem them in the store but have never given them a try — they are delicious! Sweet and hearty all wrapped into one. I knew the acidity of the tomatoes would do wonders for this dish.

 

So in they went with a teaspoon of grain mustard. I thought the mustard would give just the right tang!

Then back on with the lid and wait patiently for our stew to be done. Even Lucy had her food trance face on while we waited!

 

 

 

 

I added in some spinach for a little green touch! The lid back on for about three minutes.

And then a voila’ a beautiful combination of vegetables, meat, and spices to create this one pot meal for a cold, cold, night. Now it’s back to homework and assignments!