If you too have a Mother’s Day dinner dilemma, read our poem:
Take inspiration from recipes new and old
Recipes that are trendy-traditional, hot or cold
Recipes for crops and recipes by region
Recipes no matter what the season
Where are these recipes you say?
They are online at SmallFarmCanada.ca
Chicken Cacciatore like Mom Makes
My mother doesn’t enjoy her own cooking, but I do. She evolved her cooking skills in the farm kitchen of her childhood in the Maritimes, to the European influences of French-Canadian cooking when we lived in Montreal, then further out in the Prairies, then back east to Northern Quebec and Toronto and so on.
My dad worked with an ag chemical company and we move around a lot.
This recipe reminds me of those times, it is a version of a chicken Cacciatore recipe my mom made which evolved over the years. I’ve edited it slightly over the years too, adding my own experience, availability of canned or fresh/frozen tomatoes and preference to spice it up.
Ingredients
Two-pound chicken cut into portions (or 2 pounds of pre-cut bone-in chicken)
1 796 mL can diced tomatoes (substitute with 6 medium fresh or frozen tomatoes diced)
1 156 mL can tomato paste
¼ cup dry red wine (1 tablespoon vinegar)
½ cup finely chopped onion
½ cup chopped green pepper
½ cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped mushrooms
3 large cloves garlic
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
½ tsp cayenne pepper (for a bit more spice)
Salt and pepper to taste
(2 tablespoons of avocado oil to brown chicken pieces)
Add oil to a large pot with a lid. When the oil is glistening add the chicken pieces and brown them on all sides. Pour off a bit of the excess fat once the chicken pieces are browned. Remove chicken pieces and add the remaining ingredients (except for the green pepper). Sauté these ingredients for a few minutes and then add the chicken back in.
Bring the ingredients to a simmer then turn back the heat and let cook over medium-low heat for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally and taste for spices and acidity. Baking soda is an alkaline that will help balance excess acid. A little pinch should do it.
Also add green pepper after 30 minutes and let it simmer for 15 minutes more.
Please find our no dairy or egg chocolate cake recipe at:
https://www.smallfarmcanada.ca/columns/recipes/dairy-and-egg-free-grand-old-chocolate-cake/
Editor’s Tip: Go to YouTube for videos on how to cut up a chicken into 8 pieces. Buying a whole chicken is more economical than chicken pieces. The backbone (which generally doesn’t come with pre-cut chicken pieces) can also be made into chicken stock.
If you have a recipe for Hump Day Recipe Highlights that you would like to share, email Julie.Harlow@SmallFarmCanada.ca.
For more news and recipes from the farm kitchen that you can use, subscribe here and get Small Farm Canada delivered straight to your door!