Comfort Food

Annie discovered this amazing recipe.  It's great for Sunday dinner because you mix the dough the night before baking.  I love homemade, fresh, crusty bread - nothing better.

Crusty Bread

3 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 3/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon yeast

1 1/2 cups water

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt and yeast.  Add water and mix until a shaggy mixture forms.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 12 - 18 hours.  Overnight works great.  Heat oven to 450 degrees.  When the oven has reached 450 degrees place a cast iron pot with a lid in the oven and heat the pot for 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, pour dough onto a heavily floured surface and shape into a ball.  Cover with plastic wrap and let set while the pot is heating.  Remove hot pot from the oven and drop in the dough.  Cover and return to oven for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes remove the lid and bake an additional 15 minutes.  Remove bread from oven and place on a cooling rack to cool. 

Today I'm also serving Chicken Cacciatore - also can be made the day before.

CHICKEN CACCIATORE

1/2 cup olive oil

1 bermuda onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

6 chicken breast halves (I use boneless skinless)

1/2 cup tomato paste

1 cups dry white wine or apple juice

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 bay leaf

1/4 teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon marjoram

2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

1 pound spaghetti pasta, cooked

In a large skillet saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until translucent and brown lightly.  Remove from pan with slotted spoon and set aside.  Dredge chicken in flour and saute in the olive oil until golden brown.  Place chicken in a deep pan.

Place the garlic and onions into a blender and add tomato paste, wine or apple juice, salt, pepper, chicken stock, bay leaf, thyme, marjoram.  Blend.  Pour the mixture over chicken.

Simmer for 1 1/2 hours on top of stove, stirring often to prevent sticking.  During final 30 minutes, add mushrooms.  

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.  Serve chicken and sauce over hot buttered spaghetti.  

View from my kitchen window today