Tomato-ey Baked Chicken

It looks like a hunk and a glob of something the cat brought in, but deep within that pile of gooey stuff are a couple of the softest and moistest darned chicken thighs you’ve ever eaten in your life.

“Tomato-ey Chicken” was one of those dishes born when I was in college, scrounging around the freezer and cupboard, then throwing together whatever I found. I’ve since formalized the recipe into what it is today – yummy, cheesy, tomato-ey baked chicken.

Ingredients

·         CHICKEN THIGHS, 6

·         FLOUR, about ½ cup

·         OLIVE OIL, about ¼ cup

·         STEWED TOMATOES, 1 large can, drained

·         MAUI ONIONS, 2 medium, cut into wedges

·         MUSHROOMS, sliced, 1 small can, or 8 ounces fresh

·         GARLIC SALT, to taste

·         ITALIAN HERB MIX, commercial, 1 tablespoon

·         MOZZARELLA CHEESE, grated, 4 ounces

Directions

1.       Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2.       Trim off excess fat and skin from the chicken pieces.

3.       Dredge the chicken in flour.

4.       Brown the chicken in hot olive oil, remove and arrange in a glass baking pan, skin side up.

5.       Arrange the stewed tomatoes on top of the chicken.

6.       Distribute the wedged onions on and around the chicken.

7.       Add the mushrooms.

8.       Sprinkle lightly with garlic salt and the Italian herb mix.

9.       Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour.

10.   Remove the foil, sprinkle with the Mozzarella cheese, turn the oven to “broil,” and broil for an additional 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is toasty brown and bubbling.

Feel free to substitute ingredients.

Creamy Salsa Verde Dip

This is a quick and easy chip dip. You can also use it for raw veggies, or perhaps as a marinade or dressing as well. It has only three ingredients, all of which are readily available. I love it on scrambled eggs in the morning.

In fact, you probably already have sour cream and mayonnaise, and will just have to get some green salsa (salsa verde) to complete the ingredient list. I use Herdez Salsa Verde (reviewed earlier in this blog).

Ingredients

• HERDEZ SALSA VERDE, 1½ cups (or 3 measures)
• SOUR CREAM, 1 cup (or 2 measures)
• MAYONNAISE, ½ cup (or 1 measure)

A “measure” can be any amount; just add the ingredients in the right proportions (just remember 3-2-1), mix until nicely blended, and refrigerate. If you like salsa verde, you’ll love this dip.

NOTE: You can use Herdez salsa verde right out of the jar, but your dip may be too liquidy. What I usually do is strain half of the salsa, saving the liquid for use at another time (it’s like a mild green Tabasco sauce).