Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large red onion, chopped
• 2 to 4 garlic cloves (to taste), minced
• 6 to 8 chicken legs and/or thighs, skinned
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 28-ounce can chopped tomatoes, with juice, pulsed in a food processor
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme, or 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 small or 1/2 large cauliflower, cored, broken into florets, and sliced about 1/2 inch thick
• 12 kalamata olives (about 45 grams), rinsed, pitted and cut in half (optional)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 to 2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (optional)

Method

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat in a large, deep, heavy lidded skillet or casserole and brown the chicken, in batches if necessary, about 5 minutes on each side. Remove the pieces to a plate or bowl as they’re browned. Pour off the fat from the pan. Add the vinegar to the pan and scrape up all the bits from the bottom of the pan.
2. Add the remaining tablespoon of the olive oil to the pan, and turn the heat down to medium. Add the onion and a generous pinch of salt and cook, stirring often and scraping the bottom of the pan, until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low, cover and let the onion cook for 10 minutes, stirring from time to time, until it is lightly browned and very soft.
3. Add the garlic and stir together for a minute or two more, until the garlic is fragrant, then add the tomatoes and their juice, the cinnamon, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and simmer 10 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the mixture is reduced slightly and fragrant.
4. Return the chicken pieces to the pot, along with any juices that have accumulated in the bowl. If necessary, add enough water to barely cover the chicken. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes.
5. Add the cauliflower and kalamata olives and simmer for another 20 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender and the chicken is just about falling off the bone. Stir in the parsley, taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with grains, with the feta sprinkled on top if desired.

Tip

Advance preparation: The stew keeps for 3 or 4 days in the refrigerator and freezes well. With leftovers, make a delicious rice casserole by spreading cooked rice over the bottom of a baking dish and topping with the chicken and sauce. Heat through for 20 minutes at 325 degrees.

2016-10-09: I've been meaning to make this for a while. I used two packages of boneless, skinless thighs, which sort of doubled the recipe.

When I first added the chicken, I also added enough hot water to cover it. That may have been a mistake. The final product was sort of soupy.

I also cut the cauliflower too big. If I were to do this again, I would probably cut the cauliflower into the same size, but put it in the sauce with the chicken over the top. That way it would have cooked a bit better.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 4 oz cream cheese, divided into eight chunks
• 3 tbsp Grey Poupon
• 2 medium-size onions, chopped
• water, enough to poach the chicken
• olive oil, enough to saute onions

Method

1. Fill a frying pan with enough water to poach the chicken. Turn chicken part way through the poaching if you like.
2. In a separate frying pan begin saute the onions until translucent.
3. Once the chicken is cooked through, remove to a cutting board and cut into bite-sized pieces.
4. Remove all but about a cup or two of the poaching water from the chicken pan. (Save the extra for some other recipe.) Add cream cheese to pan and heat over medium heat until it begins to melt into water. Mix in the mustard. Whisk till smooth. Add the onions, bring to a simmer.
5. Return the chicken to the pan and simmer it in the sauce until the sauce has become as thick as you like.