Chicken Cacciatore

I was gifted with a Dutch oven, and this meal idea was found inside.  Anything with a tomato sauce climbs to the top of my Must Try List.  It's definitely one I'll add to my collection of favorites!

1-2 lbs. chicken thighs (use breasts if you prefer or a combination or the two)
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1½ tsp. dried oregano leaves
1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup chicken broth
3 Tbsp. capers, drained
¼ cup fresh basil, coarsely chopped
salt and pepper
1½ cup flour

1. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.  Dredge in flour to coat lightly.

2. In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Working in batches, cook chicken until brown, about 5 minutes per side.  Transfer to plate.

3. Add onion, garlic and oregano to Dutch oven; sauté until onion is tender, about 5 minutes.  (You may need to add more olive oil to sauté.)

4. Add tomatoes with juices, broth and capers.  Return chicken to Dutch oven.  Simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes.

5. Transfer chicken to platter.  If necessary, boil sauce longer until slightly thickened.  Spoon sauce over chicken; sprinkle with basil.

Serve with rice.

Cooking time is 1 hour.  Makes 4 servings.

Mini Sn❄w Day Cookies

These cookies are the result of two things: one, funning up cookies on our snow day. Two, my quest for a better tasting cookie out of my Ohio oven.

What makes these cookies a little different aren't just the mini goodies, but the caramelized butter.  Ummmmm.

2 ¼ cups Softasilk or unsifted flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 cup butter, warmed and cooked slightly on the stove top

¾ cup sugar

¾ cup brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

mini M&Ms

mini chocolate chips {we also added 1 cup oatmeal to this one}

1. Cream sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and melted butter.

2. Beat in eggs.

3. Add flour, baking soda, and salt.  Mix well.

4. Split batter in half.  Poor mini M&Ms into one, and mini chocolate chips into another.  {Be generous, but leave enough room to taste the batter.}

5. Spoon into small dollops on the cookie sheet. Bake at 360° for 10-12 minutes, or until just barely baked in the center and light brown around the edges.

Enjoy as many as possible warm and with ice cold milk.  {They taste best when enjoyed in your jammies!}