Cooking Adventures

I had a craving for youvetsi, so I tried to modify this Pioneer Woman recipe with Greek seasonings and orzo:  https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a8917/chicken-with-tomatoes-and-garlic/

My modifications: 4 skinless, boneless breasts, each cut into three pieces; reduced olive oil to 1 Tbsp; added and sautéed one large shallot (½ inch chunks) and 10 garlic cloves before deglazing with white wine; added 45 oz (three 15-oz cans) diced canned tomatoes (in lieu of any canned whole tomatoes); increased tomato paste to 3 Tbsp; seasoned with 3 sprigs fresh marjoram (or Greek oregano), 4 small sprigs thyme, and 1 sprig parsley; added ½ tsp each nutmeg, cinnamon, and sugar as well as a dash of crushed red pepper. After covering with lid and baking the chicken in tomato sauce at 400 for 30 mins, I reduced the heat to 350, added 16 oz orzo (see Note 2) and 1 ½ cups chicken broth (which we later increased to nearly 2 cups while cooking the orzo midway), covered, and then baked for another 25 mins. Before serving, we season to taste, often mixing in a Tbsp of red wine vinegar for brightness (but see Note 3 below). (June 2016)

Note: Another time, we used 16 oz elbow pasta in lieu of orzo. We mixed in 2 cups chicken broth but baked at 350 for only 20 mins. After cooking, we gradually folded ¾ cup chicken stock into the finished dish to add sheen and to mitigate pasta breakage. (Nov. 2016)

Note 2: 16 oz dry orzo often results in too much cooked orzo compared to protein. We may reduce the amount to 12 oz (and reduce the chicken broth to 1.5 cups total) the next time.

Note 3: Instead of adding red wine vinegar at the end, you can add 3-4 dried apricots to the stew just prior to placing the pot in the oven. (May 2019)

Note 4: During the pandemic, we had a limited pantry. Our modifications: 28 oz can diced tomatoes; in lieu of one additional 13.5 oz can diced tomatoes, we used 8 oz tomato sauce plus 2 chopped medium vine-ripened tomatoes. For the fresh herbs, we used a fresh rosemary sprig, 4-5 sprigs thyme, 2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley, and ¼ cup celery leaves. We also added 6 dried apricots before baking the chicken in sauce at 400 degrees for 30 mins. Then we added 8 oz orzo (reduced from 16 oz) and added 1 cup chicken broth total (reduced from 2 cups). (May 2020)