Take Two: Chicken, Leeks and Tomatoes

When the local Harris Teeter restocked after the blizzard, the first thing I went for was chicken thighs. The second was the bunches of leeks that had been waiting patiently in the vegetable drawer of the fridge.

2 T olive oil
2.5 c leeks, chopped (about 5 small-to-medium ones)
2 t anchovy paste
2 t tomato paste
14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes, drained - reserve juice
2 pinches salt, plus more to taste
1/2 c juice from can of tomatoes
1/2 c hot water
2 small bunches thyme (maybe 5-10 stalks each)

In a flat-bottomed pan or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Brown the chicken till the skin colors slightly, turning once. Remove from pan and reserve on plate. (As you can see from the pic above, I was a bit lazy with this step.)

Add the leeks, sauteing till they begin to soften.

Add the anchovy paste and tomato paste, then stir till they coat the leeks thoroughly.

Add the tomatoes. Saute for a few minutes, then add the salt, juice, and water. Return the chicken to the pot. Turn the heat to high, bring to a boil, then lower to simmering and cook till the chicken is done (25-30 minutes).

Remove thyme stalks. Serve with rice.

Blizzard Fare: Baked Lamb Shanks

The Tuesday after Snowzilla 2016, the meat shelves had been picked nearly bare. Happily, I found a couple of lamb shanks - not quite large enough for a Roald Dahl story, but sizeable nonetheless. A few variations on this New York Times recipe resulted in a hearty, delicious meal that was perfect for a snowbound day.

2 T olive oil
2 large lamb shanks (about 3 lbs. total)
1 large onion, sliced
1/2 t ground allspice
1/4 t ground cloves
1 t salt, plus more to taste
1/2 t ground pepper
28 oz can whole tomatoes, chopped
1 t oregano
2 c hot water
14.5 oz can white beans, drained and rinsed

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Put oil in a large baking dish. Add the lamb shanks, turning them to coat them evenly with oil. Bake 30 minutes, turning once.

Combine the onions, allspice, cloves, salt and pepper. Mix well, then spoon the mixture on top of the lamb shanks.

Combine the tomatoes with the oregano. Mix well, then spoon on top of the onion mixture.

Pour the water around the lamb shanks.

Turn the oven to 400 degrees and bake for 1-1/2 hours, or till tender (1-1/2 hours was fine, though it could have gone longer for that falling-off-the-bone texture). If the dish begins to dry out, add more hot water.

Add beans to the juices 10 minutes before the end of cooking time. Mix everything and spoon some sauce over each shank before serving.