Just a couple of weeks ago, I was lamenting the end of summer. Something about back-to-school signals an end to the summer fun, but the truth of it is, it has been a grrrrrrrreat summer in Seattle. Maybe the best one we’ve had in the handful of years we’ve lived here. A long summer of warm sunny days and blue skies that didn’t wait until after July 4th to get here. So I ain’t complaining. But now, we have a short window before the wind down turns into the fall ramp up, so here are a couple of one-pot meals that take advantage of the late summer/early fall’s peppers, tomatoes and green beans.
CHICKEN SAUTE WITH GREEN BEANS, CHERRY TOMATOES AND MINT. The first one-pot wonder* is a chicken and green bean sauté with cherry tomatoes and mint is a sized up version of a Cooking for One dish featured in Everyday Food several years ago. (I’m still not over the fact that it’s just a supplement to Martha Stewart Living nowadays. Are you?). I first made it for myself when Wolf was on a business trip to Korea and it’s been in our summer repertoire ever since. I will say, don’t skip the fresh mint. No really, don’t skip it. The sized up version of the recipe is included below.
TASTING JERUSALEM: BAHARAT. The other one-pot wonder is a stuffed pepper dish from the Jerusalem: A Cookbook
Though the recipe calls for Romano peppers, any medium-sized sweet pepper or green chile will work. It’s Hatch season, so that’s what I’ve used here. I’ve always made stuffed peppers in the oven, but this recipe calls for an hour on the stove. There’s no need to par-cook the rice as the recipe recommends. With that much time on the stove, the rice steams on its own without needing a head start. Next time, we’ll do a mix of beef and lamb for the filling.
Are you cooking from Jerusalem yet? If so, consider joining us in cooking along from the book. Tasting Jerusalem is a virtual cooking community exploring the vibrant flavors and cuisine of the Middle East through the lens of “Jerusalem: A Cookbook” by Ottolenghi and Tamimi published by Ten Speed Press. You can follow along and cook with us by subscribing to omgyummy.com, following the hashtag #TastingJrslm on Twitter and Instagram, liking our Facebook page or joining our Google+ Community and finally checking out the group’s dishes on Pinterest.
RECIPE: Ruth’s Stuffed Romano Peppers
*I totally stole “one-pot wonder” from a hashtag used by Twitter/Instagram friend @chuckseattle who made his own one-pot wonder from the Jersualem cookbook the other night — chicken w/ caramelized onions and cardamom rice.
Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil.
In a relatively flat dish, combine the flour, salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken pieces in egg and then in the flour. Brown the chicken in your skillet for 3-4 minutes on the first side until golden.
Turn over the chicken pieces and add garlic, cherry tomatoes and water. Bring to a simmer, then cover. Cook for 10-12 minutes. Add the green beans and mint and cook covered for another 5-7 minutes until the green beans are just tender and the chicken is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper.