Dutch Oven - Sausage and Shrimp

Good God, just cook this! I would make this once a week if the guys would let me get away with it.

Be sure to use a heavy pan with a tight fitting lid when you make this. It helps to steam the potatoes and the shrimp.

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil.
1 and 1/2 pounds (24 oz) bulk Italian hot sausage
1 large onion, thinly sliced
5 medium red potatoes, sliced in half and then sliced thin
5 large cloves garlic, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 cup dry white wine (Chardonnay is good)
1 pint grape tomatoes left whole
14 oz jumbo raw shrimp 27-30 count, peeled & deveined (just buy the frozen ones and thaw them in the fridge the night before).
1 lemon
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
More extra virgin olive oil for garnish
Garlic bread, for mopping up all of the amazing juices.

*Heat 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil, over medium heat. Add the sausage and brown while breaking up with a heavy spatula. When the sausage is just barely pink but nearly cooked through, add the onions to the pan and cook while the sausage finishes up. Add the potatoes and garlic to the pan with the sausage and onion and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the red pepper flakes. Pour half of the wine over the potato mixture, cover the pan with the tight fitting lid and cook for about 15 minutes. Remove the lid, add the tomatoes and gently stir into the potato mixture. Arrange shrimp on top of the potatoes and sausage and pour the remaining wine over the top. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper, to taste. Return the lid and cook until the shrimp turns pink, about 7 minutes.

Remove from heat. Top the shrimp with the juice of 1 lemon and big drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil then sprinkle with parsley. Serve in shallow bowls to hold the juice. Use the garlic bread to sop up the wonderful juices.

~Serves 6

Chicken Cacciatore

This dish is very family friendly and pretty darn light. I like to serve it with garlic bread and sop up the rich tasting juices.

4 bone in - skinless chicken breasts (the bone is important for full flavor)
Salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium white onion, cut in half and sliced thin
1 red or green bell pepper, sliced thin
12 oz white mushrooms, sliced thin
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup of dry white wine (I like Chardonnay for this). You can use chicken stock instead...I guess.
1 can 14-1/2 oz fire roasted diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp dry thyme leaves
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 dry bay leaves
more salt to taste

*Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Then, heat the oil in a large heavy saute pan over medium heat. Brown the chicken meat side down, about 8 minutes. Remove the chicken from pan and set aside for now.

Reduce the heat to medium low. Add the onion and pepper, saute and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, and the onions are nearly translucent. Add the mushrooms cooking until the mushrooms begin to release their water and turn light brown. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half. Add the tomatoes with their juice, thyme, bay leaves, red pepper flakes and salt to taste (about 1/2 tsp) and simmer the mixture covered for 10 minutes.

Return the chicken breasts to the pan and simmer, covered, until the chicken is tender and cooked through, about 30 minutes longer.

~Serves 4-6

I actually decided a whole chicken breast is too much for one serving. So I have been using a big heavy knife and saw the breasts in half before I brown them in the first step.

You can also double everything but the chicken and serve the sauce over pasta.

Don't forget the garlic bread!