It's Wednesday. So What's Cooking?

Chicken & Italian Sausage with Potatoes and Stuffed Tomatoes.

Summer is a busy time with family, picnics, sports, gardening, and so much more. So who has time for major cooking? This week it’s a one pot main course. Use a cooking dish that goes from oven to table for easier cleanup.

Chicken & Italian Sausage with Potatoes
Stuffed Plum Tomatoes
Fresh Italian Bread with Flavored Olive Oil for Dipping
White Wine – Pinto Grigio

Rosemary Flavored Olive Oil
A good quality olive oil
Sprigs of fresh rosemary

Fill a glass bottle or pitcher with olive oil. Add several sprigs of rosemary into the bottle. Be sure the herbs are completely covered. Store out of the sun for three days. Remove the herbs and discard. The flavored oil is good for two months.

This works well with all herbs and/or garlic.

Chicken & Italian Sausage
1 lb. chicken pieces of your favprites, if you use breasts they must be quartered.
1 lb. Italian sausage links cut in half
¾ cup chicken stock fresh or canned
4 gloves garlic pressed 1 – 2 lbs. red potatoes washed and quartered
rosemary flavored olive oil
1 red pepper seeded and sliced
1 yellow pepper seeded and sliced
3 tbsp. oregano
Parsley, preferably fresh, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350°. Coat a large ovenproof dish with flavored olive oil. Lay in the chicken and sausage. Add the chicken stock and garlic. Bake 20 minutes. Stir the mixture once while it roasts.

Add the potatoes. Sir well and bake for 25 minutes. Again, stir the mixture once while it is roasting.

Add the peppers and oregano. Drizzle on the olive oil and bake another 20 minutes or until the potatoes are done. Test with a toothpick. It must easily pierce the potato.

Monitor the chicken stock level in your pan. Be sure to add more if it looks dry.

Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and serve.

Stuffed Plum or Italian Tomatoes
1 plum tomato per person, halved and scooped clean
½ tsp. oregano per tomato
½ tsp. basil per tomato
1 mini mozzarella ball per tomato chopped
1 small garlic glove per tomato pressed
1 tbsp. olive oil per tomato

Drain the tomatoes cut side down on paper towels.

Mix together the remaining ingredients. Scoop the filling into the tomato shells, mounding slightly.

Chill and serve as a salad or as a first course.

The leftovers from this meal also make a great lunch.

I'll be back Friday with a little more for aspiring authors. Until then...

Mangiar Bene!

Sloane Taylor