Real Simple: Chicken and Pepper Stew with Olives

When I saw this recipe in Real Simple, I had to try it, because it contains two ingredients that I absolutely love - olives and golden raisins. However, I was a little concerned, because looking at the recipe, I just wasn't sure this was going to come together in an appealing way.

Well, there was no need to be concerned, because this recipe really turned out amazing. The peppers, olives and golden raisins all come together to make a super-tasty sauce that was really good over cous cous. I think maybe next time I'll put it over polenta, as the cous cous got a little lost under this hearty stew.

I think the most important part of success in this recipe was the olive selection. I used Mezzetta pitted Kalamatas, and they were perfect. Salty, garlicky, but not overwhelmingly so. I would highly recommend them, and really most Mezzetta products in general. I was pretty much obsessed with their pickles when I was pregnant. They are amazing.

My one quibble with this recipe is that it really isn't a weeknight recipe as advertised. Even though I halved the recipe (which still made 4 big servings, and thus some really yummy leftovers), it still takes quite awhile to brown all that chicken. That part alone took me the better part of half an hour, since I wasn't using a super-huge pot and I could only do about five pieces at a time.

But overall, if you like olives, peppers and golden raisins, this recipe is a must-try. Just wait until a Saturday when you have a little more time to do it.

Real Simple: Sweet and Spicy Asian Pork Shoulder

I made this for Superbowl Sunday this year, and it was a big hit at our house.

For us, it's definitely a weekend recipe, as even though it takes just a few minutes to get it ready for the crock pot (10 minutes), it takes forever to finish cooking. But I guess if we didn't have curious and hungry dogs (a bad combination) to worry about, we could start it in the morning and come home to an almost finished dinner on a weekday.

One recommendation I would make is to add a thinly sliced onion to the crock pot when you start cooking. The onions soaked up all the yummy sauce and tasted amazing. The rest of the recipe I followed verbatim. I chose not to use the five-spice powder as I forgot to get it at the store and I didn't have any on-hand. I didn't miss it, but you might want to try it. It could make a great recipe even better.

Martha Stewart: Chipotle Chicken and Rice

It's only fitting that I would start my new blog with a Martha recipe, as she is my hero. I especially love her Everyday Food magazine, because the recipes are really easy, and I can honestly say I've never tried one that didn't turn out to be at least pretty good.

The latest one I tried is the Chipotle Chicken and Rice. You can find the recipe here.

This is a great recipe for this time of year, when there's nothing better than curling up with a bowl of something warming when it's cold outside. The flavor of the chipotles really comes through, spicing up the recipe with its distinctive, smoky flavor.

It's also makes for a good one-pot weeknight recipe, as long as you can start as soon as you get home. The actual hands-on time is minimal (the 20 minutes listed on the recipe is pretty accurate), but it takes a long time to actually cook (about an hour and a half).

It's pretty spicy (which I really like), so if you don't want to feel the burn, I would recommend scraping the seeds out of the chipotles. That way you'll still get the smoky flavor but without the heat. Its also nice to serve it with a dollop of sour cream, as that help to cut the heat.

I would also recommend (especially if you're doing this on a weeknight and you're low on time) draining a can of low-sodium diced tomatoes and using that instead of the chopped whole tomatoes. I like to stick with fresh when I can, but I have tried this recipe both ways, and I couldn't tell the difference.

The bottom line is - if you're looking for a warming, spicy bowl of comfort at the end of the day, this is a great recipe to try.