Dear Jeanne: I invented this recipe, trying to duplicate a restaurant dish. I'm lactose intolerant, ergo the bechamel sauce (without milk) and no cheese. It's very savory, a bit spicy and very good. — Marsha Koenig, The Villages, Fla.
Dear Marsha: For most of my tasters, this dish was a little too spicy. However, one of them loved it, and the spiciness is easily controlled by the amount of peppers used.
MARSHA'S PEPPERONCINI VEAL OR CHICKEN
1 green pepper, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced, or an 8-ounce can, drained
2 onions, cut into wedges and separated
1/4 cup olive oil
5-6 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1-2 pounds sliced veal, cut into medallions, OR 4-6 chicken quarters, cut up
1 10-ounce jar pepperoncini (salad peppers)
Saute green pepper, mushrooms and onions in olive oil. Remove from heat and set aside. Add garlic slices. Brown. Dredge veal or chicken pieces in well-seasoned flour (salt and pepper, thyme, sage, oregano, basil). Brown in olive oil. Add sauce (recipe below). Cover and cook on low heat until soft, about 30 minutes. Add salad peppers about 10 minutes before meat is done.
Sauce:
2 tablespoons margarine
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup juice from pepperoncini jar
1 teaspoon ground thyme
1 tablespoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-2 teaspoons pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine, cooking sherry or chicken stock
1 cup (or more) pepperoncini peppers
Melt margarine and olive oil together. Stir in the flour well. Add the stock and juice from jar slowly, stirring until smooth. Add seasonings. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly till slightly thickened and smooth. Lower heat to a slow simmer. Just before serving, add the wine and peppers, and pour over chicken pieces; simmer 5 more minutes to marry the flavors. Serve over cooked pasta (linguine or fettuccine) or spaghetti-squash strands.
Makes 4-6 servings.
PEPPERONCINI CHICKEN
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 onions, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
5 cloves fresh garlic, sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme, crushed
1 tablespoon dried oregano, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pepperoncini peppers to taste
1/2 cup white wine or chicken stock
1/4 cup flour, or 2 tablespoons arrowroot
1 1/2 cups fat-free chicken broth
1. Pound chicken until it is an even thickness of 1/2 inch or less. Cut into pieces that can be evenly divided into 6 servings. Spray a large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Heat pan over medium-high heat and brown chicken; turn once after 3 to 4 minutes, and cook until no longer pink inside. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
2. Heat the olive oil in the same skillet and saute the onions, green pepper, mushrooms and garlic, and cook until soft. Add the thyme, oregano, salt, pepper and pepperoncinis. Add the wine and bring to a boil.
3. Mix the flour or arrowroot into the chicken stock and stir until there are no lumps. Add to the pan with the vegetables and cook until it comes to a boil. Return the chicken to the pan and heat through.
Makes 6 servings.
Jeanne Jones is the author of 33 cookbooks, most recently "Cooking From the Cupboard" (Rodale Press). For more information, you can go to her Web site, jeannejones.com.
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