Coq Au Vin

I just want to start off by saying: this recipe required me to butcher a chicken in the way that would have made the native American's blush. I mean, I was hacking away at that thing with no mercy....no mercy! The recipe required 2 chicken legs and 2 chicken breasts, so I just decided to get a whole chicken and have a go at it. After using the legs and breasts for this recipe, I cut off all the remaining parts, made some barbeque, and then used the bones and remaining chicken parts to make some broth. Waste not, want not! I'm almost embarassed by my show of violence towards the foul, but what's done is done! Moving on.

I got this recipe out of this cookbook - which is a good little treasure for "healthy" recipes that are still classic and satisfying. It's a fairly easy recipe, just a good little bit of prepping and about 2 hours worth of cooking. By the end, your kitchen will smell delightful! It's not the most visually appealing dish, but it's very flavorful, comforting, and satisfying.

Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:
2 skinless chicken legs (or full skin, go for it!)
2 skinless chicken breasts
2 slices bacon, diced
1 1/4 cup shallots or button onions (I used pearl onions)
6 carrots, sliced
1 1/4 cup dry red wine (I had a Cabernet)
1 1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 small garlic cloves, crushed
sprinkling of S&P
sprinkle of thyme
bay leaf
sprinkle of parsley
1 1/4 cup button mushrooms
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch

1. Put chicken, bacon, onions and carrots in a casserole dish

2. In a bowl, mix together the wine, broth, tomato paste, garlic and seasonings. Pour over the chicken/veg mix and cook @350 degrees for 1 hour

3. Add mushrooms, stir, and cook for an additional 30 minutes

4. Remove the chicken, place in a covered bowl.

5. Blend the cornstarch with 3 tbsp water and stir into the juices and vegetable. Bring to a boil, stir until thickened, and let simmer for 3 minutes.

6. Spoon the veggie sauce mixture over the chicken and serve

Banana and Sweet Potato Muffins

Let's be honest here, this is a lazy post. Here are the reasons:
1. These were made for a work "baking contest". (adorable idea, yet would seem to be a health hazard?) I could have done something that would have actually had a shot at winning (ie some delightfully piped and decorated cupcake), but instead I opted out of buying any additional items at the grocery and sticking with what I have.
2. I'm not even going to type out the recipe! Instead, I'll save yourself and myself the time by referring you to the creator and originator of this recipe HERE. The only thing I changed was the topping - I did a brown sugar topping instead of the toasted nuts. I like nuts, but not in baked items.
3. This recipe would be great for a lazy afternoon, sitting on the couch, enjoying the lack of...well...anything but this delicious, wonderful baked delight!
4. I'm in the middle of a 50 hour work week and I frankly don't want to put more effort into my baking as I have to. So there! : )

Enjoy!