Monday, September 29, 2008

Give me an 'O'

It's almost October, but that's not what the 'O' is for this post. Instead, it's for 'Onions', one of those versatile foods that it would be hard to live without. It's also for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month (see end of post), an important kind of awareness for sure.

Onions go into a lot of my favorite foods, but there is one recipe that is so simple that it would be lost without the onion. It has a limited number of ingredients, so be sure to use a good firm onion with flavor. I usually use a yellow onion.

This is also a great dish to make ahead, chill, then reheat because it tastes even better that way. The chilling also allows you to remove any fat that rises to the top of the sauce before you reheat it...good if you care about that sort of thing.

Last, but not least, it's easy-peasy to make. I've been making this for so long that if there ever was a recipe I have no idea of the details. Go on, give it a try. Then go to the end of the post and participate in raising awareness for Ovarian Cancer and maybe help raise a bit of funds, too.

Simply Delish Chicken, Onions and Tomatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil (or less if using a non-stick skillet)
6 - 8 chicken thighs...you can use boneless and skinless if you like
1 large onion, cut in half, then thinly sliced
1 cup fresh chard or kale, washed and chopped (optional)
1 can diced tomatoes in juice or the equivalent of fresh diced, peeled, seeded tomatoes
1 can chicken broth or the equivalent of home made chicken broth
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
1/4 teaspoon mixed Italian seasonings
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large ovenproof skillet, saute' the chicken thighs, 4 minutes on a side, until browned and partially cooked through. Set aside. If necessary add more oil to the pan.

Add the onions and stir as you saute' for 2 minutes, until crispy-tender. If using the chard or kale, add to the pan and continue cooking another minute.

Spread out the vegetables, then place the chicken around the pan, spacing equally.

On top of the chicken, add the tomatoes, broth, parsley, Italian seasonings, salt and pepper to the pan.

Cover the pan tightly, then put into the oven and bake at least 45 minutes or up to an hour. Can sit in a turned off oven for another hour; after that either serve or refrigerate.

Serve hot over rice, noodles, polenta, or potatoes. Great with a crisp mixed greens salad.

Serves 4 - 6


O Foods for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month Contest

I was saddened to learn that Gina De Palma, author of the splendid cookbook, Dolce Italiano: Desserts from the Babbo Kitchen and executive pastry chef of Babbo Ristorante in NYC,has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, and in honor of Gina, Sara of Ms Adventures in Italy, Jenn of The Leftover Queen, and Michelle of Bleeding Espresso are asking you to donate to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (via FirstGiving.org and to partake in their O Foods for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month Contest. Interested? Here's what you need to do (this is from Sara's blog):

1. Post a recipe to your blog using a food that starts or ends with the letter O (e.g., oatmeal, orange, okra, octopus, olive, onion, potato, tomato) and include this entire text box in the post;
OR

2. If you’re not into the recipe thing, simply post this entire text box in a post on your blog to help spread the word about the event and Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.
AND

3. Then send your post url [along with a photo (100 x 100) if you've made a recipe] to ofoods[at]gmail[dot]com by 11:59 pm (Italy time) on September 30, 2008.
We will post a roundup and announce prize winners on October 3.
1 Recipe Prize for best “O food” concoction: $50 gift certificate to Amazon;
1 Awareness Prize for only publicizing event: Copy of Dolce Italiano cookbook.

———
From the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund:

Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecologic cancers in the United States and is the fifth leading cause of cancer death among U.S. women; a woman’s lifetime risk of ovarian cancer is 1 in 67.

The American Cancer Society estimates that 21,650 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the U.S. in 2008 and about 15,520 women will die from the disease.

The symptoms of ovarian cancer are often vague and subtle, making it difficult to diagnose. There is no effective screening test for ovarian cancer but there are tests which can detect ovarian cancer when patients are at high risk or have early symptoms.

In spite of this patients are usually diagnosed in advanced stages and only 45% survive longer than five years. Only 19% of cases are caught before the cancer has spread beyond the ovary to the pelvic region.

When ovarian cancer is detected and treated early on, the five-year survival rate is greater than 92%.

Please donate to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fundand help spread the word!
This post is in memory of Janna Barto, a victim of Ovarian Cancer and a fantastic woman.

4 comments :

  1. I love this! So quick and easy--and I'm sure delicious :)

    Thanks so much for participating!

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  2. I put recipes like this in the category: just oh my good!
    I'd have a very hard time cooking without onions.

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  3. What a delicious entry! Thanks so much for your participation!

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  4. Looks like a good, easy meal.

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