“And then the sun took a step back; the leaves lulled themselves to sleep and autumn was awakened.” – Raquel Franco
NOTE: I spend my Wednesdays Unplugged from appointments. It’s my day to stay home, enjoy cooking and welcome our kids and grandkids for dinner in the evening. We end our meal with quotes from the Norwegian ‘Quote Cup’ passed on to me from my grandmother. I share a quote and a recipe here each week, along with an update and photos of what has been going on in our lives. I love trying new recipes…and love getting recipes you would like to share!
It seems like all of a sudden autumn is here, with cool crisp days and evenings… the autumnal equinox is only a few days away, when it will officially be autumn. I found this week’s quote from Paul Douglas, it seems like following the weather has always been an important part of my life… perhaps comes from growing up on a farm. I snapped the photo of the sign above next to our neighbor’s front door… it makes me smile inside and out to to live in community with kindred spirits. We saw the ‘SMILE’ rock on a retaining wall while out on a walk… also made me smile.
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
This week’s recipe comes for a desire for a meal with chicken and spinach… this one from Delish fills the bill.
CHICKEN FLORENTINE
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 pound bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
- 10 oz baby spinach
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Add chicken thighs skin-side down and season with salt and pepper. Cook until crispy and golden and no long pink, 10 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate to let rest.
Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter and garlic and let cook until fragrant and soft, 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Simmer until soft, 5 minutes, then add handfuls of baby spinach, stirring until slightly wilted, 2 minutes.
Pour over heavy cream and white wine and let simmer until thickened, 4-5 minutes. Stir in Parmesan.
Return chicken to skillet and simmer until heated through.
Serve chicken topped with spinach-tomato mixture and sauce.
