Da Capo Pollo al Vin Cotto (Chicken with Cooked Wine)

This rustic italian chicken dish is full of flavor. The recipe begins with the cooking of the wine and ends with re-cooking it in a sense, thus the "Da Capo" (return to the beginning). Soft yet a bit crisp in texture, the dish includes a wide variety of seasonings and add-ins, finishing with a burst of flavor.

Vin Cotto

4 1/2 cups red wine (if you have an already open bottle of wine, you can use this. It is not necessary to use completely newly opened wine.)

1/2 cup honey

2 cinnamon sticks

3 cloves

extra virgin olive oil

1 whole chicken, cut into 8 serving pieces

salt

1 large onion, chopped into large pieces

2 carrots, diced

1/2 green olives (without pimentos)

3 Tbsp raisins

1 Tbsp capers

1 Tbsp toasted pine nuts

3 Tbsp toasted unsalted almonds

1 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

fresh ground black pepper

Begin making the Vin Cotto. 

Combine the wine, honey, cinnamon sticks, and cloves in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Place over high heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Lower flame and allow the Vin Cotto to simmer for about 20-25 minutes, until there is only about 1 cup left. Remove from flame and allow to cool.

Pour some olive oil into the bottom of a sauté pan until it is completely covered. Heat the oil over a high flame. Be careful that it doesn't get too hot as it will start to smoke. Before you season the chicken, make sure that it has carefully been rinsed and dried. Season the chicken with salt and place in the pan, skin side down. Allow chicken to brown on both sides. Lower flame and add the chopped onion and carrots. Cook until the contents of the pan are a deep golden brown. Add the olives, raisins, capers, pine nuts, and almonds. Stir well.

Add 1/2 cup of the Vin Cotto to coat the bottom of the pan and allow to further cook. While the chicken is cooking in the pan, return the Vin Cotto to a flame and bring to a boil. 

Combine the sugar and red wine vinegar in a bowl and mix well. Pour this over the chicken and stir well until it is reduced to a glaze. 

Add another 1/2 cup of Vin Cotto to the pan and raise the heat to allow the sauce to boil with the chicken. 

Transfer chicken to a platter and garnish with fresh ground black pepper, red pepper flakes, and fresh parsley.

Servings: 8

Music Suggestions:

•Norma: Casta Diva- Bellini

•Nessun Dorma- Puccini

 

Beethoven's Breakfast Cookies

These cookies are sure to satisfy your breakfast needs when you are pressed for time. Large in size, hearty, and rich in flavor, this particular quick breakfast will leave you feeling satiated until lunchtime. 

2 cups sugar

1 cup peanut butter (I recommend an organic brand such as Krema)

1 cup butter or margarine (Earth Balance vegan  butter recommended)

1/2 cup water

2 Tbsp vanilla extract

2 eggs 

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1 cup raisins

3 cups of Kashi Heart to Heart cereal (or any other low sugar oat cereal of your choice)

Preaheat oven to 375° F.

In a large bowl, combine sugar, peanut butter, butter/margarine, water, vanilla, and eggs. Mix well until you have a thick and sticky batter. 

Add baking soda, flour, salt. Again, stir well. 

Mix in the rolled oats, raisins, and cereal.

Drop large, rounded spoonfuls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Make sure you have enough space between the cookies, as they do spread quite a bit while baking. 

Bake for 14 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Allow the cookies to sit on the warm cookie sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in a plastic container.

Servings: 24 (medium size), or 16 (large size)

Music suggestions:

•Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46: 1. Morning Mood- Grieg

•Haydn String Quartet in D Major, Op. 20 No. 4