This tasty stew from the New York Times is a great weekend dinner. Brown skinless chicken legs or thighs and set aside. Cook onion and garlic, add tomatoes and spices and simmer. Add the chicken back to the pot and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the cauliflower and olives and cook for another 20 minutes. Add parsley and serve over rice, garnished with feta cheese. Cook’s note: I used green olives instead of Kalamata olives.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

I used Eden organic red wine vinegar and Unico tomatoes. Make sure your spices don’t contain colour or anti-caking agents. If using olives, check the ingredients for additives. I used President’s Choice garlic-stuffed green olives.

Brown the chicken and set aside

Simmer the chicken in the tomato sauce

Add the cauliflower and olives

Serve the stew over rice and top with feta cheese

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil

1 large red onion, chopped

2 to 4 garlic cloves (to taste), minced

6 to 8 chicken legs and/or thighs, skinned

2 tablespoons (30 ml) red wine vinegar

1 28-ounce (793 g) can chopped tomatoes, with juice, pulsed in a food processor

½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) cinnamon

Salt and freshly ground pepper

½ teaspoon (2.5  ml) dried thyme, or 1 teaspoon (5 ml) fresh thyme leaves

1 small or ½ large cauliflower, cored, broken into florets, and sliced about ½ -inch (1.25-cm) thick

12 kalamata olives (about 1.6 oz/45 grams), rinsed, pitted and cut in half (optional)

1 to 2 tablespoons (15-30 ml) chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 to 2 ounces (28-56 g) feta cheese, crumbled (optional)

Preparation:

Heat 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the oil over medium-high heat in a large, deep, heavy lidded skillet or casserole and brown the chicken, in batches if necessary, about 5 minutes on each side. Remove the pieces to a plate or bowl as they’re browned. Pour off the fat from the pan. Add the vinegar to the pan and scrape up all the bits from the bottom of the pan.

Add the remaining tablespoon (15 ml) of the olive oil to the pan, and turn the heat down to medium. Add the onion and a generous pinch of salt and cook, stirring often and scraping the bottom of the pan, until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low, cover and let the onion cook for 10 minutes, stirring from time to time, until it is lightly browned and very soft.

Add the garlic and stir together for a minute or two more, until the garlic is fragrant, then add the tomatoes and their juice, the cinnamon, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and simmer 10 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the mixture is reduced slightly and fragrant.

Return the chicken pieces to the pot, along with any juices that have accumulated in the bowl. If necessary, add enough water to barely cover the chicken. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes.

Add the cauliflower and kalamata olives and simmer for another 20 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender and the chicken is just about falling off the bone. Stir in the parsley, taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with grains, with the feta sprinkled on top if desired.

Serve with rice. Serves 4-6.

From the New York Times