Want to improve the quality of your dinners, but feel frustrated by recipes that call for specialty items you might not use again? Pick up a copy of newly released “The Ultimate 5-Ingredient Cookbook: Whole Food Flavorful Meals Made Simple” by Rebecca White (Page Street Publishing, $21.99).
White, creator of the blog “A Pleasant Little Kitchen,” offers detailed instructions that transform a few key ingredients into wholesome comfort food. In addition to helping you build a thoughtfully stocked pantry, White also builds your kitchen confidence. “If I could tell home cooks one thing, it’s ‘You are a good cook. You are capable and able!’” White said in a recent interview.
White’s recipes rely on supermarket cuts of meat and seasonal produce. The recipes are written with busy cooks in mind; many are sheet-pan or slow-cooked meals. This one-dish Tomato and Horseradish-Braised Chicken Thighs now makes a regular appearance in our fall weeknight rotation.
I made a few gentle changes to White’s recipe. Chicken skin has plenty of fat, so I browned the thighs in half of the oil that White recommends. And I saved time — and dishes — by pureeing the sauce in the Dutch oven with an immersion blender, instead of blitzing the tomatoes in a countertop blender as White’s recipe instructs.
But overall, the ease of this recipe feels like a gift. Serve it with a side of rice or mashed potatoes, and you’ll find that the “simple” means “simply delicious.”
Credit: Kellie Hynes
Credit: Kellie Hynes
Credit: Kellie Hynes
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 6-8 chicken thighs (3 1/2 pounds), excess skin trimmed
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons horseradish
- 2 lemons (zest from 2 lemons and juice from 1 lemon)
- 1 tablespoon flour
- Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Evenly distribute 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt on the chicken thighs. Be sure to salt under the skin.
- Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chicken thighs to the pan, skin-side down. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the skin is golden. Flip and brown the other side for 2-3 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the chicken stock. Deglaze the Dutch oven, scraping up any pieces stuck to the bottom. Add the tomatoes, horseradish, 1/2 teaspoon salt, lemon zest and juice. Stir well to combine. Return the chicken and its juices to the Dutch oven. Place the pan into the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
- Place the Dutch oven back on the stovetop. Remove the chicken and cover with foil to keep warm. Add the flour to the tomato mixture, and use an immersion blender to puree until smooth. Simmer the sauce on medium-low heat for 15 minutes to thicken. Serve the chicken topped with the sauce. Serves 4-6.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving, based on 4: 602 calories (percent of calories from fat, 40), 72 grams protein, 17 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 26 grams total fat (7 grams saturated), 363 milligrams cholesterol, 1,429 milligrams sodium.Adapted from “The Ultimate 5-Ingredient Cookbook: Whole Food Flavorful Meals Made Simple” by Rebecca White (Page Street Publishing, 2021).
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