Beer Braised Chicken: An Easy and Comforting Homecoming Meal

Today was a busy Saturday in our house.  The day began with all of us going to the Boys' preschool for Spring Cleaning Day, which started at 8:30 a.m.  Following that, Patrick and I split up: He took the Boys to a birthday party at Pump It Up, and I took Nelianne to her Basketball game in Alameda.  After that . . . lunch, laundry, grocery shopping, and housecleaning. With a busy day like this, and given that it's been raining all day, dinner in our household was all about simplicity and comfort.  But, with Patrick coming home from his business trip, I wanted to make something comforting and delicious to welcome him home.

I found this great recipe on the Food Network: Beer-Braised Chicken (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/beer-braised-chicken-recipe/index.html).  This recipe is easy because my shopping list consisted of buying a bottle of beer, a few red potatoes, and some frozen pearl onions. How easy is that! I had everything else either in my freezer (like chicken thighs and bacon) or pantry or fridge.

I served the chicken with steamed rice and gratin of corn kernels.  To make the corn, I boiled some water in a deep pot. Then, I added a bag of frozen corn in the boiling water. I let it boil for about 2 minutes or so. Then, I drained the corn. Then, I stirred about 1 tablespoon of butter, salt and pepper, cheddar cheese, and a Tablespoon of milk.  I put the corn mixture in a oven-proof baking dish, and baked it in the oven for about 15 minutes (or until the cheese is all melted).

Patrick and I had a glass of Estencia Pinot Noir (Monterey, CA 2009) with this dish. Pinot Noir is a good wine pairing because it is a little lighter and not overpowering. It's also a slightly fruity and dry red wine, which goes well with the beer and mustard flavor of the chicken dish. If you like white wine, I would suggest a nice Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc. 

For my hubby (and my children!) who love chocolate, I decided to make individual Molten Chocolate Cakes With Raspberry Filling in mini ramekins.  The kids helped with this. Well, Nelianne helped me melt the chocolate. The Boys just licked the spoons -:) This recipe is courtesy of Food and Wine Magazine (http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/molten-chocolate-cake-with-raspberry-filling).  This dessert was a great excuse for me to try my Iced Riesling that Patrick brought back for me from Germany.

Well, the day may have started out a little hectic. I wouldn't trade it for anything (except maybe a day at the spa!).  But, it ended out with an amazing family dinner, a warm fireplace, and spending quality time with my loving family. 

I hope your day was all you wanted it to be!

Until next time . . . Cheers!

ZinAdel