Music to your ears, right? Short cut. This is one of those meals that looks, tastes, smells, heck even feels like it was slow cooking for hours on end on your stove. Only you’ll know you whipped it together in under 30 minutes. Shhh. I won’t tell and you shouldn’t either!

M typically makes a point not to make a train later than 6:20. I take this as a good sign as businessmen in a recent MadMen episode made a point to discuss how their comes a point in every marriage where you just start taking the later train. Yikes. Unfortunately this night he was stuck and didn’t get the train until 7:20, not terribly late but I made sure to have a rockstar meal waiting. I did not stay dressed in heels, a full face of make up, and perfectly coiffed hair. Honestly, how did those women function?

Anyways, back to 2012. This was the perfect meal for me at 6:00 (ok, who am I kidding….I eat like an elderly person…5:00) or for him when he finally sat down to enjoy a plate at 8:30. Garnished with warm pita bread for soaking up all the delicious juices and the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills on TV what more could a man want?

Perhaps a different show…although I know he secretly enjoys it.

‘Shortcut Chicken Vesuvio’ – serves 4
Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray

Ingredients:

- olive oil
- 2 baking potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 6 gloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp. dried oregano, lightly crushed
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into chunks
- flour, for coating
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 cup fresh or thawed frozen peas
- 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley, for topping
- crusty warm bread or pita to serve along the side

Directions:

You’re going to need two skillets going on the stove…both a larger size, if you have two that are bigger and one needs to be oven proof. If you don’t have two that are larger, a smaller one will be just fine for the potatoes, you might just have to do them in batches.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In your potato skillet, heat about 1/4 cup olive oil over medium higher heat. Add the potatoes and season generously with the oregano, salt, and pepper. Cook, turning occasionally until browned. Towards the end add the garlic. This will take about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in your larger oven proof skillet heat a couple of TBS of olive oil over medium high heat. Season the chicken with salt & pepper and coat lightly in flour. Brown the chicken on each side until golden, roughly 3-4 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the wine and stock (the fun part!) and stir in your peas.

Get your potatoes and garlic over into the oven proof skillet and place it all in the oven. Roast away for 10-12 minutes. Top with freshly chopped parsley, breathe in that awesome smell you just created and enjoy!

Courtney