Rachael, the Over Achieving Chef!

Is there anyone who does not know Rachael Ray? She has 4 shows on the Food Network and an Emmy winning network daytime talk show. I have chosen from '30 Minute Meals' for this menu as it is the only program on which she really cooks. '$40 Dollars a Day', 'Tasty Travels', and 'Rachael's Vacation' spotlight her interest in travel as well as the challenge of finding out of the way places to enjoy local cuisine. EVOO (extra virgin olive oil), and GB (garbage bowl) are 2 of the phrases she has coined. My favorite is STOUP. A dish that is not a soup or a stew, but something in between.

Chicken Cacciatore Stoup
Crusty Garlic Bread
Super Stuffed Baked Apples a la Mode

The stoup has all the ingredients of a chicken cacciatore entree. The hardest part of the dish is the chopping. The ingredients go together quickly and truly is finished in 30 minutes. As with most recipes of this kind it is better the second day after having been refrigerated overnight. It was good on Saturday and even better on Sunday. The chicken has a good texture, the vegetables retain their texture and the broth ingredients a perfect vehicle for both. The tomato product is fire roasted diced tomatoes and with the pinch of red pepper flakes there is a nice bite. Shards of Parmigiano-Reggiano and the toasted bread made for a filling tasty meal.

The bread was a petite loaf of crusty wheat bread, sliced, drizzled with EVOO and toasted. I rubbed the surface with a garlic clove after toasting. Great for sopping up the broth.


I don't think I have had a baked apple since I was in elementary school. I've no idea why not. It is apple season and the dish is easy to put together. I'm not a fan of raisins so I substituted dried cranberries. It proved to be a good choice. The rest of the filling was oatmeal, brown sugar, butter, spices and chopped nuts. After baking, it is served warm with a scoop of Dulce de Leche ice cream and a bit of whipped cream. A great ending to the meal.

I will have stoup a couple of days this week, but I look forward to it. This menu was a good choice for this weekend. It gave me the time to do the other projects I had to do.