Chicken Vesuvio with Bread Sticks and Devil's Food Cake

I added pasta to the chicken for Charlie. He is not a fan of potatoes unless they are fried.

GIADA'S CHICKEN VESUVIO 

Serves: 4 people

Cooking Level: Beginner

PREP TIME 15 minutes COOK TIME 60 minutes  INACTIVE TIME 20 minutes TOTAL TIME 1:15 hours

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil 
• 4 chicken thighs with skin and bones
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds small red-skinned potatoes halved
• 4 large garlic cloves minced
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 8 ounces frozen artichoke hearts or 1 cup frozen lima beans thawed
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Heat the oil in large ovenproof pot over high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Working in 2 batches if necessary, cook the chicken in the pot until golden brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a bowl. Carefully add the potatoes to the same pot and cook until they are golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add the wine and stir to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Add the broth, oregano, and thyme. Return the chicken to the pot. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
• Cover and bake in the oven until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a platter. Arrange the potatoes around chicken. Add the artichoke hearts to the sauce in the pot. Cover and simmer over high heat until the artichokes are tender, stirring often, about 4 minutes. Turn heat to low. Stir in the butter. Pour the sauce over chicken and potatoes, and serve.
  

• Copycat Olive Garden Bread Sticks
• 1 package quick-acting active dry yeast (I use 2 1/2 teaspoons1 1/3 cup milk (warmed to 105 to 115F degrees)
• 3 to 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting  work surface
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2-3 tablespoon melted butter
• Garlic salt

Sprinkle yeast over warm milk then sprinkle sugar over yeast in electric mixer bowl. Let proof for 3-4 minutes. With mixer on low speed, mix in 1 cup of the flour, olive oil, and salt. Increase speed to medium and beat until smooth. Beat in remaining flour and mix just until incorporated. Cover and let rise in warm place until double, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven 400 degrees F. Line two insulated baking sheets with parchment paper. Sprinkle work surface with extra flour. Punch down dough and transfer it to the work surface, kneading it by hand for 3-5 minutes, or until dough is soft and workable. Divide dough into 16 equal pieces (about 2-ounces each). Roll each piece into a ball then roll between the palms of your hands into 7-inch long sticks. Place sticks on the baking sheet, placing them 2-inches apart. Cover and let rise for 15 minutes.

Bake until crust is light golden brown, about 12-13 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately brush with melted butter and sprinkle with garlic salt.

Grandma’s best Devil’s Food Cake Taste of Home

Ingredients 

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup canola oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup brewed coffee, room temperature

Directions

Step 1: Preheat the oven

Preheat over to 325°F. Grease and flour a Bundt pan. (Need help? The Taste of Home Test Kitchen demonstrates how to grease a Bundt pan the right way.)

Step 2: Sift dry ingredients

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.

Step 3: Mix wet ingredients

Next, in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the sugar, oil, vanilla and eggs and beat until well-combined, about 2-3 minutes.

Step 4: Combine

With your mixer on its lowest setting, gradually add in the dry ingredients and mix until everything is just moistened. Take care not to overmix (that’s one of the most common cake baking mistakes).

Add the milk and coffee and mix until a thin, smooth batter forms.

Step 5: Bake

Transfer the batter to your prepared baking pan and bake until the cake reaches an internal temperature of 210°. You can use an instant-read digital thermometer, like a Thermapen. You can also test the cake’s doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake. The cake is fully baked when the toothpick comes out clean when removed.

Step 6: Cool

Promptly remove the cake from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes in the pan. Then, turn out the cake onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 7: Decorate and serve Frost and decorate as desired (here are some cake decorating tips). Then slice and serve. ENJOY!