Chicken Cacciatore in the Thermomix

Sometimes all you need is a little pat on the back to give you the motivation you need to keep on going.

This week was the annual pilgrimage out to the Children's Hospital for the usual pokes, prods, and WEIGH IN for "The Child Who Cannot Be Filled!". The words the doctors uttered were not so much the pat on the back I needed, although I was told that all things considered we were traveling very well along the bumpy road of Prader Willi Syndrome. It was more the look of utter disbelief that I encountered when I met up with a doctor, and please excuse me if that is it not your actual title, you probably are a Professor now! But anyway, when I ran across this particular medical professional in the stairwell, as we travelled between appointments, to say that she literally had to pick up her jaw up off the floor would be a little bit of an understatement. She could not believe that this child that had been given the sentence of "PWS" 14 years ago, was the same child/young man that stood/towered above her now!

The look on her face, was the pat on the back that I needed to say "hey you are doing a great job". It made it seem like all the hard, hard work that I have put into the last 14 years have not been in vain.

As you face these hurdles in life, you often belittle the hardships and challenges you face? Do you take it all in your stride, buckle down and just get on with the job at hand? Do you say to yourself, it's not that bad, it could be worse, what am I complaining about? Sometimes though, inevitably, you leave to take stock, and you realize that what you are actually doing is in fact something out of the norm.

So as I face the week with a renewed sense of self. I pat myself on the back and say "good work, you are doing ok!"

After we came back from the hospital "The Child Who Cannot Be Filled" was also feeling pretty good about himself, so we sat down to a meal that night without a challenge. He seemed to understand (maybe) the reasons why the meals etc are the way they are. He accepted that he could have a massive plate full of food, if it was the right kind meal! So we had a beautiful Chicken Cacciatore, with a mega serve of vegetables!  Everybody was happy!

Chicken Cacciatore
Original Recipe by CateCanCook

Serves 6

1kg Chicken Breast, sliced into 2cm thick pieces
1 onion, quartered
4 cloves garlic
100g pancetta, roughly chopped
1kg tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 carrots, sliced thickly
10g oregano leaves
1tbs TM concentrated vegetable stock
100g white wine
200g swiss brown mushrooms, quartered
olives (if desired)


Place the pancetta into the TM bowl, pulse on turbo twice (1 second each).  Remove from bowl, set aside.  Place the onion and garlic in the TM bowl, chop on speed 7 for 3 seconds.  Add a small amount of olive oil.  Saute for 2 minutes at 100 degrees on speed 1 (with the MC off).  Add the pancetta, and saute for an additional 2 minutes at 100 degrees on speed 1.

Add the roughly chopped tomatoes, stock concentrate, oregano leaves and wine, and cook for 20 minutes at 100 degrees on Reverse, Speed Soft, with the basket over the lid to stop any splatters.

Place the sliced chicken in the varoma tray and receptacle, making sure you don't cover all the holes.

Add the carrots and mushrooms to the tomato mixture in the TM bowl.  Place the varoma on top of the TM bowl.

Cook for 45 minutes at varoma temperature on Reverse, Speed Soft.

Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.  Place the tomato mixture into a prewarmed (put boiling water in it for 5-10 minutes).  Add the chicken and mix through.

At this point you could either then steam your vegetables in the varoma, by putting 1 litre of boiling water into the TM bowl, and cooking for 30 minutes at varoma temperature on speed 4.  OR you may just wish to steam your vegetables separately.

If you are not on a low carb diet, serve with some steamed rice.

This was an incredibly satisfying meal, and you really did not feel deprived by not having the rice with it.  The best part though - the scales continued to decline in numbers the next day too!!!

So another pat on the back!!!

So Dear Readers how do you face those tough obstacles in life?  Do you buckle down, or buckle in?  It's OK either way!