Chicken stews, to savor or store away

My niece is about to give birth to her first child, so I decided to fill her freezer with nourishing, comforting chicken stews for those first busy weeks. She loves to cook and to eat well, but she and her husband both know how little time there is when you come home from the hospital with a new baby. When I e-mailed her asking if she’d like this, she wrote back: “That would be the best gift ever! I have felt like cooking up until today…. But now I feel too tired to stand up.” I wanted each of these stews to feature a nutritious vegetable along with the chicken and aromatics. In this way they are truly one-dish, nutrient-dense meals. Though I suggest serving them with rice, other grains or pasta, if carbs are an issue, know that these stews are very satisfying on their own. I used skinless legs and boneless, skinless thighs for my chicken stews, and I sought out free-range organic chickens. While chicken breasts are lower in fat than the legs and thighs, they dry out when you stew them for very long. You can increase or decrease the number of chicken pieces according to your needs. If you’ve frozen a stew, it’s best to thaw it overnight in the refrigerator for the next night’s dinner. If the stew doesn’t thaw completely, heat gently in a casserole or use your microwave’s defrost function. Here’s a great thing to do with leftovers: Shred the chicken and stir back into the stew, then pile the mixture over grains and heat in the oven as a casserole, or toss it with pasta. Greek Chicken Stew With Cauliflower and Olives Cinnamon adds a subtle sweetness to this stew. If salt is an issue, omit the olives; the stew will still be delicious. 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 large red onion, chopped 2 to 4 garlic cloves (to taste), minced 6 to 8 chicken legs and/or thighs, skinned 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 28-ounce can chopped tomatoes, with juice, pulsed in a food processor 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon Salt and freshly ground pepper 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, or 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves 1 small or 1/2 large cauliflower, cored, broken into florets, and sliced about 1/2 inch thick 12 kalamata olives (about 45 grams), rinsed, pitted and cut in half (optional) 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley 1 to 2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (optional) 1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat in a large, deep, heavy lidded skillet or casserole and brown the chicken, in batches if necessary, about 5 minutes on each side. Remove the pieces to a plate or bowl as they’re browned. Pour off the fat from the pan. Add the vinegar to the pan and scrape up all the bits from the bottom of the pan. 2. Add the remaining tablespoon of the olive oil to the pan, and turn the heat down to medium. Add the onion and a generous pinch of salt and cook, stirring often and scraping the bottom of the pan, until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low, cover and let the onion cook for 10 minutes, stirring from time to time, until it is lightly browned and very soft. Add the garlic and stir together for a minute or two more, until the garlic is fragrant, then add the tomatoes and their juice, the cinnamon, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and simmer 10 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the mixture is reduced slightly and fragrant. 3. Return the chicken pieces to the pot, along with any juices that have accumulated in the bowl. If necessary, add enough water to barely cover the chicken. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes. Add the cauliflower and kalamata olives and simmer for another 20 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender and the chicken is just about falling off the bone. Stir in the parsley, taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with grains, with the feta sprinkled on top if desired. Yield: 4 to 6 servings. Advance preparation: The stew keeps for 3 or 4 days in the refrigerator and freezes well. With leftovers, make a delicious rice casserole by spreading cooked rice over the bottom of a baking dish and topping with the chicken and sauce. Heat through for 20 minutes at 325 degrees. Nutritional information per serving (4 servings, using 3 legs/3 thighs): 363 calories (with olives and feta, 395); 15 grams total fat (with olives and feta, 395); 3 grams saturated fat (with olives and feta, 5 grams); 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat (with olives and feta, 19 grams); 115 milligrams cholesterol (with olives and feta, 121 milligrams); 18 grams carbohydrates (with olives and feta, 19 grams); 4 grams dietary fiber; 165 milligrams sodium (does not include salt to taste; with olives and feta, 426 milligrams); 35 grams protein