The sun has been setting earlier as Summer slowly fades. The Autumn Equinox isn’t until September 22nd but already the evening air feels cooler and we’ve had to close the windows by sun down. I’m inviting you into my kitchen today to share some cozy scenes and what I’ve been cooking.

I’m all about little rituals and lighting a candle before I start working in the kitchen is one of them. Candles set the atmosphere and I like to keep a variety in my cupboard. They change by season from light florals in Spring to the grounding scents of Cedar and Woodfire in the Fall. I bought this cupboard many years ago. It’s meant to be a wardrobe but I keep our bedding and towels, linen napkins and all my candles and essential oils in it . The warmest blankets and pillows are stored on top. They’ll come down in the next couple of months to cuddle up in for chilly Autumn movie nights.

I keep this map of the Pacific Northwest Coast in my kitchen as a reminder of all the beautiful places we’ve been to – and the ones yet to discover. For my birthday this Summer we headed to the very Northwestern tip of Vancouver Island and hiked at Cape Scott Provincial Park. That blog HERE

The end of Summer means I can pull out my comfort food recipe books and slow cooker for hearty meals. Tonight I’m going to try a Chicken Supreme in white wine sauce with mushrooms. Something about cooking an entire meal in one pot feels old fashioned and homey.

Chicken Supreme in White Wine Sauce with Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp  of olive oil
• 4 – 6 Chicken thighs skin on or off (your preference)
• 2 Tbsp of butter or vegetable oil of your choice
• 2 cups of mushrooms roughly chopped
• 4 cloves of  garlic sliced
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste
• 1 shallot finely chopped
• 1 leek sliced
• Spices of our choice (I used garlic powder, onion powder and smoked paprika)
• 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme or ½ tsp dried thyme
• 1 heaping Tbsp of  flour 
• 1/2 cup of white wine (dry)
• 1/2 – 3/4 cups of  vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 cup of heavy cream

Instructions

*Marinade the Chicken about 30 minutes before you start. I sprinkled them with salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder.

• Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Brown the chicken breasts for 5 minutes on each side over medium heat. The chicken will not be cooked all the way through. Remove to a plate. Add 1 Tbls of butter to the same pan and sauté the mushrooms over medium heat with sliced garlic for approximately 5 minutes, remove to the same plate as the chicken.
• Add the extra butter and in the same pan, Saute chopped shallots and leeks and thyme for 2-3 minutes. Now add a heaped tablespoon of flour and whisk to combine with the melted butter. Gradually pour in the white wine while whisking. Add the spices (paprika, garlic powder and onion powder) then add in the chicken stock and heavy cream. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and let it simmer for a few of minutes. This will allow the sauce to thicken slightly.
• Return the chicken and mushrooms to the pan and simmer uncovered over low heat for 15 minutes then put the entire pan into the oven at 350F for 15 minutes. Taste and add more salt if needed.

I like to watch shows on my iPad while I’m cooking. I have a secret love for really cheesy horror (don’t tell anyone). They give me all the spooky rainy, foggy, serial killer vibes without keeping me up at night so I’m watching Urban Legends on Netflix.

Dinner was served with smashed potatoes and garlic asparagus.

Happy Summer’s end.

Love,

Jennifer