Coq a la Biere (Chicken Cooked in Beer)

I made this years ago when I was abroad in Paris but hadn't thought of it again until today. It's basically the same as coq au vin but with beer instead of red wine. It has such a great flavor and it a perfect fall or winter hearty dinner served over some buttered egg noodles. It also makes your house smell wonderful.

White Wine Braised Chicken Thighs

Last week there was a particularly cold and blustery day so I was craving something warming, and on the cheap side. I settled on braised chicken thighs. I spent $8 at the grocery and it fed me and Jamie dinner and lunch the next day. The white wine broth has a great flavor and the turnips get really soft and sweet. Great quick version of a braise (the whole thing takes about 45 minutes).

Ingredients:
5 chicken thighs
1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
5 gloves of garlic, crushed
3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
2 turnips, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
1 sprig thyme
1 sprig rosemary
A bunch of baby red potatoes (I used 9)
1 cup white wine
1 cup chicken broth
Olive oil and butter
Salt and pepper
Snow peas, cut in half

Red Wine Braised Chicken Thighs

I wanted something somewhat healthy for dinner last night, and something cheap. It was a little cold, so I thought chicken thighs braised in red wine would be perfect and warm and tasty. My grocery run cost $5.06 (for 5 chicken thighs and a big leek) and it fed two of us for dinner and lunch the next day. Letting the red wine and broth cook down makes the sauce so flavorful. I served it over some Israeli couscous just because that's what I had on hand, but this would be great on polenta or mashed potatoes too. The whole process took an hour, and most of that was just braising/cooking down, so it's totally doable for a week night. Of course, feel free to add other veggies if you want it to be more coq au vin style, but this is simple, tasty, and cheap.

Ingredients:
5 chicken thighs (bone-in, skin-on)
1 large leek, rinsed and sliced into 1/4 inch rings
5 cloves garlic, crushed