We had a very unusual winter this year for Buffalo, NY. You know – the place that people think is buried in feet of snow every day in the winter. Well, we barely had any this year – and if we did it melted right away. I think we did snowblow the driveway one time the entire winter – which is unheard of. So this Summer when I was inspecting my herb garden – I was shocked to see that so many things that usually don’t survive the winter were growing – parsley, sage, rosemary.
So I was excited to have my summer stash of fresh herbs for cooking ready and available without a trip to the market for plants.
This was a really flavorful, easy one dish meal. We love Mediterranean flavors so this was definitely a keeper. The only caveat was that it was not that great as leftovers – something about olives being re-heated in the microwave just threw this off for me when I was eating it the next day. Otherwise – enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup of pitted kalamata olives, chopped plus 1/4 cup of olive brine reserved
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. minced fresh oregano
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tbsp. grated lemon zest
- salt and pepper
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup long-grain white rice
- 1 onion, diced
- 4 oz. cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
Directions
1. Combine olive brine, 3 Tbsp. oil, 1 Tbsp. oregano, 2 minced garlic cloves, 2 tsp. lemon zest, 1 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper in a ziploc bag. Pat chicken dry and place in bag – shake to coat. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, turning occasionally.
2. Remove chicken from bag and pat dry. Heat 1 1/2 tsp. oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken until browned – about 3-5 minutes per side. Transfer to plate and set aside.
3. Microwave 1 1/4 cups broth and rice in a covered large bowl until liquid is absorbed – 6 to 8 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking.
4. Add remaining 1 1/2 tsp. oil and onion to now-empty skillet and cook over medium heat until softened – about 5 minutes. Stir in 2 tsp. oregano and remaining garlic. Add in remaining 3/4 cup of broth and rice and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits.
5. Return chicken to skillet and cook, covered over medium-low until the meat registers 160 degrees F and the rice is tender – about 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer chicken to cutting board, tent with foil and let rest for 10 minutes.
6. Off heat, stir in olives, tomatoes, and 2 Tbsp. parsley into rice. Slice chicken into 1/2 inch slices and sprinkle with a mixture of remaining 2 Tbsp. parsley, 1 tsp. oregano and 1 tsp. lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Source: Cooks Country Feb/Mar 2012
No comments:
Post a Comment