Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Greek Chicken Thighs
This recipe came about because I happened to have olives in the fridge left over from a somewhat unsuccessful attempt at Baked Eyeball Casserole for Halloween (the “eyeballs” melted because I put it back in the oven to keep it warm!). Anyway, I had these olives to use up. I also had baby spinach that was starting to wilt, and a container of feta with a looming expiry date. I decided these were great ingredients for something Greek. I pulled out some chicken thighs from the freezer and got to work. I worked solely on the stove top for this meal, which made things a little simpler. When I dished out this meal, Bennett came running right away and finished his dinner before Cole had even started! Cole wasn’t that interested but after some coaxing from Tony, who said this was a really nice dinner, he finally tried it and liked it. So I’d say this was a successful meal- yay! I always like those..
Bennett digging in |
Greek Chicken Thighs
2 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 small onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
6-8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp oregano
1 can (19 oz) stewed tomatoes (undrained)
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup sliced black olives
2 cups fresh baby spinach
1/4 cup feta cheese
salt and pepper, to taste
In a large non-stick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic, onion and red pepper. Saute for 2-3 minutes until softened. Add chicken and cook for a few minutes on each side. Add lemon zest, oregano, stewed tomatoes, white wine and olives. Cover loosely and simmer for about 15-20 minutes, until chicken is fully cooked. Add spinach, feta, salt and pepper. Cover again and simmer until spinach has wilted. Serve over Lemon Garlic Rice.
Lemon Garlic Rice
2 tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp lemon zest
1 cup converted rice
2 cups vegetable broth
In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic, lemon zest and rice. Cook and stir for 1-2 minutes. Add broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover pot and let simmer until rice is cooked.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Butternut Squash Risotto with Bacon
Every time I make risotto (which is rarely), I wonder why I don't make it more often. It makes a great weeknight comfort food while still being sophisticated. I love the hint of sweetness from the squash paired with the smoky bacon. I used maple bacon, which seemed to compliment it particularly well. It was a perfect mixture of fall flavours. If you're looking for a healthier alternative to bacon, I would give try turkey bacon a try. That's what I would normally use, but I just happened to have real bacon this time that was left over from a previous brunch. The original recipe called for sage, which I omitted only because I didn't have any sage handy. I'm sure it would taste delicious in this as well, but I thought it held up well without it. So what did the kids think? Well, they liked the bacon. That was it. They literally picked out all the individual bits of bacon and left everything else. It was such a shame, but at least there was more for me.
Butternut Squash Risotto with Bacon
Adapted from Fine Cooking
4 cups (or more) low-sodium vegetable broth
1/2 cup white wine
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup minced onions
2 cups diced butternut squash
1-1/2 cups arborio rice
4 slices cooked maple bacon
salt, to taste
Grated parmesan cheese
In a small saucepan, combine 4 cups of broth and white wine. Set over medium heat until hot but not boiling.
In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook for about a minute until softened. Add butternut squash and rice, then cook and stir for another minute. With a ladle, pour some of the hot broth over the rice until just covered. Cook and stir often, adding more ladlefuls of broth as needed. Continue for about 25 mintues until rice has cooked through. If you run out of broth and wine mixture and still need more liquid, just add more broth or water. Crumble the bacon and mix into the risotto. Season with salt to taste if desired. Serve with a generous sprinkling of parmesan cheese.