(111) Mediterranean Chicken Stew

A little bit of chopping beforehand paid off when it was time to actually cook! We all enjoyed this recipe. I didn't have any kalamata olives so I used regular black olives. This was delish eaten with the Creamy Polenta. For us, this was a 5 serving meal at a little more than 1c/serving. That was plenty!

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Mediterranean Chicken Stew

If you plan to make the polenta, bring water to a boil while chicken is browning, then add polenta to water when beginning step three of chicken recipe.

Source: Everyday Food, Jan/Feb 2005
Yield: 4-6 servings

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 teaspoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (15.5 ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 plum tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2 cups)
2 tablespoons chopped pitted Kalamata olives (about 5)
1 teaspoon white-wine vinegar
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Creamy Polenta, for serving

1. Season chicken with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken, and cook, turning occasionally, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

2. Reduce heat to medium-low; add remaining teaspoon oil to skillet. Add garlic, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chickpeas and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 2 minutes.

3. Add tomatoes; cook over medium heat until starting to break down, 3 to 4 minutes. Add olives, vinegar, and chicken along with any accumulated juices to pan; toss until warmed through, about 1 minute. Stir in parsley. Serve over polenta.

Nutritional Information for 5 servings (per sparkrecipes.com)
Calories 288.2, Total Fat 6.0 g, Cholesterol 81.7 mg, Sodium 1,163.7 mg, Potassium 355.4 mg, Total Carbohydrate 25.9 g, Dietary Fiber 5.3 g, Sugars 0.1 g, Protein 34.5 g

(110) Creamy Polenta

Delish! I have never quite had the knack for making a good polenta, but this recipe was it for me!!

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Creamy Polenta

Source: Everyday Food - Jan/Feb 2005
Yield: 4 servings (approx: 3/4 cup per serving)

4 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon butter

1. In a large saucepan, bring water, salt, and pepper to a boil over high heat
2. Whisking constantly, very gradually add cornmeal. Simmer over medium heat, whisking frequently, until thickened, 10 to 12 minutes.
3. Remove from heat; stir in Parmesan cheese and butter until smooth.

Nutritional Information (per sparkrecipes.com)
Calories 137, Total Fat 5.6 g, Cholesterol 12.7 mg, Sodium 1,001.6 mg, Potassium 74.3 mg, Total Carbohydrate 17.9 g, Dietary Fiber 1.7 g, Sugars 0.1 g, Protein 4.5 g