Drunken Chicken with Olives over Polenta Squares

Things have been kind of crazy lately in my little world. Between working and moving my mom into her new apartment, I haven't had much time to cook lately. I've been eating out more often lately and taking home leftovers (which I love by the way), so I don't have many recipes to post or talk about.

Of course, I'm not complaining about eating out, I love it. My sister and I took my mom out for dinner on Mother's Day and I had a really great dinner. It was a chicken and pasta entree with spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, zucchini and snipped green onions, in a garlic and wine sauce. Ooh la la. It was delicious.

Speaking of chicken in a wine sauce... I did make this drunken chicken with olives over polenta squares a few months back and never posted it. The recipe was inspired by Mary Ann Esposito of Ciao Italia. It was very tasty and I really have to make this again (someday when I can think straight again!). Happy Cooking to all of you!!

Drunken Chicken with Olives over Polenta Squares

1/2 cup pitted green olives, quartered
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary needles
1 teaspoon salt
Coarse black pepper to taste
Pinch of ground nutmeg
Zest and juice of 2 large lemons
3 bone-in chicken breasts, cut in half
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth

Coarsely chop together the garlic, thyme and rosemary and place in a large zip lock bag.

Add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, zest and lemon juice. Add the chicken pieces, zip up bag and shake the bag making sure the marinade covers all of the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Remove chicken from marinade. Set marinade aside and pat chicken dry with thick layer of paper towels. Add the flour to a medium sized paper or plasic bag. Add the chicken and shake until it is evenly coated. Shake off excess flour.

Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven or sauté pan large enough to hold the chicken in a single layer. Brown the pieces well on both sides, about 3-5 minutes per side. Add the wine and raise the heat to high. Cook for a minute or two. Add the olives and reserved marinade. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and cook for about 15 minutes. Check for doneness with an instant read thermometor until it reaches at least 165 degrees. Serve the chicken over polenta, potatoes or pasta and top with the olives and pan juices.

Polenta Squares

2 cups boiling water
1 tablespoon butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
1/2 cup quick-cooking polenta

Bring the water, 1 tablespoon butter, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil in a heavy medium saucepan. Gradually whisk in the polenta. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir constantly until the polenta thickens, about 5 minutes. Pour the polenta into a greased 9 by 9-inch baking pan, spreading so that it is 1/3-inch thick. Cover and let stand at room temperature until set, about 15 minutes.

Chicken and Artichoke Pasta Supreme

I HAVE A SECRET...

Did I get your attention? Good, because this is important. It's buttermilk. That's my secret. It is a super ingredient to use in low-fat cooking. I have always used buttermilk in baked goods with great results, and even as a marinade for chicken. But I had never tried using it as part of a sauce until now.
I have to say I was a bit nervous about how it was going to turn out, because I feared that it might curdle or separate. No problems though, it turned out great. The sauce had a nice silky texture and a bit of a tang. Give it a try.

Chicken and Artichoke Pasta Supreme
by Mixed Salad Annie

1 pound chicken boneless skinless chicken breast or breast tenders, cut into small pieces
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon chicken seasoning
4 cloves garlic, chopped (divided)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespon extra-virgin olive oil
1 leek, washed, dried and chopped
1/2 pound egg noodles, or your favorite pasta
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons margarine (suggested: Smart Balance Buttery Spread)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup low sodium chicken stock
1 cup low-fat sharp Cheddar
1/3 cup grated sharp Pecorino Romano cheese
1 can artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed and cut into quarters
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

Place chicken pieces in a resealable plastic bag and add buttermilk, chicken seasoning, 2 cloves chopped garlic and salt and pepper. Marinate at least 1/2 or overnight in the refrigerator.

Place a pot of water on to boil for noodles.

Remove chicken from buttermilk, reserving 1/2 cup of buttermilk and pat chicken pieces dry with paper towels. Heat a medium pan over medium to medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and chicken and season with salt and pepper. Saute a couple of minutes then add leeks and cook another 3-4 minutes until leeks are tender and chicken is almost cooked through. Remove from pan and reserve.

To boiling pasta water, add kosher salt to season the cooking water and add noodles or pasta. Cook until al dente.

While pasta cooks, re-heat the same pan that the chicken was cooked in over medium heat. Add margarine and melt, then add the remaining 2 cloves of chopped garlic. Cook for 1 minute. Add flour, and whisk together over heat until bubbles form and cook a minute more. Whisk in wine, reduce 30 seconds. Whisk in stock, then reserved 1/2 cup buttermilk. Turn up heat a bit and bring to a boil. Lower heat and add cheeses. Stir until cheese melts into sauce. Simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes. Add the reserved chicken and leeks, artichokes and simmer another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Drain noodles or pasta. Add to chicken mixture and stir to combine.

Adjust seasonings, transfer to a large serving platter, sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve.