Chicken, Olives and Artichokes - Hunter Style

When I decided to make this dish, I was thinking of a chicken cacciatore that I used to get from a local supermarket. They would make it with big chunks of white breast meat, all the colors of bell peppers and lots of whole garlic cloves. It was delicious. Since I was making this for my mom, I decided to leave out the peppers because they don't agree with her.

Because we both love artichokes and olives, I decided to sub them for the peppers. As a matter of fact, my mom makes a chicken and artichoke dish very similar to this, only without the sauce. Since I had a jar of sauce that needed to be used, I whipped this up. It is really good over pasta or you could eat it as is, with a big piece of Italian bread for mopping up the sauce.


Chicken, Olives and Artichokes - Hunter Style
by Mixed Salad Annie Serves 4

3 skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cut into about 1 1/2" chunks
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup of flour
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 jar of black olives, drained and rinsed
1 jar of artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed and halved
12 cloves of garlic, (very large ones halved)
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 jar marinara sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 sprigs rosemary

Add the flour, garlic powder and paprika to a large ziplock bag. Season the chicken pieces with the salt and pepper and add them to the flour in the bag. Shake the chicken to coat all the pieces. Remove from bag and shake off excess flour and set aside.

Heat one tablespoon of oil and rosemary sprigs on low heat in large dutch oven or large deep skillet for about 5 minutes. Add the olives and artichokes cook for another 5 minutes. Remove the mixture from the pan with a slotted spoon to a bowl and add the remaining olive oil to the pan. Turn the heat up to medium/high and add chicken pieces.

Brown the chicken on all sides and de-glaze the pan with the wine. When the wine evaporates, add the chicken broth and sauce. Add the artichoke mixture back to the pan and stir to combine. Lower the heat, and simmer slowly for about 20-25 minutes. Remove and disgard the rosemary sprigs. Serve over pasta or with Italian bread.

Roasted Broccoli and Garlic

My New Favorite Way to Cook Broccoli

I love broccoli and have been eating for years. I usually just steam it and dress it with a little olive oil and sometimes vinegar. On occasion I have roasted it, but with mixed results. I finally found the perfect way to get tender broccoli with a great caramelized flavor.

In the past, when roasting broccoli, I would just put it on a baking sheet with oil and roast away. I would get tough stalks and burned florets. The trick is to cover the broccoli with foil for the first 10 minutes or so of cooking in order to ensure a tender stalk. You still get the caramelization without burning the florets. It is so good, you can't help but eat your vegetables.

Roasted Broccoli and Garlic

1 large bunch broccoli 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1/4 teaspoon sugar (optional)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt Ground black pepper
8 cloves garlic, unpeeled

Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 475 degrees. Cut broccoli florets away from stems. Peel stalk and cut into 1/2-inch-thick pieces on the bias. Cut crowns into 8 wedges.

Place broccoli and garlic on foil- or parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper and sugar if using; gently toss to evenly distribute oil and seasonings. Spread into even layer, placing flat sides down.

Cover baking sheet tightly with foil and cook for 10-15 minutes or until bottoms of broccoli pieces are golden and stems are fork tender. Remove sheet from oven, remove foil, and using spatula, carefully flip wedges. Return sheet to oven and continue to roast until broccoli is golden all over, 5-7 minutes longer. Transfer to serving dish, remove skins from garlic and serve immediately.