Braised Chicken Thighs with Garlic, Lemon and Greek Olives

Tags

braised, chicken, gluten free, greek, lemon, olives, oregano, thighs

This is one of my new favorite work night meals. The lemon, onion, and olives meld together with the chicken drippings to form a luscious gravy. And it’s even better the next day!

Braised Chicken Thighs with Garlic, Lemon, and Greek Olives (from here)

• 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (remove the excessive fat and skin)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 12 garlic cloves
• 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced, seeds discarded
• 2 tbsp fresh oregano leaves, plus more for garnish
• 1 cup mixed Greek olives, pitted
• Juice of 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 350°. Season on both sides with salt and pepper.

In a large Dutch oven large enough to hold all the thighs in a single layer, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the chicken, skin-side down, and sear until golden brown. Add the garlic and flip the thighs over. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Add the onions, lemon slices and oregano. Season with more salt and pepper. Cook, until the onions have wilted and the juices have de-glazed the pan. Place the thighs skin-side up in the onion mixture; add the garlic and the olives. Pour the lemon juice over the chicken and put into the oven. Bake for 45 minutes. Garnish with fresh herbs and serve. Serves 6.

 

 

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Tapas Week Part 4: Five Layer Greek Dip

Tags

dip, feta, greek, healthy, hummus, layered, olives, vegetarian

Things here in Kentucky have been a mess. It’s been bitter cold. Miserably snowy and windy. We had a funeral to attend earlier this week. Because of the 5 inches of snow that made the roads an absolute mess, we were about 30 minutes late. When we went to the graveside, we had to climb a big hill, through the snow and wind, holding on to the old people to keep them from sliding off the hill.

Today is the first day I have had time to sit down and blog. It’s cold and snowy again. I am thankful to be inside in the warm and safe. It has given me time to catch up on reading the blogs I follow and to write posts for the next couple of days. I hope your Saturday is a good one. And thank you for being understanding about my absence. I have missed you!

Other posts in Tapas Week:

Tapas Week Part 1: Wild Mushroom Pierogies

Tapas Week Part 2: Crispy Spicy Black Eyed Peas

Tapas Week Part 3: Apple Bites With Bacon and Jalapeno Cream Cheese

Five Layer Greek Dip

• Servings: 4-6
• Time: 15 minutes max
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

• 1 (7-ounce) package of hummus
• 4 ounces of feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped cucumbers
• 1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives (you could use another variety if you prefer)
• Pita chips or veggies for dipping

Spread hummus onto bottom of 9-inch pie plate. Layer the ingredients evenly over the hummus in the following order: feta, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives. Refrigerate until serving but don’t make too far in advance because the tomatoes and cucumbers give off moisture the longer they sit.

Fattoush Salad

Tags

cucumbers, fattoush, feta, Mediterranean, olives, onions, salad, vegetarian

This salad is my new favorite!! LOVE IT! It is like a flavor explosions in your mouth. I am obsessed with it now. I could eat a huge bowl of this every day. Now I know that it is not totally traditional. I don’t have purslane and sumac. Maybe one day I’ll have it the “real” way but until then I will be perfectly content to eat my own version.

Fattoush Salad

• Parm and garlic pita chips (omit for gluten free)
• Romaine lettuce
• A couple of slices of Vidalia onion
• 5 cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 5 English cucumber slices
• Kalamata olives
• 2 tbsp coarsely chopped mint leaves
• 2 tbsp coarsely chopped cilantro leaves
• 2 tbsp coarsely chopped parsley leaves
• 1/8 cup feta cheese
• Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette

Wash and tear up the romaine leaves. Top with your sliced onion, tomatoes, cucumber, mint, cilantro, parsley, olives and feta. Crumble up your desired amount of pita chips. Drizzle the desired amount of lemon garlic vinaigrette over the salad. Serves 1.

Roasted Vegetable, Feta and Olive Couscous Salad

Tags

couscous, feta, olives, roasted vegetables, salad, vegetarian

This salad is another great way to get those veggies into your diet. If you left out the cheese, it would be vegan. I love the sweet goodness of the veggies when pared with the saltiness of the cheese and olives.

Roasted Vegetable, Feta, and Olive Couscous Salad (inspired by Frugal Feeding)

• 3/4 cup couscous
• 1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
• 1 yellow bell pepper, roughly chopped
• 1 small zucchini, cut in large dice
• 2 small white onions, roughly chopped
• Olive oil
• Salt
• A handful of kalamata olives
• A handful of feta cubes
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• Juice of ½ a lemon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees  Toss peppers, zucchini, and onion in a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring at the 15 minute mark. Prepare couscous according to package directions. Allow the orzo to cool a bit before adding in the roasted vegetables, olives, feta, parsley, and lemon juice. Mix well. Serve at room temperature. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Cheese, Olive, and Buttermilk Herb Bread

Tags

bread, buttermilk, cheese, herbs, Italian, olives

Here is a quick savory bread that was a hit at work. If you like this bread, you might also enjoy this recipe for Dilly Bread. I served it with the Healthy Chicken Parmesan.

Cheese, Olive and Buttermilk Herb Bread (a version of a recipe by Sugar & Everything Nice)

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
• 1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup green olives, sliced
• 8 pieces sundried tomatoes, sliced thinly
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup onion, finely minced
• 1/8 cup fresh parsley, minced
• 2 tsp thyme leaves
• 2 eggs
• 2 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease loaf pan well. Mix together flour, baking powder, soda, salt, pepper and mustard powder into a large bowl. Add cheeses, olives, sundried tomatoes, onion, parsley and thyme and mix well.

Whisk together edds, oil and buttermilk until well combined. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir together, forming a thick batter. Scrape dough into greased pan. Bake for 40 – 45 minutes or until a fine skewer inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean. When done, let loaf rest in pan for 5 minutes before letting cool on a wire rack. Serve with soft butter. Enjoy!

Tuna and Cannellini Bean Salad

Tags

beans, cannellini, dressing, food, healthy, olives, salad, tuna

Last week was spent in Charleston SC gorging on all varieties of Southern goodness, none of which are good for your waistline (more about these in future posts). Monday morning means getting back to the grind- laundry, dirty dishes, multiple appointments, and the gym. After all that sweating, I needed a hearty but low cal lunch. Two of the best tasting “health foods” are tuna and beans. Full of fiber, good fats, and plenty of nutrients, these two pack a serious punch without bloating you.

Tuna and Cannellini Bean Salad

• 1 can of water packed tuna, drained
• 1/2 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 12 kalamata olives, halved
• Salad greens
• 3 thin slices of a sweet onion, broken into rings

Creamy Stone-ground Mustard Dressing

• 2 tbsp stone ground mustard
• 2 tsp mayonnaise
• 2 tsp red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp honey
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Water (if you want a thinner dressing)

In a large bowl, place the washed salad greens. Top with the tuna, beans, olives, and onion rings. Whisk together dressing ingredients and spoon over salad. Serves 2 (I was a pig and ate the whole thing).

Olive and Onion Focaccia

Tags

baking, bread, Dinner, focaccia, Italian, olives, Supper, yeast

I love focaccia! You don’t have to use this exact recipe for the base but at least add the olives and onions to your favorite bread.

Olive and Onion Focaccia

• 1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 cup olives (I used black and purple)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion

Combine the warm water and the yeast. Allow to stand for about 5 minutes so the yeast can work. In a mixer bowl, combine flour and salt. With the mixer running on low speed with paddle attachment not the bread hook, drizzle in the 1/3 cup olive oil until combined with flour. Add the yeast water slowly while the mixer mixes. The combination will become sticky. In a greased bowl, place the bread ball and allow to sit for an hour or two, allowing the bread to rise.

Prepare the olives and onions. On a lightly floured surface, placed the dough and kneed in the olives and onions (blot them dry).

To make focaccia, blot olives with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Kneed into the dough but be careful not to overwork. Place on a cookie sheet and gently spread out like you would a pizza crust, though not as thin.  Allow to rise for another hour in a warm, draft free location.  Drizzle with more olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake on 400 degrees for 35 minutes or until golden brown.