Tuesday, January 1, 2013

An Old Favorite


Some foods just bring back memories, don't they? The recipe I am about to share always makes me think of high school and making dinners with my Mom every other Sunday night. Good times. Good food too!



Mediterranean-Style Chicken

Ingredients:

1 1/2 to 2 pounds meaty chicken pieces (breasts, thighs, and drumsticks), skinned
Nonstick cooking spray
1 (14.5 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes, cut up (use kitchen shears and cut the tomatoes while they are still in the can)
1/4 cup dry red wine or chicken broth (you can even do 1/4 cup chicken broth with 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons conrstarch
Hot cooked spaghetti
1/4 cup sliced pimiento-stuffed olives 

Directions:

Spray a 10-inch skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat over medium heat. Add chicken and brown for 10-15 minutes, turning to brown evenly.

Add undrained tomatoes, wine or broth, sugar, basil, garlic, and bay leaf. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 35 minutes or till chicken is tender. Remove chicken from skillet; keep warm.

In a small bowl stir together water and cornstarch. Stir into tomato mixture in skillet. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. 

Serve chicken and sauce over cooked spaghetti. Garnish with olives, if desired.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition information: 312 calories, 29 g protein, 29 g carbohydrate, 7 g fat, 76 mg cholesterol, 242 mg sodium, 518 mg potassium.

Source: This is from the Better Homes and Gardens New Dieter's Cook Book, published in 1992, ISBN 0-696-01974-4.

Notes: I made this one with my Mom a lot in high school. This is such a great, basic recipe to have on hand. I would highly suggest increasing the amount of green olives you use though...1/4 cup is just not enough in my opinion!

4 comments:

  1. Yum! I was always jealous of your dinners

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  2. Laurie, you are probably the only other one in our family who would have liked those dinners! We made all the things that no one else would eat...like fish, shrimp, things with olives and mushrooms, etc. Next time you come into town, you pick a dinner for me to make for you and I will do it!

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  3. That's so funny! I was thinking about that just the other day. Our Sunday nights when we would pick a movie that no one else would want to see and eat food that no one else would eat.

    And those Biography Magazine recipes were among the best! Mulligatawny Soup, Lamb Chops. Yum....

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