Skillet Balsamic Chicken With Fresh Figs

 Lightly adapted from a recipe found on Olive & Mango.

This Skillet Balsamic Chicken & Figs recipe is a wonderful one pan dish to serve in late summer when fresh figs are in season. It’s fancy enough to serve to guests but also easy enough to make for weeknight dinner. Chicken is pan-seared in a skillet then braised in the oven with a fresh fig sauce. Fresh figs are added as a finishing touch and provide a sweet, delicious, seasonal accompaniment to the chicken, all garnished with savory fresh thyme! The sauce is seriously drinkable and perfect over rice or feel free and enjoy with crusty bread right from the skillet.

Ingredients:

• 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• salt & pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 shallots, peeled and finely sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 heaping tbsp fresh thyme leaves off the stem
• 1/2 - 1 tsp crushed Aleppo pepper 
• 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 8 fresh figs - halved
• 1/2 lemon - juiced - ~2 tbsp

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350˚F. While the oven is heating up, prep the garlic, onion, thyme and figs.

Season the chicken both sides with salt & pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chicken skin side down and brown on both sides, approx 3-4 min per side. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

Add butter to skillet and then add the shallots. Season with salt and pepper and cook stirring often until softened, approx 3-4 min.

Add garlic, thyme, and Aleppo, stir for 30 seconds until fragrant. Then stir in the balsamic vinegar, chicken stock, wine and mustard. Cook 1 minute until it starts to simmer.

Place chicken back into skillet and add the figs to pan as well. Transfer to oven and cook for 15- 20 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked through. Feel free to broil for the last minute or so for more color on the chicken.

Remove from oven carefully, squeeze over the lemon juice and serve with your favorite sides.

Blessed be… and happy cooking!

Coq Au Vin Blanc by Chef Michael R

 Adapted from a recipe found on Olive & Mango.

This recipe bucks the tradition of a rather lengthy process in making any classic Coq Au Vin. The reality is that sometimes we just don't have four hours or more to prepare one of the traditional versions of the dish. 

This recipe, though, is full of the right flavors and textures and will absolutely delight any foodie flavor palette. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 4-6 chicken thighs - bone-in & skin on 
• salt & pepper to taste
•  Wondra flour as needed to coat chicken
• olive oil as needed
• 4-5 slices center cut bacon - cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 4 small shallots or one large onion - chopped
• 3-4 cloves of garlic - chopped
• 8 ounces sliced baby portobello
• 2 small carrots peeled and sliced thin for easier cooking
• 2 small celery stalks - sliced
• 1.5 cups white wine - your call... I like Pinot Grigio
• 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• fresh parsley for garnish

Preparation:

Start with prepping all ingredients as there are quite a few of them and they will be used in fairly quick succession once the cook begins.

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Lightly coat both sides with Wondra flour and set aside.

Heat a large skillet or large Dutch oven with a touch of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until almost crisp, 2 to 3 min. Feel free to drain off some of rendered bacon fat BUT ensure there are at least 2 tbsp left in the pan to sauté the veggies and brown the chicken. Add olive oil if needed.

Add mushrooms, celery, carrots, garlic and onion/shallots and continue cooking, stirring often, until bacon is crisp and mushrooms are browned... about 10 min.

Remove the vegetables and bacon and set aside, covered. Then add chicken, skin side down, to the Dutch oven and cook until deeply golden, about 4-5 min per side.

Once chicken is done searing, add the wine, thyme and rosemary. Return veggies to the pot in between the thighs... then blend everything so that the veggies are evenly dispersed around the chicken.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until chicken is cooked through and mixture has reduced and is saucy, 15 to 20 min.

Transfer chicken to a covered serving platter before adding the cream. Blend veggies with the cream and simmer until mixture is slightly thickened, about 3-5 min. Add a sprinkle of Wondra for your preferred consistency if needed.

Pour vegetables and sauce mostly around the chicken when serving to retain most of the skin crisp and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve with pearl barley cooked in chicken stock or a whole grain wild rice along with a green vegetable.

Blessed be… and happy cooking!

Sloppy Janes

Full credit for these delicious beauties goes to the ADA's Diabetic Food Hub.

Sloppy Joes get a makeover with lean ground turkey instead of beef, plus plenty of zing from garlic, onions, peppers, tomatoes and hot sauce.

Make them... Enjoy them... No guilt involved!

Ingredients:

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 medium onion - diced
• 1 medium red bell pepper - seeded and diced
• 1 clove garlic - minced
• 1 lb lean ground turkey or ground chicken breast (better for heart patients)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp Dijon Mustard
• 1 tbsp hot sauce - use your favorite
• 2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
• 1 tbsp honey or 2 packets artificial sweetener
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 8 whole wheat hamburger buns

 Preparation:

Add cooking spray to a nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat.

Add onion, red bell pepper and garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add ground meat of choice and sauté 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently until meat is just cooked through.

Add tomato paste, Dijon mustard, hot sauce, tomatoes, honey and ground black pepper. Bring to a simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Toast the hamburger buns. Fill each bun with 1/2 cup of the  mixture to make 8 sandwiches. Optional: top each sandwich with lettuce, red onion, or pickles for crunch.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Mediterranean Chicken Bowl

Adapted from a recipe found on happydiabetic.com

This lovely creation is yet another way to use my Homemade Chicken Breast Cold Cuts or, for a different texture, my Versatile Shredded Chicken Breast . Either way this meal is bound to delight everyone around the table. Enjoy!

• Ingredients:
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 large white button mushrooms - sliced
• half each red and yellow bell pepper - sliced to 1.5" long sticks
• 1 average tomato diced
• ½ red onion sliced or diced - your call
• 1/3 cup vegetable stock
• 4-5 oz of cut up asparagus - 1.5" pieces
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp rosemary
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 tbsp fresh garlic
• 8 ounce skinless precooked chicken - sliced or shredded
• 14 black olives - pitted and cut in half lengthwise
• 15 oz can cannellini beans - drained
• fresh ground black pepper to taste - 4-5 twists 
• sea/kosher salt to taste
• 1 fresh lime - quartered for table serve

Preparation:

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, bell peppers, onions and asparagus and sauté for 5 minutes.

Add the cooked chicken and fresh garlic.

Lower heat, add vegetable stock, oregano, rosemary, and basil. Carefully fold in the diced tomatoes, beans and olives.  

Simmer for about 5 minutes with an occasional toss. Cook over low heat until chicken is nice and hot. Season with fresh ground black pepper and some sea/kosher salt to taste and add a generous squeeze of lime.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!