Chicken with peppers and olives. Photo by Lindsey Nair.

It felt so good to put fresh food in the refrigerator this weekend, and to have the time (and electricity) to test out a new recipe after last week’s post-storm fiasco.

I found this Good Housekeeping recipe on Delish.com and something about it appealed to me right away. When I was a little kid, I loved black olives so much. I remember pushing one onto the tip of each finger, then waving my hands around like a tree frog before eating each olive off. But I could never be persuaded to eat a green olive – blech! So bitter and strong.

Of course, I grew out of that hatred of green olives and now I love them. When I saw this recipe, I figured the sweet peppers would marry beautifully with the briny olives and savory chicken. I was also fascinated by the fact that this dish is served over bread cubes sauteed in olive oil and garlic, which seemed like a nice change from pasta or rice.

Howard didn’t like this dish as much as I did, but that’s because he is not a bread lover and thought it needed a bit more juice. I would agree with him on the second point – next time I make this, I’ll probably double the sherry and water to create a bit more juice to drizzle over the plate.

Still, the flavor was just as wonderful as I expected. I used more like 1/3 cup of olives instead of 1/4, and I think the dish deserved every bit of them. I do not recommend substituting chicken breast meat for the thighs. I think breast meat would be too dry. If you want to see the Delish page where I found this recipe, here is the link. It includes 11 other recipes for chicken thighs. I might try the spice-rubbed thighs or the chicken yakitori sometime, too.

Do you make any dishes that call for an unusual use of bread, such as a panzanella salad?  I would also love to hear what you made this weekend, if you were able to enjoy a little kitchen time again.

To see the recipe, click “Read more.”

Chicken with Peppers and Olives

I used a mandolin to slice the peppers very thinly. Also, instead of shallots, I threw some thinly sliced sweet onions in with the peppers.

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced (more or less, to taste)
4 cups 1-inch cubed Italian bread
1 pound(s) skinless, boneless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch chunks
Salt
Pepper
3 medium (6- to 8-ounce) peppers, preferably red, yellow, and orange, very thinly sliced
1 medium shallot, chopped (I used some sweet onion because I didn’t feel like buying shallots)
3 tablespoons dry sherry (I will double next time)
2 tablespoons water (I will double next time)
1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (I will double next time)
1/4 cups pitted green olives, slivered (I used 1/3 cup because I love olives)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

1. In 12-inch skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil and half of garlic on medium until garlic begins to sizzle. Add bread and stir until well coated. Cook 5 to 6 minutes or until golden brown and crisp, stirring occasionally. Transfer to large platter.

2. Wipe out same skillet and add remaining tablespoon oil; heat on medium-high until hot. Add chicken and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Cook 3 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Transfer to medium bowl.

3. Reduce heat to medium and add peppers. Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until peppers are just beginning to soften. Add shallots and remaining garlic; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in sherry and water, scraping up any browned bits. Cook 3 to 4 minutes longer or until peppers are very soft. Return chicken to skillet along with any juices. Cook 4 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink inside, stirring occasionally.

4. Remove skillet from heat and stir in lemon juice, olives, parsley, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Pour chicken mixture over croutons. Serve immediately.