Chicken with olives; balsamic pork loin
Chicken with olives. Photo by Lindsey Nair.
I usually decide what to make for supper on Sundays by peering into the freezer on Saturday afternoon. This weekend, I spied three large boneless, skinless chicken breasts that needed an escape from the arctic clime, so I sent them on a trip to the oven.
At first, I had no idea what I wanted to do with the chicken breasts, so I started poking around on The Pioneer Woman website. That’s where I found this recipe for Chicken with Olives, and I happened to have every ingredient on hand except the bell peppers. The bell peppers were on sale at Kroger, so that was convenient.
Bell peppers, onions, garlic, tomatoes and olives give this meal a distinct flavor that is reminiscent of pizza with fresh toppings. It also reminded me very much of a meal I made in July, Chicken with Peppers and Olives. The main difference is that last night’s dish is served over noodles and July’s dish is served over toasted bread cubes.
If I make this dish again, I’ll use chicken thighs. They brown up nicer than boneless breasts, but at least the breasts turned out tender and I cleared them out of the freezer.
Tonight’s dinner will be pork tenderloin studded with garlic cloves and soaked in balsamic vinegar, olive oil, steak seasoning, fresh rosemary and fresh thyme. It’s sitting in the marinade in the ‘fridge as I write this. I’ll share both recipes below.
Did you cook anything great or eat out somewhere this weekend? How was it?
Chicken with Olives
Adapted from thepioneerwoman.com.
4 Tbsp. butter
4 Tbsp. olive oil
6 pieces chicken with skin
1 whole medium onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 whole green bell peppers (I used yellow and red), seeded and chopped into large pieces
1 (28-oz.) can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 cup white wine (or low-sodium chicken broth)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole green olives
Cooked pasta
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large ovenproof skillet, melt butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and brown on both sides. Remove chicken to a clean plate.
3. Reduce heat to medium. Add onions, garlic, and peppers to the pan. Stir and cook for a couple of minutes. Add tomatoes and cook for a minute or two. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in wine and stir. Add chicken pieces back to pan, cover with lid, and place into the oven for 45 minutes (I pounded out boneless breasts, so they only took 25 minutes).
4. Remove pan from oven and remove lid. Add whole green olives and heavy cream. Return to the oven for 15 to 20 minutes to thicken the sauce. Remove from oven and keep lid on until ready to serve.
5. Serve hot over pasta.
Balsamic Pork Tenderloin
Serves 4
1 (2 lb.) boneless pork tenderloin
4 cloves garlic, each cut in half
3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 Tbsp. steak seasoning
2 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped
1. Using a paring knife, make slits in the roast and shove each half-piece of garlic inside.
2. Place tenderloin inside a large gallon-sized zipper lock bag. Mix together remaining ingredients and pour over pork. Seal tightly and squish around to distribute marinade.
3. Marinade in the refrigerator overnight. Cook on the grill or roast in the oven until pork reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees in the thickest part. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
March 4, 2013 - 3:51 PM
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I got one step closer to making the pizza crust that lives in my dreams. I used a regular unbleached AP flour, added a few teaspoons of vital wheat gluten, and let the sponge work for a bit before adding all the flour. The result was light and springy, with a good chew, but still substantial enough to hold the five pounds of toppings I load onto it.
This is my idea of a productive weekend.
Indeed! Sounds good.
We also had dinner at Souvlaki on Friday night and at Sal’s in Bonsack on Saturday night. Both great.
Big fan of the pioneer woman! Great recipes.
Do yourself a favor and make her CHICKEN SPAGHETTI. I make some to freeze in individual meal containers for lunches and quick dinners.
Where is Souvlaki, Lindsay?
Can’t beat Sal’s. I only wish they’d brought the Eggplant Sorrentino from Mama Maria’s with them. I hate having to drive over to the remote edges of the Sovereign Republic of Salem for the dish when Sal’s is five minutes from my place.
I’ve made a few recipes off PW’s site. Sometimes I tinker with the butter/cream content, but they always go over well around here.
Salemite, Souvlaki is at 201 College Avenue in Blacksburg, sort of across the street from the Lyric Theatre.They serve great Greek food.
Jeff, have you asked the folks at Sal’s if they’ll add eggplant Sorrentino to the menu or at least have it as a special one night? They seem extremely accommodating.
Kristen, I’ve generally had success with PW’s recipes as well. You’re right, she does use a lot of unhealthy ingredients though. If you are feeling like saying to heck with healthy one day, try her cheesy olive bread. It is TO DIE FOR. Here’s the link: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/olive_cheese_br/
On Saturday night, I made chicken & dumplings for my son and I. I think I finally got my dumplings right: 1 cup Southern Biscuit self-rising flour, 1 TBLSP butter, 1/2 cup of milk, dash of salt. They were very tender and puffy, just the way I like them.
On Sunday morning, my son and I experimented with something I have seen on Pinterest: we put canned cinnamon rolls in the waffle iron and cooked them. The result was great! Slightly crisp on the outside, but soft and chewy inside. We just used the frosting that came with the cinnamon rolls and served with some strawberries and pineapple.
The only downside to this weekend was that we could not share our treats with my husband, as he was laid up with a stomach bug!
Lindsey, I made her lemon pasta recipe a couple of times. I think it calls for cream or sour cream, but I’ve started using plain greek yogurt to replace so many dairy ingrediants…also I tossed in some warm white wine to loosen it up a little. It was a huge hit in my house, and I’ve added spinach for some veggie punch.
That bread looks banging. Something to enjoy baking before summer hits! She cracks me up with her “please don’t hurl if you don’t like mayonnaise’ because my first thought was…ugh,mayonnaise. Would make for a decent superbowl snack.
I’ve served it at parties before and it disappears in a flash.
You know this, I’m sure, but for the benefit of others I’ll mention that when she says “French bread” she is not talking about a baguette. A baguette would be too skinny. The bread I’ve used is actually marked “Italian” bread.
My MIL makes a bread similar to PW’s olive cheese bread. It’s minced onions, mayo, Worcestshire, and a mix of shredded parmesan and cheddar cheese. I like to sautee the onions until golden to soften their flavor, but I think the original recipe uses raw onions. You spread the mixture on a loaf of sourdough that has been cut in half and bake until golden. It’s a big hit with our friends!
Update: That pork loin was a little boring. It would have been better grilled than roasted. I’m turning it into Cuban sandwiches.