My fiance loves chicken. LOVES chicken. I think he could eat an entire one. Me? I’d probably be content never eating chicken again. He’s also very health-conscious and took my advice to exchange one of his meals each day with a salad and to add in a green juice. So every morning he drinks his green juice and for lunch he eats a raw salad and then he comes home and guess what he wants? You guessed it- chicken.
Trust me, there is enough stress in merging families and making a family a priority that I don’t need to be fighting the chicken requests. So we’ve roasted and grilled our way through hundreds of chicken recipes, some great, some not-so-great. But even the best ones didn’t really make me want to eat chicken again.
And then came this one. This braised chicken dish from The Longevity Kitchen is the stuff your tastebuds dream about. It’s so packed with flavor and home-goodness, we could finally as a family all agree: we love chicken.
My beliefs about animal proteins are that everyone is different and some of us need animal proteins to function and that is fine, but the quality and quantity is crucial. If you are not eating organic hormone-free chicken, you might as well go to McDonald’s.
This dish was so amazing, it was only a day or two later that I thought about making it again. You and your family will love this flavorful dish, which would also be perfect for a dinner party.
Yum! Enjoy.
Health Benefits
Organic Hormone-Free Chicken
Protein, selenium, vitamin B6, phosphorus, niacin
Activates cells, promotes metabolism, supports thyroid, repairs blood vessels
Artichokes
Potassium, magnesium, fiber, vitamin C, protein
Aid digestion, anti-cancer, supports liver, supports digestion, lowers cholosterol
Green Olives
Vitamin E, vitamin A, B vitamins, potassium, magnesium, iron, calcium
Antioxidant, heart-protective, improves memory, controls appetite
Chickpeas
Manganese, folate, fiber, protein, copper, iron
Supports digestive tract, antioxidants, decreases cardiovascular risks, regulates blood sugar
Braised Chicken with Artichokes and Olives
Serves 4
Ingredients:
8 organic boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
3 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tsp turmeric
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
generous pinch red pepper flakes
1 cinnamon stick or ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1 bay leaf
2 cups organic chicken broth
2 tsp grated lemon zest
3 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup chickpeas, drained, rinsed and mixed with a spritz of lemon juice and a pinch of salt
8 artichoke hearts, quartered
½ cup pitted green olives, such as picholine or manzanilla
2 tsp lemon zest
2 T chopped fresh mint or cilantro
Directions:
Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat the olvei oil in a Dutch oven or heavy soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, working in batches if needed, and cook until well browned on each side, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
Decrease the heat to medium. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and sauté until soft and slightly golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the turmeric, cumin, coriander, red pepper flakes, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf and cook stirring constantly, until fragrant- about 1 minute. Pour in ¼ cup broth to deglaze the pot, stirring to loosen any bits stuck to the pot. Stir in a pinch of sea salt and cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Stir in the remaining 1 ¾ cup broth, the lemon zest and 2 T of the lemon juice. Decrease the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the chicken, chickpeas, artichoke hearts and olives and stir gently to combine. Increase the heat to medium-high and simmer uncovered until the chicken is heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 T of lemon juice. Taste: you may want to add another spritz of lemon or a pinch of salt. Garnish with mint.
