Andalusian Chicken: Quick Gourmet

Who else binge-watches old shows to feel nostalgic? I’m pretty guilty of that on days I just slouch around.

This time it was some ancient “French Chef” episodes. Admittedly I enjoyed Julia Child for her editorial comments. However, there’s plenty to learn in her shows even for experienced cooks.

The episode that featured this delicious recipe hailed from the 1970s.  It’s title was something about “working guys and gals.” It was in that era that women were actively back in the job market. And lest we forget that plenty of men live alone and have to eat too, she featured two recipes that can be made in a jiff and were tasty and gourmet to boot.

Updated For Today

Back in the 70s, there weren’t the myriad of products that are available today.

When it came to tomatoes, you had fresh, of course, but canned was only whole plum or crushed. When she demonstrated this, Child used fresh tomatoes. She skinned them and seeded them then made concasse. You don’t have to bother with that now as you can buy many varieties of diced tomatoes. Here I used a can of petit diced. The fire-roasted variety would add even more flavor, but I didn’t have any in the pantry so I used what I had–my mantra.

She also boned and skinned her own chicken breasts. With boneless skinless breasts on sale so much, you don’t have to bother with that either.

As for shallots, surprise, I had some. Julia Child always recommends green onions/scallions as a substitute. If you have neither, use onion. It works.

Tarragon

I love the flavor of tarragon with chicken. I used the stuff in the jar because even though I grow it, my hydroponic garden where it was growing petered out.

A great substitute for the tarragon would be basil–either fresh or from the jar. It goes well with chicken and with tomatoes, it’s a natural. Oregano or Italian seasoning are great substitutes as well.

The Recipe

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Andalusian Chicken

Gourmet chicken in a dash

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: French

Keyword: chicken with tomatoes, french chicken recipes, quick gourmet chicken dinners in one skillet

Servings: 4

Calories: 308kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 4 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 tbs butter
• 1 tsp oil

Sauce:

• 2 tbs finely chopped onions or shallots
• 15 oz can petit diced tomatoes drained
• 1/4 cup dry white vermouth or dry white wine
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 1/4 cup heavy cream or creme fraiche
• 1/2 tsp tarragon
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Pound chicken breast with a meat mallet between 2 sheets of plastic wrap so they are an even thickness--about 1/2-inch/1.25-cm. With smaller or thinly sliced breasts this may not be necessary.
• Heat the oil and the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge the chicken in the flour then brown on both sides in the hot skillet. This will depend on the size of the chicken breast but about 4-5 minutes each side would be a good estimate. Don't overcook!
• Remove the chicken to a plate and cover to keep warm.
• Add the onion/shallot to the hot skillet in which you browned the chicken. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Add the remaining sauce ingredients. Stir this well and cook over medium-high heat until the sauce is reduced about 50 percent. It should be thick enough to coat a spoon.
• Add chicken back to pan to heat through.

Notes

Chicken stock can replace the vermouth/wine

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 308kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 101mg | Sodium: 906mg | Potassium: 795mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 580IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Andalusian Chicken appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

This succulent chicken in a rich creamy spinach alfredo sauce is actually an easy one-skillet dinner!

I love a good skillet dinner! This recipe sure fills that bill with flying colors!

Chicken is one of my most favorite things to eat. I’ve always loved it and prefer it to even a good steak. Many times I get curious looks when I say that, but what can I say? I love the stuff and always have.

Last week, I made a nice vegetarian meal, Creamy Spinach & Tomato Tortellini and I thought that sauce, with some slight variations, would also go well with chicken. So I decided to give it a try.

The alterations I made to the original sauce was I used Italian flavored diced tomatoes in place of fire roasted so I’d get a more “herby” flavor. I did add additional basil and a pinch of oregano because the tomatoes were a bit too mildly flavored for my taste. I suggest you taste a bit of the juice before adding any additional herbs. If they are OK to your taste, then omit the additional herbs.

I also added more grated cheese and I used Romano for a bolder flavor. However, you can use Parmesan if you prefer that taste or have it on hand–most people do. I also substituted some of the milk with the chicken stock that formed when I cooked the chicken.

Here, I used thighs and drumsticks. But this recipe works well with boneless skinless breasts too. Again, use whatever you prefer and/or have on hand.

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Spinach Alfredo Chicken

This succulent chicken in a rich creamy spinach alfredo sauce is actually an easy one-skillet dinner!

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time50 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course: Chicken, skillet dinners

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken Alfredo, spinach

Servings: 4

Calories: 650kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 2 lbs chicken parts see NOTES
• 2 tbsp olive oil divided
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 14.5 oz can Italian flavored diced tomatoes, undreained
• 2 cups frozen chopped spinach thawed and drained (see NOTES)
• 1/2 tsp basil
• Pinch of oregano
• 1/2 cup grated Romano Cheese
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup reserved chicken stock -OR- equivalent amount of a good commercial stock see NOTES
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3 tbsp flour

Instructions

• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; add 1 tablespoon of the oil.
• Brown chicken well on both sides; drain any fat from the pan.
• Reduce heat, cover and cook chicken for 30-40 minutes, or until juices run clear or internal temperature reaches 170 degrees F.
• Remove cooked chicken and cover to keep warm while you make the sauce.
• Drain accumulated stock and reserve 1/2 cup for the sauce. You may store the remainder in a covered container in the fridge for future use. Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel.
• Heat the same skillet over medium heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of the oil.
• Saute the onion and garlic for about 3 minutes or until it becomes fragrant.
• Add the undrained tomatoes, the 1/2 cup of stock and the drained spinach. Stir to combine.
• Mix the flour with the 3/4 cups of milk, blending so there are no lumps.
• Add the milk/flour mixture to the pan, stirring until it becomes thick and begins to bubble.
• Add the cream, stirring to blend.
• Add the cheese and stir to combine. Add the chicken back to the pan and cook for 5-10 minutes.
• Nice with pasta.

Notes

Chicken--I used 4 thighs and 4 drumsticks to serve 4 (1 thigh & 1 drummie per serving). If you use boneless skinless breast, use 4 larger breast halves (about 8 oz each)

Spinach--You can substitute 2 cups of fresh regular or baby spinach for the frozen. Baby can be used whole. If using regular spinach, coarsely chop it.

Stock--I ended up with about 1/2 cup of chicken stock after I cooked the chicken. If you're using boneless skinless breast, you won't get a very flavorful stock, so it would be best to use the store-bought kind.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 650kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 47g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 175mg | Sodium: 401mg | Potassium: 894mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 10059IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 356mg | Iron: 4mg

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