Artichoke Chicken

If you like balsamic vinegar and artichokes, you will love this recipe! It is a quick recipe to throw together and goes over great with company.

Artichoke Chicken
Recipe adapted from The South Beach Diet Cookbook.

4 tbs extra virgin olive oil
4 boneless. skinless chicken breast halves, pounded to 1/2" thickness
1 bag (16 oz) frozen small whole onions (I have also used fresh pearl onions)
1 can (14 oz) chicken broth
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
1 package (10 oz) frozen artichoke hearts (I use canned artichoke hearts)

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 10 minutes, turning once, or until browned on both sides. Carefully remove the chicken to a large bowl.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in the skillet. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Return the chicken to the pan and add the chicken broth and vinegar, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the artichoke hearts and cook for 10 minutes, or until the artichoke hearts are tender and a thermometer inserted in the thickest portion of a chicken breast registers 170F and the juices run clear.

Artichoke Risotto

I found this recipe on one of my friends food blogs (dirtylittleelcaminolover.blogspot.com). It looked delicious and I just had to try it out. Bubba loves artichokes and I knew it would be a hit with him. It calls for vermouth and I don't usually have it on hand. I substituted it with white wine and it turned out great. I don't know what vermouth is supposed to taste like, but I liked it very much without it. This recipe does take a little bit of time, but it is worth it! Enjoy!

Artichoke Risotto

Ingredients:

• 2 tbs olive oil
• 2 cans canned artichokes
• 5 cups homemade light chicken or vegetable stock (I used canned)
• 1/3 cup butter
• 2 leeks thinly sliced, white parts only
• 1 1/2 cups aborio rice
• 1/2 cup dry vermouth
• 3 tbs chopped mint
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tbs chopped garlic chives (optional)

Directions:

Cut your canned artichokes into thin, vertical slices.

Heat the stock in a saucepan, cover, and keep at a low simmer. Heat the oil and 2 tbs of the butter over a low heat in a large, heavy based, non-aluminum pan that is wider than it is tall. Fry the leek without browning for 3-4 minutes.

Add the artichokes to the pan. Cook, stirring for 1 minute.

Add 1 cup of stock to the pan, cover, and simmer gently for 10 minutes or until almost all the stock has evaporated. Stir in the rice and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the vermouth and cook until it has been absorbed. Add a ladleful of hot stock and stir constantly over medium heat until all the liquid is absorbed.

Continue adding more liquid, one ladleful at a time, until almost all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender and creamy. This will take 20-25 minutes (for me this took about 45 minutes). If the stock runs out, use boiling water.

Remove the pan from the heat. Add the remaining butter, the mint, and Parmesan, and stir until the butter has melted. Set aside 1 minute before serving topped with the garlic chives, if desired.