Sunday, March 29, 2009

Mediterranean Chicken Packets

Remember foil packs? Hobo packs? You do if you were a Boy Scout or went camping growing up. The old fashioned version included ground beef, potatoes, onions and preferably little seasoning. If you cooked it in the campfire, you ended up with burned potatoes and raw meat in the middle. Ah....good times.

Leave it to Martha Stewart and her Everyday Food to update, flavorize and "health up" foil packs. This version includes classic Mediterranean ingredients and healthy chicken. They're a full meal on their own, but a little couscous or a green salad on the side wouldn't hurt.

Note: I am printing the original recipe, but I left the capers out. I don't care for them. And the packets took longer to cook that the 22 minutes listed.

Mediterranean Chicken Packets
Serves four.
From Martha Stewart's Everyday Food.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 ounces each)
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 can (14.5 ounces) dices tomatoes, drained
4 artichoke hearts (from a 14 ounce can), quartered
12 Kalamata olives, halved and pitted
4 teaspoons capers
1/2 cup crumbled feta (2 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place four 12 inch squares of parchment paper or foil on a work surface. Place a chicken breast on one half of each square, leaving a 2 inch border: season with salt and pepper.

Dividing evenly, top chicken with tomatoes, artichokes, olives, capers and feta. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and oil. Fold parchment over ingredients and crimp edges to seal.

Place packets on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until chicken is opaque throughout, 20 to 22 minutes. (Note: Mine took 35 minutes to get completely done.)

Food/Wine Pairing:
Do like the Mediterranean folks do and open a rosé with this one!

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