Spanish Chicken and Potato Stew

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Olives are more than the touch of green on a Martini glass.

Just as those tangy morsels to perk up your favorite cocktail, you can bring piquant flavor and meaty texture to many dishes by including a few olives.

Thanks to adventurous food lovers, the fruit is more accessible for smaller households and is available in greater variety. Look for an olive bar in your local supermarket, a convenience that allows you to purchase just enough olives for one meal.

Here are some types of olives you'll find useful when cooking for two. For most recipes you need only a quarter-cup of olives.

Kalamata:

A ripe, brown, piquant olive that's delicious in tomato-based stews, pasta sauce or pasta salad. You can also finely chop kalamata olives and use as a topping for grilled bread.

Nicoise:

Black, wrinkled and sweet tasting. Salad Nicoise is the obvious dish for highlighting this olive, but it's also a great addition to a Caesar salad.

Gordal: A fat, large, green, zesty-tasting olive from Spain. It's often sold flavored with herbs, spices and garlic. This is great as an appetizer before dinner and just as delightful as an ingredient in a stew.

Take inspiration from the gordal olive and try the following recipe for Spanish Chicken and Potato Stew. If you can't find the imported olive, substitute domestic green olives -- from an olive bar, not a jar -- to maintain the fruit's firm texture.

 

Spanish Chicken and Potato Stew

Makes 2 servings

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 45 minutes

 

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and thinly sliced

1 large or 2 small boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut in bite-size chunks

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup dry sherry or dry white wine

1/4 cup pitted and sliced green olives

1/2 cup chicken broth

3 small red potatoes, cut into bite-size pieces

Salt, optional

 

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, onion and bell pepper.

Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, or until vegetables are partially tender. Remove vegetables.

Dust chicken with paprika and pepper. Add chicken to skillet. Brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side.

Pour in sherry. Scrape up browned bits in skillet. Add olives and broth; bring to a simmer.

Add potatoes and cooked vegetables. Cover skillet. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.

Taste and season with salt, if desired.

 

Each serving has: 400 calories; 13 grams total fat; 35 grams protein; 13 grams carbohydrates; 88 milligrams cholesterol; 644 milligrams sodium and 2.5 grams dietary fiber.

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Spanish Chicken and Potato Stew - Bev Bennett Recipes

(c) 2010 Bev Bennett Recipes