Chicken with lima beans and artichoke hearts in Avgolemono (Egg and Lemon Sauce).

I make this dish quite often in the winter.  Originally, this dish is made with fava beans or broad beans.  I haven't been able to find either at the super market, but I also can not acquire a taste for fava beans.  From what I recall, when my mother used to make this dish, I just couldn't eat the beans.  I ate the artichokes but not the beans.  Probably because my mother didn't like them that much either. Therefore,  she wouldn't make this dish too often.

As I was experimenting one day to make something with chicken, I wanted to give the lima beans a try.  (Honestly, when I first tried this dish years ago, I thought that the fava beans were lima beans :) what can I say I was young and didn't know much about cooking).  So I came up with this recipe.  Lima beans with chicken and artichoke hearts in avgolemono (egg and lemon sauce).  I have been making this dish ever since, and when I'm short on time and forget to defrost the chicken breasts, I will also make it without the chicken.  It's a nice vegetarian version if you are not too strict of a vegetarian since there is egg in the sauce.  Both ways, with the chicken or without, the dish is delicious, and it's also gluten free.  Enjoy!

Ingredients (Makes 6 servings-appr. 12oz ea.)

1 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast cubed

¼ cup olive oil

½ cup chopped onion

1 tsp. chopped garlic

1 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. dill

¾ tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

2 cups chicken stock

12 oz. frozen baby lima beans

12 oz. frozen artichoke hearts

Avgolemono - Egg and lemon sauce:

1 egg

½ cup lemon juice

Directions:

In a Dutch oven, pour the olive oil and sauté the chicken with the onions and garlic.  Add the dill and thyme.  Let the chicken sauté until there is no pink showing.  Add the lima beans and artichokes along with the chicken stock.  Add the salt and pepper.  Lower the heat and let it cook for about an hour, until the beans, artichokes and chicken pieces are tender.  Remove from heat and let it cool before making the avgolemono (egg and lemon sauce). 

Avgolemono (egg and lemon sauce)

1 egg

½ cup lemon juice

Separate the egg yolk from the egg white.  Place the egg white in a bowl.  Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon, about ½ cup.  Beat the egg white till frothy.  Add the egg yolk and continue beating.  Add the lemon juice while still beating and slowly pour the mixture over the lima beans and chicken.  Stir, so the egg and lemon sauce will distribute evenly.  Serve.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 serving (306.8 g)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 319

Calories from Fat 117

Total Fat 13.0g

Saturated Fat 1.8g

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 92mg

Sodium 703mg

Potassium 783mg

Total Carbohydrates 19.3g

Dietary Fiber 6.2g

Sugars 2.3g

Protein 32.9g

Gluten Free Meatloaf with Middle Eastern Spices

My daughter found out that she is allergic to gluten.  Therefore, when I decided to make this meatloaf, I had to use gluten free breadcrumbs.  I used Udi's gluten free whole grain bread that I crushed in the food processor.  You can substitute regular breadcrumbs for this recipe, or any other type gluten free breadcrumbs.  I have tried it both ways and either way comes out delicious.  I served this with Sweet potato mash with paprika and chill powder  (recipe below).  Enjoy!

Makes 8 servings (approximately 4.5 oz each)

1 1/2 lbs ground turkey

2 oz Udi's bread (crushed in a food processor)

3/4 cup chopped parsley

1 cup shredded onion

2 tsp. crushed garlic

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. thyme

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. turmeric

1/2 cup olive oil

Peel and wash the onion. Place it in a food processor and pulse until shredded. Set aside. Clean the garlic and crush with a garlic press. Set aside. Wash and chop the parsley. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degree F.

In a blow mix together the ground turkey, the shredded onion, crushed garlic, chopped parsley, the bread crumbs, paprika, cumin, thyme, turmeric, salt and pepper. Mix well. In an ovenproof pan place the meatloaf mixture and pour over the 1/2 cup olive oil. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 2 hours.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 serving (128.2 g)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 343

Calories from Fat 221

Total Fat 24.6g

Saturated Fat 4.7g

Cholesterol 87mg

Sodium 287mg

Total Carbohydrates 5.7g

Dietary Fiber 0.8g

Sugars 1.2g

Protein 24.4g

Lamb and Chicken Kabobs

Last Sunday was Father's day and my daughter's birthday.  For the occasion I decided to make lamb and chicken kabobs.  Lamb and chicken kabobs are very traditional dishes in Greece.  Souvlatzidiko or shish kabob place, as they are called in Greece, are in almost every corner of the cities and towns over there.

Every year, when we'd go back to visit, the shish kabob place was the first place we'd visit as soon as we'd set our foot there.  I always told my mother not to bother to cook for us, the day we arrived, because we'd get shish kabob or gyro for dinner.  The shish kabobs and gyros in Greece are served on a hot pita bread, and smothered with onions, tomatoes, tzatziki sauce, a mixture of spices like thyme, oregano, salt and pepper, all rolled together and wrapped up half way in aluminum foil, so that you can eat it as a sandwich.  The shish kabobs and gyros are also served with french fries.  And their fries are to die for.  I haven't been able to recreate the flavor of the fries over here to taste the same as over there.  I'm trying though.  Yesterday, we attended our OPA Fest at our Greek Church, and this is what I have always forgotten to do: sprinkle the french fries with - a mixture of oregano, thyme, and salt and pepper.  I will have to remember that, the next time I make them.

In the meantime, I have mastered the taste of shish kabob.  Here are the recipes for both chicken and lamb kabobs. The ingredients are pretty much the same, depending on the amount of meat you use. The portions are quite large.  Don't let the calories scare you away from making it.  And besides, you are not eating chicken or lamb kabobs every day.  

Lamb Kabobs

Makes ten 12” skewers. Approximately 8 oz each

4.5 lbs boneless leg of lamb cut up into 2” cubes

¼ cup lemon juice

½ cup olive oil

2 tsp thyme

2 tsp oregano

1 tsp fresh crushed garlic

1 tsp ground pepper

½ tsp salt

Wash and pat dry the lamb. Remove any excess fat. Cut it up into 2” cubes and place in a large bowl or large pan. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, thyme, oregano, the crushed garlic and salt and pepper. Mix it all together till all the pieces are coated with the lemon/olive oil marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a couple of hours.

With the marinade

When ready to grill, skewer them into 12” inch skewers.

Skewered - before they go on the grill 

Heat the BBQ grill to as hot as it will get. Place the skewered kabobs on the hot grill. Grill for about 20 minutes, turning occasionally so that they won’t burn. You don’t want to overcook them as the meat will continue cooking while resting. Serve. Enjoy.

Ready from the grill

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 serving (222.3 g)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 479
Calories from Fat 232
Total Fat 25.8g
Saturated Fat 6.9g
Cholesterol 184mg
Sodium 272mg
Total Carbohydrates 1.1g
Dietary Fiber 0.3g
Sugars 0.2g
Protein 57.4g

Chicken Kabobs                              

Makes eight 12” skewers approximately 9 oz each

4 lbs chicken breasts cut into 2” cubes

¼ cup lemon juice or the juice of one lemon

½ cup olive oil

1 tsp fresh crushed garlic

2 tsp thyme

1 tsp fresh oregano*

½ tsp salt

Wash, clean, and pat dry the chicken breasts.  Cut them into 2” cubes and place them in a bowl or a large pan.  Add the lemon juice, olive oil, the crushed garlic, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper.  Mix them all together, till they are all coated with the marinade.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a couple or hours.

Marinaded chicken 

When ready to grill, skewer them on a 12” skewer. 

Skewered chicken

Heat the grill.  Place the skewered chicken kabobs on the hot grill and grill for 20 minutes turning occasionally so that they won’t burn.  When ready remove from heat and let them stand for a few minutes before serving.  The meat, as with any meat will continue cooking even when removed from heat.  Serve.  Enjoy.

 Hot off the grill

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 8.805 oz (249.6g)

Amount Per Serving

Calories                                                           498

Calories from Fat                                            195

Total Fat                                                          21.7g

Saturated Fat                                                  4.2g

Cholesterol                                                      193mg

Sodium                                                            316mg

Total Carbohydrates                                       1.4g

Dietary Fiber                                                   0.4g

Sugars                                                             0.2g

Protein                                                             70.5g

* For the chicken kabobs I used fresh oregano right out of my husband's garden, chopped fine.  But you can use dry oregano.  It will work just fine.

Roasted Chicken with Potatoes in the oven

Thyme and oregano grows abundant in Greece.  Therefore, it’s very characteristic that these two herbs are used so often in Greek dishes.  If you are ever in Greece and take a walk in the country, outside of the city, you will smell the pine trees but also the thyme and the oregano.  You just won’t get enough of that fragrant smell.  And if you cut a small branch of either oregano or thyme and rub it between your fingers, the aroma will linger till you decide to wash your hands.

 

My mother used to make this dish almost every Sunday, while I was growing up.  I used to love this dish and still do.  The lemon juice and the olive oil make the chicken crispy golden on the outside and juicy inside.  The potatoes turn golden brown and crispy outside but soft and tender inside.  The oregano and thyme just give this dish an altogether different flavor, so delicious that you end up licking your fingers when you are done eating the chicken wings, as I used to and still do.  Nobody can have the chicken wings from this dish.

Enjoy!!!

Roasted Chicken with Potatoes in the oven

12x9 pan (pan measures inside the rim)

Four (4-6) Servings

4 cups potatoes quartered (approximately 6 medium size potatoes)

1 whole chicken (about 3.5lbs)

¼ cup lemon juice (juice of one lemon approximately)

½ tsp oregano

½ tsp thyme

½ tsp ground pepper

½ tsp salt

½ cup olive oil

½ cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Rinse and wash chicken well inside and out.  Set aside.  Peel, wash and quarter the potatoes.  Set the chicken in the middle of an ovenproof pan.  Spread the potatoes around the chicken.  Sprinkle the chicken and the potatoes with the oregano, thyme, pepper and salt.  Drizzle with the olive oil.  Add the water in the pan. 

 The dish before it goes in the oven 

Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 2 hours approximately, or till the chicken is crispy golden and clear juices run out when tested with the fork; the potatoes should be crispy on the outside but soft inside.  Test with a fork for doneness.  

                                          

The dish when it comes out of the oven

It makes a great Sunday meal!!!

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size                             1 serving 14.318oz (405.9g) 

                                              (these calories per serving are approximate for four (4) servings).

Amount Per Serving

            Calories                       620

Calories from Fat                      233

Total Fat                                   25.9g               40%

Saturated Fat                             4.7g                23%

Cholesterol                             198mg                66%

Sodium                                  363mg                15%

Total Carbohydrates                 16.8g                  6%

Dietary Fiber                             2.6g                 10%

Sugars                                     1.4g

Protein                                     76.3g