Who is looking for a healthy and easy one skillet dish?  This Mediterranean Chicken is something I can do after a day at work and feel like I have something extra tasty on the table in no time.  It’s a low fat Mediterranean style dish with lots of flavor from natural healthy ingredients.

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Here’s what I do:

Mediterranean Chicken

In a large skillet over medium-high flames, heat the extra virgin olive oil.  After patting the chicken dry with a paper towel, put the chicken in the oil.

By drying the chicken with paper towels, you will minimize oil splatters which can be very painful!  Been there, done that.

Here’s a tip for cooking meats quicker.  Cut them in smaller pieces and they’ll cook faster than large chicken breasts or thighs.  So, during the week in particular that’s how I roll.  Anything to speed things along and get dinner on the table!

Lightly brown the chicken on both sides.

When the chicken is almost done, (not completely done, just almost) make a well in the center allowing the chicken to continue cooking.  This is my lazy way of not browning the chicken until it’s done and having to take it out of the pan while I cook the other ingredients.  Less dishes getting dirty and less clean up!

Now, turn down the heat to medium-low and in the well, add the onion, salt and pepper.  Allow the onions to cook until tender, stirring occasionally for about 3 or 4 minutes.  Then I just mix it in with the chicken.

Keeping the heat on medium-low, make another well in the center of all that goodness and we’ll start adding some more flavors!  Add the garlic and… brace yourself here cause I know I’m going to get some scrunched up noses and “ewwww’s”, but this is an important ingredient in this and other Mediterranean dishes.  It’s anchovies.  I know, I know…  but I promise you, you will not taste it in the dish.  So, why add it?  Because it enhances the other flavors in the dish and takes it to a whole new level plus it adds some saltiness.  Buy it in a tube and once it’s opened, just keep it in your refrigerator door and it will keep a long time.  Plus you never have to touch those little fillets and wash your hands a gazillion times trying to get that smell off of your fingers.  I don’t even squirt it into a measuring spoon, I just eyeball it while holding a 1/2 teaspoon in my other hand.  Go ahead, you can do this!  I’ve got your back.

Cook the garlic and anchovies for about a minute.  Don’t want to burn them.

Now we can add the liquids: Start with the dry white wine or cooking wine.  That way the alcohol will cook out.  Now, if cooking with wine is not your thing, you can certainly substitute it with chicken broth.  Then add the water and tomatoes.  Here’s the thing with the crushed tomatoes.  You can certainly use a can of diced tomatoes and that will work perfectly.  However, my husband and my son do not like biting into chunks of tomatoes.  Sooooo, since I can not usually find 15 ounce cans of crushed tomatoes, I will open a can of diced tomatoes and use my hand blender and crush them.  It’s easy peasy and makes my family happy.  It’s all about cooking for your audience, right?

Bring the liquids to a boil over medium-high heat and throw in the brussels sprouts. I typically quarter the brussels sprouts so the wonderful tomato sauce with get down into those little crevices.  Oh, yummy.  Plus they’ll cook more evenly and quicker.

Stir briefly to get the brussels sprouts in the liquid, bring back to a boil and cover with a lid.  Turn down the heat to a lower setting.  You still want to see some bubbles, but not boil away.  Cook the brussels sprouts until they are fork tender, but not mushy.  The time will depend on how large your pieces are.  Typically it will take about 15 minutes, but you will want to test them with a fork to see if they’re done.

This is another important step and an easy one to forget.  Yep, been there and done that.  But if you can remember, it really does add another level of flavors to this dish.  It’s butter!  Who doesn’t love butter?  Now, I did say this was a low fat dish and it still is.  You will only need 1 Tablespoon of butter for this whole dish that will serve 4-5 people.  So, that’s not bad.  When the brussels sprouts are tender and you’re ready to serve, turn off the burner and add the butter.  Gently stir in the butter until it’s melted and incorporated into the dish.

For another great chicken dish, check out my Chicken in White Wine and Thyme Sauce!

For another great Mediterranean dish, check out my Mediterranean Chicken with Black Beans!  Scrumptious!

I love serving this over steamed rice and with dried field peas that have been soaked and cooked.  Dried Field Peas are such an easy and quick dried been to prepare.  Want to know how I do that?  Check out this post and I will tell you all about it!

What is your favorite Mediterranean Dish?

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