Artichoke Chicken, Stringbeans, Cauliflower Mash, Beets

Same Process – Different Ingredients

I had no idea what to have for dinner tonight.  I defrosted some chicken breast and took out a can of artichoke hearts and figured I would wing it.  Alas, Chicken Artichoke – hope you like it!  All the recipes on this blog are basically the same – even Mia knows “start with a little garlic in olive oil….”.  I think the trick to cooking a variety of dinners is not in the cooking process at all but rather in the ingredients.  Don’t let Martha or Ina intimidate you, they have way more time than we do to add all those extra steps.  Plus, they have to make things look more complicated or they wouldn’t have a job.  It just seems silly that chefs keep coming up with new and complicated recipes when most Americas aren’t even cooking the very basics anymore.  Go figure.

Artichoke Chicken:  Substitute artichokes or add whatever you have (mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, asparagus).

• I like to lightly flour the chicken first (but you don’t have to)
• Cook some garlic in a little EV olive oil for a minute or so.
• Cook chicken (almost all the way) and then put on a serving dish (do multiple batches if needed)
• Add a drop of olive oil to pan, about ¼ cup of chicken broth and a splash of white wine and lemon juice (optional) and cook for a few minutes – scraping up leftover bits of chicken.
• Add a can of cut up artichoke hearts, 2 cut up tomatoes and capers (optional) and cook for about 5 minutes.
• Add chicken back to pan and let it all cook together another couple minutes until chicken is cooked through.

Cauliflower Mash:  These are just like mashed potatoes and you can add whatever  extra ingredients you want (sour cream, mozzarella cheese). 

• Boil cauliflower florets until cooked.
• Use hand blender to mash cauliflower. 
• Add a little butter and 1 TBS of milk and ¼ cup of parmesan cheese.  Mash together with salt/pepper.
• Sprinkle a little parmesan on top.  If you want to bake this to get the top brown you can or just serve right away.

String beans:

• Cook string beans  in boiling water (about an inch full).
• Drain string beans and add a drop of EV olive oil, garlic and salt/pepper.

Beets:  I wanted to use these up before the weekend.

• Peel, cut and boil beets.
• Toss with vinaigrette dressing.

What Can the Kids Do?

• Let them shake the chicken in the flour bag (or dip chicken on flour plate) – teach about washing hands!
• Help mash cauliflower and add ingredients (teach them to unplug it right away).
• Mia likes to use kitchen shears to snip the ends of string beans (no need if you use frozen beans)
• Coloring Page: http://www.cool-coloring-pages.com/plants_vegetables_artichoke.php
• How do you spell “ARTICHOKE”?  What other foods begin with the letter “A”?
• Picture of growing artichoke:  http://www.gardening-tools-direct.co.uk/blog/uploaded_images/gtd-globe-artichoke-765299.JPG

Did You Know?

• Nearly 100% of all artichokes grown in the U.S. are grown in California?
• Artichokes are one of the oldest foods
• Marilyn Monroe was the first official California Artichoke Queen in 1949.