Mediterranean Chicken

Okay so first I want to say thank you to my sweet, sweet husband, Jeff for remembering he had a little point and shoot camera which takes waaayyy better photos than my phone so I can actually show you guys what I've been cooking instead of just leading you on as I did in the last post, making you think that there were photos to see (which there weren't, sorry!)

Secondly, I want to introduce to you the star of our show- dill!

 Isn't it beautiful in sort of a Christmas tree-like way? Also, it smells amazingly good. Mmm... I think a whole huge bunch of it cost me like a dollar? So I used it twice this week, once with chicken and once with fish. I don't mean to be the kind of person who gushes about an herb but... dill is pretty awesome. It's a subtle yet fresh flavor that shows its personality but doesn't have to take over the dish. An all-around good girl, you might say. Let me tell you about the chicken.

Mediterranean Chicken (With Rice!)

• 1 medium-large onion, thinly sliced whole
• 3 tbsp plain hummus
• 1 small/medium carrot
• 12 green olives
• 3 chicken tenderloins (or two chicken breasts, cut in half) 
• 1 tbsp veg oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 cups minus 2 tbsp water 
• 1 cup rice
• 2 tbsp butter

Spice Mixture

• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp sage
• 1/4 tsp rosemary
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper 
• 2 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped* (about 4-5 sprigs, minus stems)

OMGoodness. This was such a yummy dinner. Fo' serious. Okay so anyway! First thingys first. Why don't you go ahead and make up that spice mixture in a little bowl. Now, I want you to smell it. SMELL ITTT. Ahhh. Slice your onion whole and set it aside. Next, peel your carrot and roughly chop the carrot and olives together. Mix them into the hummus. Looks weird doesn't it?

But it tastes so delicious!! Next, set the two cups (minus two tbsp) of water and the lemon juice boiling in a small sauce pan. Start heating the veg oil on med-low in a medium saute pan and rub down your chicken with half or so of the spice mixture. When your water boils, throw in that rice and cook according to the directions on the bag because I don't have time to tell you how to cook rice. Is your saute pan hot? Good! Cook that chicken.

Half-raw chicken! DELICIOUS! Just kidding. You have to flip it. When your meat is done through, set it aside for a second. Add a schmidgen more oil and heat the pan up hot. It's ready, add in your previously sliced onions and saute them in that brown goodness that the chicken made. Wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles!! Aren't they beautiful? I do love brown onions. Turn off yo' heat and put the chicken back in with the onions to warm up. Did you just hear a timer or something? Your rice is done, stir in the rest of the spice mixture and the 2 tbsp of butter. My mouth is watering at the memory. Oh dear goodness. Now, I would like you to compose your plate like this.

Mmm. Just remembering the cool, saltiness of the hummus mixture against the hot chicken is enough to make me drool. Not the mention the gorgeously buttery rice or the deeply flavorful onions. God is awesome to have made food so delicious.

Please note: If you're some sort of hippie foodie who would prefer brown rice, this isn't the blog for you. Go get your fiber fix elsewhere. Much love, Tirienne


*This is how one "chops" dill, by the way. (Oh, and PLEASE don't tell my CUL 101 teacher. If she were dead she would be rolling in her grave and I don't even want to imagine what she would do to me if she found out while she's still alive. Because we all know that the only proper way to chop fresh herbs is with an extremely sharp French knife! :))