Fast & Fabulous: Chicken Breasts with Artichoke-Olive Sauce!

While I do love my recipes for entertaining, another passion of mine is finding dishes that can be prepared in a minimum of time and don't skimp on flavor. These are real gems indeed, and that's what the Fast & Fabulous segment is all about. 

For all you fans of Mediterranean cuisine, here is a delightful recipe that delivers all those mouth-watering flavors in thirty minutes or less. 

I came across this recipe for Chicken Breasts in Artichoke-Olive Sauce from Philadelphia Chef Marcie Turney in the September issue of Food & Wine Magazine. Turney and her business partner own three restaurants, each inspired by a different country including Mexico, the Mediterranean and India. The magazine featured recipes based on each and while I do love Mexican and Indian food, my love of Mediterranean-inspired cuisine prevailed and I just had to give this dish a try.

One thing I love about this recipe is you can take a bit of artistic license and add more or less of whatever ingredient you prefer without any major consequences - hello, feta! Envision the aromas of freshly squeezed lemon juice, minced garlic, fresh oregano and chopped kalamata olives along with the salty tang of Feta cheese and the delicious flavor of artichoke hearts being prepared in your very own kitchen! Although my husband, Steve is not the biggest fan of olives, I have been determined to convert him. It worked with capers, after all and I think I finally might have succeeded!

Serve this dish with a crisp, racy white wine like a Greek Moschofilero (mo-sko-FEEL-ero). This is a white worth trying if you haven't had the chance already. It's characterized by a vibrant acidity, notes of citrus and spice with a hint of tropical fruit on the finish. Food & Wine recommends the 2010 Domaine Skouras Moschofilero but  for those of you who reside in Palm Beach County, the 2010 Boutari Moschofilero Mantinia is readily available at many local wine stores.

I hope you enjoy this recipe for Chicken Breasts in Artichoke-Olive Sauce as much as we did! It's healthy, flavorful and very easy to make and I am definitely adding it to my regular rotation. I would love to hear what you think of it!

 Cheers,
 

Chicken Breasts with Artichoke-Olive Sauce
Total: 20 minutes - 4 Servings
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chopped oregano
One 10 ounce box frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and patted dry
8 pitted kalamata olives, halved
1/2 cup coarsely crumbled feta cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Four 6-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, whisk 1/4 cup of the oil, lemon juice, zest , garlic and oregano. Fold in the artichokes, olives and feta; season the sauce with salt and pepper.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In an ovenproof skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the chicken, skinned side down, and cook over moderately high heat until browned, 3 minutes; turn and transfer the chicken in the skillet to the oven. Roast the chicken for 10 minutes until white throughout. Transfer the chicken to plates and spoon the sauce on top. Garnish with the parsley and serve.