Skillet Chicken Dinner with Artichokes and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!  Today is your lucky day if you are feeling Irish, by chance sporting a green ensemble, or partook in one too many green beers and can’t muster the energy to think up an easy and fast dinner this evening.  It’s been quite the busy week and despite wanting to represent for the Irish and fix a corned beef with cabbage it’s just not happening around here.

I was working in my office yesterday when I received a phone call from HDD, “Tomorrow is Saint Patrick’s Day, right”?  Me:  “Yes, and your point is”. (Spoken with my eyes rolled back in my head.)  HDD:  “Are we having corned beef”?  Me:  “Hell no, it’s gross and you can’t have it anyways”.  (I thrive on my role as Joan Crawford in Mommy Dearest, what can I say.)  HDD:  (Long sigh.)  Fine. Click. 

HDD found out he has gout a few years ago and when he eats certain proteins he gets a flare up and besides the limping around and complaining; I’m the one who really suffers.   So I’ve taken it upon myself to put some reforms into place and put us on a mostly vegetarian diet, with the exception of a little chicken or fish.  HDD has mostly gone along with the plan, but I sense he is headed towards a major breakdown soon.  All he does is drone on and on saying things like, remember how good barbecued steak is, or I could really go for some prime rib tonight.  Dream on Hot Dog Dude; dream on. 

There is an upside to HDD’s gout though; I’ve lost so much weight my mother has made it her business to tell me I’m getting too thin (like there is such a thing).  Also it’s keeping HDD on his toes because I told him if I do make steak he will never know if it’s because I’m pissed or just being nice.   

Chicken, Artichoke, Grains, and Sun-Dried Tomato Skillet

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1-tablespoon butter

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

1-pound chicken breast tenders, boneless and skinless

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1-12 ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained (discard liquid)

¾ cup shredded carrots

¼ cup sun-dried tomato strips, packed in olive oil

1 ¼ cups mixed grains (I used a mix from Trader Joe’s with couscous, quinoa, orzo, and baby garbanzo beans)

3 cups veggie stock

Add olive oil and butter to a 12-inch skillet and heat on medium-high heat. Once butter is melted add onion and let cook for 4-5 minutes until starting to get translucent.

Add the chicken pieces, salt, and pepper and cook chicken on one side for 3-4 minutes, flip and cook another 3 minutes. 

Spread the artichoke hearts, carrots, sun-dried tomatoes, and grains evenly over the chicken. Slowly pour the stock over the whole pan and bring to a boil.

Cover the pan with a lid; turn the heat down to medium and cook for 25 minutes.

Serves 4.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!  I only wish I had a piece of this Irish Car Bomb Cake from Miss Katty to wash down my dinner tonight.

Gina