Chicken Vesuvio – Wheat Ale

Chicken Vesuvio

Weight Watchers points – 7-8 points

Servings – 4 (1 thighs or ½ breast per person)

·         1 t olive oil

·         1 chicken breasts and 2 chicken thighs

·         1.5 lbs of red potatoes, quartered

·          1 T chopped garlic

·         ½ cup dry white wine

·         ½ cup chicken broth

·         1 T dried oregano

·         ½ T dried tyme

·         1 - 8 ounce can of artichoke hearts, drained and quartered

·         ½ cup frozen peas

·         Salt/Pepper

1.     Preheat oven to 450.

2.     Heat olive oil in large skillet on high heat.

3.     Put salt and pepper on both side of chicken.

4.     Brown chicken on each side, about 5 minutes on each side.  Remove chicken

5.     Then brown potatoes on each side, about 5 minutes on each side.  Remove potatoes

6.     Turn down heat and add garlic to pan.

7.     Add wine, broth, oregano and thyme to pan.

8.     Add Chicken and potatoes to baking dish.

9.     Pour sauce over chicken and potatoes.

10.  Cook 20 minutes.

11.  Add artichoke hearts and peas to baking dish

12.  Cook 5 more minutes.

I have been MIA with my posts due to being away in Chicago.  I thought it was appropriate to have my next post be one of my favorite Chicago dishes.  Chicken Vesuvio is one of my all time favorite chicken dishes.  Chicken, potatoes, garlic…what’s not to like.  It typically has a lot of olive oil and butter.  The potatoes are often deep fried as well.  This is a slimmed down version, but with all the flavor.

I paired with Goose Island 312.  Being back in Chicago, I always have to have at least one 312.  It is an urban wheat ale, made in Chicago.  This is great, crisp, refreshing summer beer.  It’s fairly light and is well balanced with wheat and hops. Its fruity and smooth, a great pair to the garlic and oregano of the chicken.

Chicken, Spinach Artichoke Pinwheels - Wheat Ale

This week has been a tough one for me not cooking and obviously not posting.  I have been sick yet again.  This was a really easy recipe I made with left over spinach artichoke dip from my previous post.

Chicken, Spinach Artichoke Pinwheels
Weight Watchers Points – 4 points
Servings - 4

2 chicken breasts
4T leftover spinach artichoke dip
salt & pepper

1.      Preheat oven to 400

2.      Butterfly and pound chicken breasts out to about ¼ of an inch

3.      Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper

4.      Place 2T of spinach artichoke dip ontop side of each breast

5.      Roll chicken breast up and secure with toothpicks or string

6.      Bake chicken for about 25-30 minutes

7.      Slice chicken into slices creating pinwheels, can be secured with toothpicks if using as an appetizer

When I made this for dinner for me and mike, I served with sweet potato fries and it was a full, easy and delicious dinner.

A new favorite summer time beer of mine is Rahr & Sons Summertime Wheat Ale.  This also has a sweet spice in the background of cloves, which I love!  This is also a local beer being brewed in Fort Worth which we love to support.  We plan to tour that brewery when its not so hot anymore so if you want to join us, let us know.  It does have a pretty strong wheat and grain flavor to it, but then again its called a Wheal Ale.  The spice and the sweet citrus background adds a great contrast.  It’s a little expensive in liquor stores, so look for it on sale.