chicken marbella

When I had my personal chef service, I'd stock the freezers of Fairfield County, CT families with healthy, family-friendly meals they could pull out of the freezer on the busiest of days. Now I am that parent who often rolls home just before dinnertime.   

Last week, I realized I could simplify one of my favorite make-ahead recipes even more. A quick stop at Whole Food's self-serve olive bar* meant my Chicken Marbella could literally be made in minutes!

Chicken Marbella

(makes 8 servings)

1 pint assorted olives, capers and roasted garlic*

1 lemon, thinly sliced

1 cup dried prunes, rough chopped

1 lb boneless chicken breasts, chopped into even pieces

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1 cup red or white wine

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup honey

Preheat oven to 350. Add everything to an oven-proof baking dish. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. If you'd like the sauce thicker, simply remove the chicken and bring the sauce to a boil until desired thickness. Serve chicken warm or room temp, drizzled with sauce and with a selection of olives and dried fruit. Excellent served over couscous, or I like to keep Seeds of Change Quinoa and Brown Rice packets in our pantry to go with meals like this. 

Here is the recipe is pics for those who like action photos:

I poured the olive/caper/garlic mixture and the thinly sliced lemons into the baking dish, then topped it with the chicken...

add 1/2 cup of vinegar... 

1 cup of (leftover) red wine...

1 cup of chicken broth....

added the honey, then gave it all a gentle stir... and popped it into the oven for about 45 minutes...

and voila! So easy. We enjoyed it the night I made it, and then I packaged up another family dinner to pop into the freezer for some busy upcoming night when we got home too late too cook, but when I still wanted to enjoy a nourishing homemade meal. This meal will freeze perfectly for up to 2 months in an air-tight container.

Hope your family enjoys this flavorful meal as much as ours does!