Chicken And Olive Pastries Food

CHICKEN AND OLIVE PASTRIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°. Cut pie crusts into circles with 2 1/2- to 3-inch round cookie cutter or pastry wheel. Place 1 pastry circle in each of 36 small muffin cups, 1 3/4x1 inch, pressing slightly.
• Mix remaining ingredients except onions. Spoon about 1 tablespoon filling into each cup.
• Bake 12 to 16 minutes or until pastry edges are golden brown. Sprinkle with onions.

PAN SEARED CHICKEN WITH OLIVES

Steps:

• For the chicken: Using a meat mallet, evenly pound the chicken breast halves between 2 sheets of plastic wrap to 1/4-inch thickness. Put the chicken into a heavy resealable bag or 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Add the oil, parsley, shallots and garlic; sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and mix in the bag or toss in the baking dish until the chicken is coated in the marinade. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Using tongs, remove the chicken from the marinade, allowing the oil to drain. (It's ok if some of the garlic and shallots still cling to the chicken.) Discard the marinade.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large (12- to 14-inch) skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the chicken breasts, 2 at a time, being sure to space them out in the skillet. (Avoid over-crowding, or you won't get a good sear.) Sear until light golden on the first side, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and sear on the other side until the chicken is cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes more. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. Cook the remaining 2 chicken breasts, adding another tablespoon of oil if needed. Reserve the skillet for the sauce.
• For the pan sauce: In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes, basil if using and the garlic; season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Set aside.
• Pour out all but 2 tablespoons oil from the skillet. If the skillet is dry and more oil is needed, add about 2 tablespoons. Over medium heat, add the olives and shallots and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the vinegar and cook, scraping up any browned bits in the skillet. Whisk in the chicken broth and any pan juices the chicken released on the platter and bring to a simmer. Cook until the liquid has reduced by half. Stir in the mustard, add the seasoned tomatoes and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 1 minute; season with salt and pepper if needed.
• Spoon the sauce over the chicken on the platter, garnish with chopped herbs if using and serve immediately with the Winter Greens Salad on the side if desired.
• Put the arugula, frisee and radicchio into a salad bowl and toss to combine. Drizzle the vinegar over the greens and toss until coated; drizzle the oil over the top and toss again. Add the cheese, season with salt and pepper and toss until well combined. Serve immediately.

CHICKEN & OLIVE CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan or flameproof casserole dish on a medium heat, add the onion and cook for a few mins. Add the garlic and cook for 1 min more. Remove the onion and garlic from the pan and set aside on a plate.
• Turn up the heat, add the chicken and cook for a few mins each side until golden.
• Return the onion and garlic to the pan with the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook for 20 mins until the chicken is cooked through, juicy and tender, and the sauce is rich and thickened. Serve with rice.

CHICKEN AND OLIVE PASTRIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• Spray mini muffin tin.
• Unfold pie crust and smooth out folds.
• In a large mixing bowl mix all other ingredients.
• With a 2-inch cookie cutter cut into the pie crust.
• Place one cut out in each mini cup.
• Press down lightly to form to the cup.
• Spoon in mixture into each cup--just to the top of each cup not too full.
• With the extra pie crust use a mini cookie cutter in any shape.
• Then put one over each filled cup (optional).
• Place in preheated oven on the middle rack and back for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
• Serve warm or cold.

CHICKEN IN PUFF PASTRY

Steps:

• Heat oven to 430 degrees F.
• Combine cheese, basil, garlic, salt and pepper in processor until smooth and basil is finely chopped.
• Unfold both pieces of pastry carefully.
• Roll out on lightly-floured surface to 14 x 10 inch rectangle about 1/8 inch thick.
• Cut in half crosswise into 7 x 10 inch rectangle; repeat with second sheet of pastry.
• Spread ¼ of cheese mixture lengthwise, in approximate size of chicken breast, across center of each rectangle.
• Place chicken breast over, skinned side down.
• Lift long sides of pastry to meet in center over top of chicken; pinch overlap and short ends to enclose chicken snuggly.
• Trim away excess pastry leaving pinched overlap.
• Arrange seam side down, 2 inches apart, on a greased baking sheet; brush generously with beaten egg.
• Bake until puffed and golden and chicken is cooked through, 18-22 minutes.
• Note: Using Boursin Cheese in this recipe in place of the cream cheese is very nice, too.

CHICKEN AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Season skin-side of chicken with salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Turn breasts over and season skinless side with salt, black pepper, cayenne, and herbes de Provence. Turn again so that the skin-side is facing up; rest for 10 minutes.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Place chicken skin-side down in hot oil. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook chicken until skin is well-browned, about 5 minutes. Turn chicken and cook until just browned, about 2 minutes; transfer to a plate.
• Reduce heat to medium. Cook and stir shallots in the hot skillet until just softening and golden brown, about 2 minutes. Stir olives into shallots and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Pour the chicken broth into the skillet; bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off of the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of the reserved olive brine, lemon zest, and cumin; increase heat to high and cook until sauce is reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Reduce heat to low and return chicken, skin-side up, to the skillet. Cover the skillet with a lid and cook until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 5 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Remove chicken to a plate and cover with aluminum foil.
• Stir parsley and butter into sauce, stirring continuously until butter is melted and sauce is shiny. Spoon sauce over chicken.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH LEMON AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Season well with salt and pepper and place in an earthenware baking dish in one layer, skin side up. Sprinkle with red pepper, garlic, fennel and rosemary and drizzle with olive oil. Rub seasoning into thighs on all sides. Tuck lemon wedges here and there. Let marinate for 15 minutes. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
• Put baking dish in oven, uncovered, and roast until skin browns lightly, about 20 minutes. Scatter olives evenly over chicken and add broth. Cover tightly and bake for 1 hour, until meat is very tender when probed with a skewer.
• Remove thighs and lemon wedges and arrange on a platter. Keep warm. Pour pan juices into a saucepan and quickly skim fat from surface. Over high heat, simmer rapidly until reduced by half. Spoon juices over chicken, sprinkle with parsley and serve.