Leftovers: Chicken Marbella with Sautéed Greens

I often find that my hungriest time of the day is between lunch and dinner. I was relaying this to a friend recently when she suggested I include more protein in my lunch to sustain me until dinner.

Of course! It’s so simple, so obvious, and yet I had completely forgotten such an acknowledged fact. So… although this recipe is technically for dinner, as leftovers it serves as a delectable lunch.

More than that, the main advantage of this dish is that it is so completely easy to prepare. Seriously, throw everything into one dish, and… that’s it. I should warn you that this is a classic; there’s nothing gourmet or gastronomic about it. But your body will love you for it.

The primary flavours of this dish are wine poached prunes, tart olives, salty capers, and caramelized chicken. We chose to use chicken thighs, as they are the most tender and tastiest part of the chicken. However, chicken breasts are also fine.

The idea for the greens is that they act as a complimentary base to the flavour of the sauce. This means they need to “soak” up some of the sauce, and therefore need to be chopped small enough, similar to rice. Any greens can be used – we chose peas, silver beet, and spinach because they were readily available from our gardens.

And remember to make extra because this is the most ideal lunch – sun-inspired, energy filled greens, and fatty protein enriched chicken thighs. Y.U.M.

Chicken Marbella with sautéed greens

You'll need:

Chicken Marbella:
6 large chicken thighs
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 tsp dried oregano
2 bay leaves
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
2 cups white wine, or chicken or vegetable stock
½ cup prunes
1/3 cup green olives, pitted
2 Tbsp capers, with brine
3 Tbsp raw honey, melted
salt, pepper

Sautéed greens:
½ onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
300g silver beet, roughly chopped
200g large spinach leaves, roughly chopped
1 cup green peas, defrosted if from frozen
½ avocado, cut in chunks
lemon, juice and zest

To make:

Chicken Marbella:
Pre-heat the oven to 180°

Place the chicken pieces into a deep baking dish that allows for a small amount of room left around each piece of chicken. Add all other ingredients, excluding the honey.

With your hands, mix the marinade and chicken together so the chicken pieces are completely coated in marinade. Leave on the bench for half an hour.

Just before placing the chicken in the oven, once more mix the marinade and chicken around with your hands. Finally pour the honey over each piece of chicken.

Place the dish in the oven and cook for 35 - 40 minutes, or until the chicken is slightly golden, and if pierced with a knife the juices run clear.

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the sautéed greens.

Sautéed greens:
Heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a pan. Add onion and garlic and sauté 'til the onion is translucent.

Add the silver beet, spinach, and peas. Cover with a lid to steam the greens. You may need to add 1 Tbsp of water if the greens are drying out or burning.

When the greens are nearly cooked through, add the avocado. Mix well.

Finally add the lemon juice and zest, season with salt and pepper and mix well. Either serve straight from the pan or in a dish.

To finish:
Pull the chicken out of the oven and place both dishes on the table, or serve up in the kitchen.