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By Request

By Betty Shimabukuro

Wednesday, January 10, 2001

By George F. Lee, Star-Bulletin
Olives, in this instance the tangy, salty pimento-stuffed
green variety, are frequently paired with chicken. The
Crockpot Spanish Chicken is simple to make, and versatile too.

---

Olé for chicken
with olives

A request from T. Gruber in Foster Village launched a search for a tasty combination: chicken with olives.

Gruber is looking to duplicate a dish she had at a potluck called Spanish Chicken, made with green olives and a tomato sauce. "It was ono-delicious."

For those who enjoy olives, the little salty nuggets turn out to be a frequent pairing in chicken stews. This first recipe, which seems closest to what Gruber is looking for, turned up on the Internet and runs here with a few changes made after cooking up a test batch.

It's an extremely simple dish that's also extremely flexible. All the juices that accumulate in crock-pot cooking would allow for the addition of vegetables or potatoes, for a one-pot weekday meal.

The second is a more complicated affair with added flavors of vinegar, brown sugar, prunes and capers -- but no tomatoes. It was suggested by Bonnie Friedman on Maui, who says it's an elegant party dish.

Finally, there's one that uses black olives and an unusual touch of cinnamon.

In all these dishes, you can cut the amount of fat and calories by skinning the chicken before cooking.

Spanish Crockpot Chicken

Adapted from www.recipexchange.com

3-4 pounds chicken pieces
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Pepper to taste
14-1/2 ounce can Italian-style diced tomatoes
3/4 cup dry white wine or beer
3/4 cup pimento-stuffed olives, drained

Wash and season cut-up chicken with salt, pepper, paprika and garlic salt. Place in crockpot. Pour on tomatoes, with juice, and wine or beer. Add olives. Cover and cook on low 5-7 hours, until juices run clear. Serve over rice or noodles or with mashed potatoes. Serves 6.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving (based on 4 pounds chicken): 700 calories, 48 g total fat, 13 g saturated fat, 225 mg cholesterol, 840 mg sodium, 57 g protein, 6 g carbohydrate.*

Chicken Marabella

"The Silver Palette Cookbook," by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins (Workman 1979, $12.95 paperback)

4 2-1/2 pound chickens, quartered
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white wine
1 cup parsley or cilantro, chopped
Marinade:
1 head garlic, peeled and pureed
1/4 cup oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup prunes
1/2 cup Spanish green olives
1/2 cup capers with some juice
6 bay leaves

Combine marinade ingredients, pour over chicken and marinate in refrigerator overnight.

Arrange chicken in a single layer in 1 or 2 baking pans. Pour marinade over chicken evenly. Sprinkle with brown sugar and pour wine around pieces.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-60 minutes, basting occasionally with pan juices. Chicken is done when juices run clear in thigh pieces.

Transfer chicken, prunes, olives and capers to a serving platter; moisten with pan juices and sprinkle with parsley. Serve remaining juices on the side. Serves 10.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 775 calories, 43 g total fat, 10 g saturated fat, 225 mg cholesterol, 600 mg sodium, 59 g protein, 33 g carbohydrate.*

Spanish Olive Chicken

www.eatchicken.com

1 broiler-fryer chicken, in pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 large tomatoes, each cut in 6 wedges
1/2 cup sliced black olives
1/2 cup white wine
3 tablespoons tomato paste

In large heavy pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Drain off oil.

Combine salt, cinnamon and pepper; sprinkle on all sides of chicken. Add tomatoes and olives; pour wine over all. Cover and simmer on low about 40 minutes or until chicken is tender.

Remove chicken to warm serving bowl. Add tomato paste to pan; bring to a boil over high heat and cook, uncovered, about 1 minute more. Pour sauce over chicken, garnish with chopped parsley and serve with saffron rice. Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 465 calories, 29.8 g total fat, 6.5 g saturated fat, 860 mg sodium, 110 mg cholesterol, 36.4 g protein, 13.7 g carbohydrate.*

Food Stuffs: Morsels

Send queries along with name and phone number to:
By Request, Honolulu Star-Bulletin Food Section,
P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu 96802.
Or send e-mail to bshimabukuro@starbulletin.com

Asterisk (*) after nutritional analyses in the Body & Soul section indicates calculations by Joannie Dobbs of Exploring New Concepts, a nutritional consulting firm.