Total Recipe cost: $9.38

Servings Per Recipe: 5

Cost per serving: $1.88

Prep time: 15 min. Cook time: 45 min. Total: 1 hr.

INGREDIENTS COST 2 lb. (5 pieces) chicken thighs $3.23 1 med yellow onion $0.89 4 cloves garlic $0.09 2 Tbsp olive oil $0.10 to taste salt & pepper $0.05 1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes $1.08 1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce $0.32 2 whole bay leaves $0.05 1/2 tsp dried oregano $0.05 1/4 tsp dried thyme $0.05 1/2 cup (1/2 bunch) chopped fresh parsley $0.25 1 can (15 oz.) chickpeas $0.66 2.5 oz. feta cheese $1.67 2 cups long grain rice $0.60 3 tsp (3 cubes) bullion $0.29 TOTAL $9.38

I guess I have a little bit more of this Mediterranean-ness left in me, so bear with me! This stew is decidedly less Greek tasting than some of the other recipes this week so if you're not that into Greek food, you should still give it a try. Really the only reason that I'm calling it Greek is because it has some chickpeas and I topped it with parsley and feta. Otherwise, it's just a delicious, tomatoey, chicken stew!I used chicken thighs for this recipe because they are inexpensive, fairly uniform in size and because they are simmered slowly in the stew. Meat on the bone (read meat with connective tissue) is excellent for cooking long and slow because the connective tissue gelatinizes and you end up with an ultra tender, moist piece of meat. This is the concept behind roast, ribs and other "fall off the bone" tender meats. You can also purchase a whole cut up chicken if you prefer a variety of pieces (thighs, breasts, drumsticks).If you want to make this recipe more lean, you can either purchase skinless thighs or just use boneless, skinless breasts. Keep in mind, the boneless, skinless breasts are always more expensive and will not give as much flavor to the stew.Rinse the chicken thighs and pat dry. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a large, deep skillet over medium/high heat with 2 Tbsp. of olive oil. The oil is ready when it has a wavy appearance. Cook the chicken pieces on each side until golden brown and crispy (5 min. each side).While the chicken is browning, dice the onion and garlic. Once the chicken has browned, remove it to a plate and add the onion and garlic to the pan. Cook the onion and garlic until they are soft and transparent (there should be enough oil left plus rendered chicken fat to keep the vegetables from browning).Add the canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, bay leaves, oregano, thyme and half of the chopped parsley to the pan. Stir well to combine then add the chicken pieces back to the pot. Reduce the heat to low, place a lid on the pan and simmer for 20 minutes.While the stew simmers, prepare the chicken flavored rice. In a medium pot combine 2 cups of dry long grain rice with 3.5 cups of water and 3 tsp (or 3 cubes) of chicken bullion. Stir slightly. With a lid in place, bring the rice up to a rolling boil. As soon as it hits a full boil, reduce the heat to warm and let sit (without removing the lid) for 30 minutes.After the stew simmers for 20 minutes, remove the lid, drain the chickpeas and add them to the pot. Continue to simmer for 15 minutes without a lid. Taste test to see if you prefer more salt or pepper.To plate the stew, place 3/4 cup of rice on a plate and top with the stewed vegetables, some of the liquid and one piece of chicken. Sprinkle with some of the remaining chopped parsley and about 1/2 oz. of crumbled feta cheese.Alternatively, you can cook the rice right in the pot with the chicken and sauce. Just add your two cups of rice to the pot after adding the chicken back into the sauce (step 3). Also add 2 cups of chicken broth (made from the bullion). Bring the mixture up to a simmer then reduce the heat to low and add the lid. Cook for 40 minutes with the lid in place so the rice can steam. Additional simmering without the lid is not needed because the rice will soak up most of the liquid.

Labels: beans, chicken, intermediate, main dish, mediterranean, one-dish meals, rice