Lemon Chicken with Chickpeas and Artichokes

When I talk with my dad about the food he ate growing up he always mentions that there wasn't much food to go around, and yet he probably had the healthiest diet of his life in those "lean" years.

Since money was always in short supply in his family, family dinners weren't heavy on meat --it was just too expensive. My father's mother often supplemented other sources of protein such as beans into the meal to "stretch" the meat.

This dish is made in the spirit of my father's family dinners. It is an incredibly simple one pot meal which combines different protein sources, is quick to make and full of flavor.

Lemon Chicken with Chickpeas and Artichokes
1 tsp olive oil
1 small onion finely sliced
2-3 chicken breast cut into cubes
1/4 tsp cumin
1 can of chickpeas drained
1 can of artichokes in brine
1/2 lemon cut into thin slices


In a non stick pot, heat olive oil and saute onion and chicken for 5 minutes until the chicken is lightly browned. Add the chickpeas, brine from the artichokes, cumin and lemon to the pot. Bring the liquid to a boil then turn down the heat to low. Cover the pot and cook for 15 minutes.

Add the artichokes to the pot and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the artichokes are heated through. Serve with rice and vegetables















Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes

Spicy Vegetable Soup

The holiday season is over, and I'm now feeling really guilty about all the excesses of the past few months. The problem is that after eating rich food for weeks my body just doesn't want to be healthy. The old standbys that were always my healthy options just aren't cutting it lately. My palate craves something with a kick, so I've had to find ways of tricking my tongue that what it's eating is rich and full of bad stuff when actually it's really quite healthy. This soup is completely healthy but added chilies give it heat and loads of flavor. This soup can any combination of vegetables as long as the main ingredients stay the same so be adventurous or use what every you have in the fridge. I tend to also add a starch like potatoes or buckwheat which reduces the heat a bit and makes it more filling.

Spicy Vegetable Soup

1 leek
1 portion of chili or capiscum pepper (start with about 1/4 of a pepper and add more if needed)
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cups of chopped mixed vegetables (Carrots, celery, peas, beans, mushrooms, corn etc)
1/4 cup of buckwheat (or rice, pasta, chopped potatoes, chickpeas, etc)
1 vegetable stock cube
Water
1 can of artichokes in brine
1 can of chopped tomatoes


Roughly chop the leek, the pepper and any vegetables you are using. In a large pot saute the leek and pepper in olive oil for about 5 minutes. Add the remaining vegetables, the stock cube, the buckwheat and enough water to cover everything in the pot and bring to a boil. Add the can of tomatoes and the brine (liquid) from the canned artichokes. Turn heat down and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Cut the artichokes into quarters. When the vegetables are cooked add the artichokes and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Cooking time: 20 minutes
Prep time: 15 minutes

Serves 6-8