Don’t Eat the Leaves

In May 2009, Dr. Arturo Carvajal dined in Miami’s Houstons Restaurant. As part of his dining experience he ordered the grilled artichoke. Houstons served the appetizer and Dr. Carvajal, never having eaten an artichoke before, dug right in. He cleaned his plate, having eaten it all. For those who have never eaten an artichoke before, most of it should not be eaten. The heart and the tips of the leaves where it connects to the stem are the only edible parts. The leaves can have sharp points on them and the stem is very fibrous.

Shortly after his meal and in intense pain, Dr. Carvajal went to the hospital. His problem, as you can guess, was the leaves slicing their way through his bowels. Dr. Carvajal later filed a lawsuit against the restaurant stating that they should have warned him how to eat the artichoke. One food blogger asked if restaurants should instruct diners not to eat the bones in ribs!

After two years of legal wrangling, the court found in favor of the restaurant stating that there should be no reasonable expectation that the restaurant should have provided instruction. The case is being appealed.

This recipe saves quite a bit of time by starting with just the hearts of the artichoke.

Sorry for the blurriness….I must have been having digestion issues from the artichoke leaves I ate…

Frying the chicken.

Then the veggies.

Putting it together with the feta.

Delicious and easy on the stomach!

Skillet Chicken and Artichokes

Prep Time: 15 M | Cook Time: 15 M | Makes: 4 servings | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 4 6-to-8-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 9-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and patted dry
• 1 small red onion, cut into wedges
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 cup sliced Peppadew peppers, plus 2 teaspoons brine from the jar

Directions:

Place the chicken breasts between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and pound with a skillet until about 1/2 inch thick. Season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, undisturbed, until golden on the bottom, 4 to 5 minutes; turn and cook until the other side is golden, 2 to 3 more minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Wipe out the skillet and return to medium-high heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil; when hot, add the artichoke hearts and red onion and cook, undisturbed, until golden in spots, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 2 more minutes. Add the garlic and oregano and cook, stirring, 30 seconds.

Return the chicken to the skillet and add the broth and olives. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes. Top with the parsley, feta, Peppadews and brine.

Per serving: Calories 364; Fat 16 g (Saturated 4 g); Cholesterol 112 mg; Sodium 586 mg; Carbohydrate 10 g; Fiber 5 g; Protein 44 g

Source: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/skillet-chicken-and-artichokes-recipe/index.html