Recipe: Mediterranean Stir Fry

Get your garlic on with this dish

A+little+helping+of+Greek+goodness.

EMMA LEDBETTER

A little helping of Greek goodness.

EMMA LEDBETTER, Evergreen news editor

This recipe is for all my garlic lovers out there.

I’ve never really given this an official name, but the combination of garlic, olives and lots of veggies makes this feel like something you would find in Greece or the Mediterranean region, so I’m going with Mediterranean stir fry.

My mom made this when I was growing up, and I adopted it this year because it is healthy and relatively easy to make. Plus, your girl loves olives.

Like most of my other recipes, the proportions are not exact, and you can adjust to your preferences. If you like your garlic to burn your eyes, add more! It’s all up to the chef.

If you’re vegetarian or vegan, take out the chicken and/or feta cheese and you have an easy, dietary restriction-friendly meal. 

Let’s dive right in.

Ingredients

  • 2 large chicken breasts
  • 2 medium heads of broccoli
  • 1 bag of spinach (I grabbed a spinach and arugula mix from Dissmores)
  • 30-40 cherry or grape tomatoes
  • 30-40 kalamata olives (you could probably get away with black olives, but I haven’t tried it)
  • 9-10 artichoke hearts (you can find them in the deli or with jarred goods)
  • ½ of a large red onion
  • 4-5 cloves of garlic (use more/less depending on your preference — I found this was less garlic-y than I liked, so I compensated with additional garlic powder)
  • Olive oil 
  • Garlic powder
  • Onion powder or onion salt
  • Salt and pepper
  • ½ cup of feta cheese

This makes approximately five servings, with some leftovers. 

Directions:

  1. Cut your chicken breasts into bite-size cubes and cook thoroughly. 
  2. Cut broccoli into bite-sized pieces. Halve the tomatoes and olives. 
  3. Finely chop the onion and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. 
  4. When the onion is somewhat translucent (but not brown), add the broccoli. You can add additional olive oil at this point if you choose. A little bit of water will also help the broccoli soften. Cook over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
  5. Add the olives, chicken breast cubes and artichoke hearts. Cook for about five minutes, stirring occasionally.
  6. Add tomatoes and half of your spinach. There should be some liquid below all your ingredients, but not too much. Add a little water or olive oil if it looks like things are burning on the pan. Otherwise, continue to simmer.
  7. Now is a good time to try it and check for your desired flavor. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder or onion salt as needed. You can also add an additional clove or two of garlic, but they won’t get cooked quite as thoroughly and will be a lot more pungent. Beware.
  8. Finally, add the rest of your spinach and stir. Sprinkle with feta cheese.

Serve with Israeli couscous or orzo (both somewhat similar to rice). French bread or pita bread also make good sides to mop up the leftover liquid.

Enjoy!