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Greek Chicken with Cretan Wedding Rice
by Jes Mostek 		 

Recipes:
Cretan Wedding Rice Pilaf
by Jes Mostek
serves: 5
  This creamy pilaf is a traditional wedding dish on Crete, where it's made in enormous quantities to feed the hundreds or even thousands of wedding guests. So this recipe is cut down just a bit to feed an average family of 4-6.
Ingredients:
  2 c.   chicken broth
  1 1/2 c.   water
  1 1/4 c.   long-grain white rice
  1 T.   lemon juice
  2 T.   butter
    salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
  In a medium pot, combine chicken stock and water, and bring to a boil over medium heat. When it starts to boil, add the rice and stir frequently to keep from sticking. When it comes to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the lemon juice and butter, and cover.

Allow to sit 5-10 minutes before serving. The pilaf is supposed to be smooth and creamy, and very tender, similar to the consistency of risotto or grits. Serve with a sprinkling of freshly groundsea salt and black pepper.

For low sodium, use Herb-ox + water for the chicken broth, and omit the salt to taste.

The chicken broth can be replaced by vegetable broth.

You can also substitute olive oil for the butter for a cholesterol-free diet.
Greek Chicken
by Jes Mostek
serves: 6
  Chicken so incredibly flavorful that it'd never even occur to you that this meal is actually good for you!
Ingredients:
  1   whole chicken, cut up
  1   red onion, thinly sliced into rings
  1 can   black olives
  1 pkg.   mushrooms, sliced
  1 (7 oz.) pkg.   feta cheese
  1 (14 oz.) bottle   Greek vinaigrette salad dressing
Directions:
  Prehead oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9 x 13 pan with aluminum foil. Arrange chicken pieces in bottom of pan. Top with the sliced onion, black olives, sliced mushrooms, half of the crumbled Feta, and the entire bottle of dressing.

Bake uncovered for 45 minutes to an hour, until the chicken is no longer pink in the center. In the last 5-10 minutes of baking, sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.

Be sure to check the label on the dressing if you have food allergies.