Mediterranean Skillet Supper ~ A Healthy, Flavorful Meat Sauce Served over Fluffy Rice

I have a serious sweet tooth! I indulge my sweet tooth a little too often. To combat my often failing will power, I make this tasty, healthy Mediterranean skillet supper.

    

This skillet supper is made with ground chicken, tomatoes, oregano and marjoram. Have you used marjoram in your cooking yet? It's similar to oregano and works well in tomato sauce. The people of the Mediterranean have been using it for centuries to season everything from kebabs to vegetable dishes. Give it a try, you'll be glad you did. If you don't like oregano and marjoram, this would be great with basil too. My only suggestion would be to use good quality tomato products. Pomi or Muir Glen brands are my go-to choices. 

The other day, I bought a bunch of fire-engine-red chili peppers at the farmers' market, falling in love with their feisty color. They're sitting on my kitchen counter like a bouquet of fresh flowers. One of them is added to this dish, but you could leave  it out if you don't like spicy food. 

I make this dish after indulging in too many cream puffs, lobster tails(a pastry) and cannolis in Boston's North End. If you're ever in Boston, go to Modern Pastry for the best cannoli in the city. They fill their cannoli pastry shells to order with pillow-soft cream. Expect a huge line. It moves quickly. They're worth the wait.

Mediterranean Skillet Supper Recipe

Some notes:

You can serve this over long grain white rice, basmati rice, brown rice, small shaped pasta or quinoa. Some good quality, crumble Greek feta cheese and/or chopped kalamata olives over it is not a bad idea either. A drizzle of unfiltered extra virgin olive oil over it just before you serve it is delicious too.

I use Muir Glen tomato products in this recipe. Their tomatoes are harvested when ripe and processed within a few hours. I find them at Whole Foods and even in my local grocery store. 

This makes an entire large pan full. There will be lots of leftovers if it's just the two of you. We love leftovers around here, especially during the busy work week. Enjoy!    

You'll Need:

• 2 pounds of ground chicken. I use a combination of 1 pound all white meat ground chicken breast and 1 pound regular ground chicken.
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 2-3 tablespoons of chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1 28 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes. I used Muir Glen Organic because I love this brand the best. Crush them up before using them in the recipe. (see notes)
• 1 8oz can of tomato sauce. I used Muir Glen Organic.
• 2 dried bay leaves torn in half, remove them before serving 
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil. I used extra virgin unfiltered.
• 1/2 teaspoon of oregano rubbed between your fingers to release the flavor (or herb of your choice see above) 
• 1/4 teaspoon of marjoram rubbed between your fingers to release the flavor (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon of honey or a pinch of sugar to balance the acid in the tomatoes.
• Sea salt or kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
• 1/2 or one whole small red chili pepper, remove seeds and veins and finely chop. If you don't have a fresh chili you can also use a pinch or two of ground red pepper or red chili flakes. (optional) 

The Rundown:

Saute onion, green pepper and chili pepper (if using) in a large nonstick skillet with some salt, pepper, olive oil and the torn bay leaves until tender and soft, being careful not to burn or brown anything. It helps to cover the pan occasionally. Halfway through cooking the onions and peppers, add the marjoram and oregano. When the onions and peppers are done, add the ground chicken, adjust salt and pepper and cook until it starts to change color a bit, breaking it up as it cooks. Add the tomatoes and honey. Bring to a boil and then immediately reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 5-10 more minutes until chicken is cooked. Don't overcook the chicken or it will be too dry. Taste, adjust the seasonings again. Remove the bay leaves. Add the parsley. It's very good with a little drizzle of unfiltered extra virgin olive oil added to it just before you serve it. Use whatever olive oil you like. I just happen to love unfiltered for its health benefits and flavor.


I used my trusty nonstick eco friendly Scanpan for this recipe. I use it everyday!