Chicken Marbella

My friend Claire is known throughout the village, and quite possibly the entire land, for her Chicken Marbella recipe. Claire is the kind of friend who shows up at three o’clock in the afternoon with a bottle of champagne and a pint of pomegranate seeds declaring, “we need to catch up.”

Clearly the world needs more people like Claire.

I met with a group of claire-esque women this week, The Bible Babes. When a group dubs themselves The Bible Babes you know you are in good company.  The Bible Babes, a group of twelve women who meet faithfully to explore God’s word, invited me to lead them in a brand new study on biblical hospitality called, wait for it. . .  The Turquoise Table. And, by brand new study, I mean not even fully written yet.

These women are gracious and kind to be a beta test group as I wing it through writing and leading the study that is on my heart this spring. I can’t promise a perfect study, but I can tell you we are going to have fun diving into an upside-down and inside-out way of living out hospitality.

I shared Claire’s Chicken Marbella recipe with a my new friends this week.  It’s encouraging to know that each one of us will, at some point during the course of our week, prepare and serve the same meal to our families those whom God sends our way. Over supper, we’ll ask those around the table the same questions. This week’s table talk focuses on family heritage.  And, we’ll sing along to the same tunes while cooking, driving, jogging, and wherever else life takes us. I picked The Art of Celebration by Rend Collective to kick off our first week together. If you don’t know Rend Collective, please download the album. They are my current favorite – an Irish indie band that is making huge noise in America. So, so good.

Maybe someday soon, I’ll be able to share The Turquoise Table bible study with you. In the meantime, cook up Claire’s Chicken Marbella and enjoy a simple and delicious supper with your family.

I love sharing the table with you, friends!

Chicken Marbella

• Author: From the kitchen of Claire Tudor
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 25 mins
• Total Time: 35 mins
• Yield: 4-6 1x
• Category: supper

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup balsamic vinaigrette
• 1/2 cup store bought olive salad (I use Boscoli Italian Olive Salad in a jar)
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 cup pitted prunes
• 1 1/4 lbs chicken tenders (about 16 rinsed and patted dry)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar (use less if you prefer)
• 1/4 cup dry white wine or champagne

Instructions

1. Place rack in center of oven and preheat to 400 degrees.
2. Combine balsamic dressing, olive salad, garlic, oregano, bay leaves, prunes, and chicken directly in a glass baking dish (9 x 13) and arrange tenders so they are in one layer. Sprinkle brown sugar on top and pour wine around them.
3. Bake the chicken until the juices bubble and chicken has caramelized on top, 25-30 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaves.
4. Delicious served over couscous, quinoa, or brown rice.