Happy Monday! How about starting the week with a healthy hack?! (yeah, we do that too from time to time…lol) Today we hack one of the healthiest cuisines there is, aka Mediterranean! Unlike many other ethnic cuisines, Mediterranean cuisine refers to the culinary trends shared by a diverse array of cultures that live in the region around the Mediterranean Sea (not only one ethnic group but a melting pot of cuisines). For our hack, we are going to adapt the simplicity, yet delish, style and ingredients of the Greek cuisine. Now...this one comes from one of my best friends, Gabriel Rivera, a home chef that cooks like a pro and lives to drink, eat and have a good time! For this recipe we are using Spezia Hack which has all the seasoning needed to take this simple dish to another level (HACK!)

Greek Style Chicken 

4 skin on chicken thighs (bone-in preferred)

Spezia Hack

1 roasted red pepper

1 cup good crumbled feta

1/3 cup of capers 

2 cups of marinated artichokes

1 small red onion

1 cup of pitted and halved kalamata olives

½ cup of chicken stock

1 cup of toasted pine nuts

2 tbsp of good olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 400F

2. Toast the pignoli nuts over medium/low heat until fragrant and golden brown, remove from heat and set aside

3. Pat dry chicken and season with Spezia Hack, salt and fresh pepper on both sides

4. In a heavy sauté pan heat the 2 tbsp of Olive oil until fragrant, sear the chicken on both sides for about 4 minutes each, ensuring a golden-brown color

5. Remove the chicken from the pan and place on a sheet pan with a wire rack and place in the oven to continue cooking for 15 minutes until vegetables are stewed together.

6. Meanwhile, add the julienned small red onion stirring until translucent (3-4 minutes), deglaze the bottom of the pan with the white wine, add the artichokes, roasted red pepper, olives and capers, and mix together

7. Season the stew with salt and pepper

8. Once the vegetables are all incorporated, return the chicken to the hot pan with the vegetables, add the chicken stock and let it simmer until juices are reduced by 1/2 , about 10 minutes. Stir in the pignoli nuts and incorporate to the stew prior to serving. Finish with crumble feta!