My pantry is almost empty, and it’s one week until payday. We've all been there.
Tonight, leftover chicken is in the refrigerator—prosciutto is in the freezer. Red bell pepper, onion, canned tomatoes and a few other staples are all I have to work with. Oh, and stone-ground grits.
You know, I think this could be good. Yes, anything with grits is good.
Tomatoey Chicken and Prosciutto with Grits
2 cups water
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup stone-ground grits
1 tablespoon butter or healthy spread
4 tablespoons olive oil
½ cups diced purple onion
½ cup diced red bell pepper
Salt and black pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup dry white wine
1 can diced tomatoes
4 ounces prosciutto, chopped
1 lb. cooked chicken, chopped
2 tablespoons butter or healthy spread
Fresh chopped parsley
Combine water, stock, whole milk, salt and pepper in a medium saucepan. Bring to a low boil. Add grits, and stir. Cover, reduce heat, and cook for 30 minutes, stirring often. Adjust seasoning.
Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add onions and bell pepper, and sauté for 4 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper. Add garlic and cook additional 1 minute. Pour in wine and reduce for 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes and prosciutto; cook for 2 minutes until sauce starts to thicken. Add chicken and toss to heat through. If mixture is too thick at this point, thin with chicken stock. Add butter and stir. Remove from heat and adjust seasoning.
Spoon grits into shallow bowls. Top with chicken mixture. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.
Note: If you keep only skim milk as a staple in your refrigerator, you may occasionally buy whole milk to use in recipes. If you're like me, you may not use it all before the expiration date. Try this tip: Buy heavy whipping cream instead. It keeps three times as long, and you can use it, along with skim milk, to make whole milk.
To make 1 cup whole milk, use 1 ½ tablespoons heavy cream. Fill to 1 cup with skim milk.
