A Greek Cowboy Dinner

Sometimes culinary creativity is born of necessity. For example, I had spinach in my kitchen that would spoil unless I found a creative way to use it. Viola! Spinach-feta popovers to go with my white chicken chili. It's Mediterranean meets West, Zorba meets McLintock.

First, the chili:

Chili Blanco con Pollo

1 1/2 pounds skinless chicken thighs

1 medium onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

14 ounces chicken broth

1 teaspoon cumin

6 sprigs fresh oregano, stems removed

8 leaves of fresh sage

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon Cayenne

1/2 teaspoon red pepper sauce

45 ounces great northern beans (3 cans drained and rinsed)

16 ounces frozen white sweet corn, thawed

olive oil

Lightly oil the pottery of your slow cooker with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Mix onion, garlic, broth, spices, herbs, salt and pepper sauce in the slow cooker. Add chicken, and cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours (or until chicken is fully cooked and juices run clear). Remove chicken, and shred the meat from the bone using 2 forks. Discard bones and return the chicken meat to the cooker. Stir in beans and corn. Cover and cook on low for another 30-45 minutes, till hot. Tip: when the chicken is falling off the bone, you can begin shredding the meat from the bone. Cooking time will vary for each slow cooker, and for me, the chicken was ready at 3.5 hours.

Yields about 10-12 servings.

Now, cowboy meets Greek

Spinach-feta popovers

2 eggs

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup crumbled feta

2 cups fresh spinach, steamed or sauteed

Preheat oven to 450.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and oil. Add the flour and salt and beat till smooth. It's okay if there are clumps, and it's important to not overbeat. Add the feta and stir just till combined. Fill each muffin tin with 1/8 cup of batter, add a tablespoon of spinach, top with 1/8 batter (tins should be 2/3 full). Bake at 450 for 15 minutes. Reduce temp to 325 and bake for 25 minutes more, till tops are golden brown. Do NOT open the oven while these are baking, or else they'll fall. Remove from the oven and prick the tops with a toothpick to let steam escape. Makes 12 popovers.

Zorba meets McLintock
Originally uploaded by MrsPath