Beer braised chicken and olive oil roasted vegetables
A few weeks ago, I had some friends come over for another friend's birthday. After the event, I found myself with quite a few Coors Lights that I definitely was not planning to drink in my free time, so I decided to braise some meat with them. I figured I could make a creamy sauce made from beer and yogurt and slow cook some chicken in it. I would then roast some veggies, then serve my roasted veggies and braised chicken smothered in the beer sauce over penne pasta.
Olive Oil Roasted Vegetables
1 head broccoli, cut
1 cup peas
1/2 red onion, sliced
5 shallots, peeled
5 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 bundle of asparagus, cut
3 tbs olive oil
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Farenheit.
2. Toss the vegetables in ~3 tablespoons of olive oil and spread over a baking tray.
3. Bake for 25-30 min or until browned/caramelized.
THAT EASY. Roasting vegetables is my new favorite thing to do because it really brings out the flavors in the vegetables, and you can use it for practically any type of produce you want. Keep in mind, larger pieces of vegetables will take longer to roast. Also, because I will be using the sauce from the beer braised chicken, I did not season the vegetables.
Some spices to consider: salt, black pepper, herbs de Provence, garlic powder
1lb chicken breast*
2 cans/bottles of beer
1/4 cup flour
1/2 red onion
2 tbs olive oil
5 cloves garlic
5 shallots
4tbs low fat yogurt
*Chicken marinade (I like letting it sit for 20min-2hrs, but you can us it immediately also) :
3 tsp Creole spice
OR
1 tsp paprika
1tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp sage
1/4 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp baking soda
1. On high heat, add the olive oil, onion, shallots, and garlic. Add flour and mix until it is incorporated.
2. Once browned, slight sear the chicken until golden on the outsides.
3. Slowly add the beer. Once the beer is boiling, add the yogurt and turn to low heat and let it simmer for 30 minutes to 1.5hrs, depending on the amount of time you have and making sure the lid is slightly ajar. It is edible after 30 minutes, but more time will let more of the flavor soak in and make the chicken more tender.
4. Serve over pasta and roasted vegetables!
If I were to do this again, I would not use Coors Light. The chicken and the sauce were good, but the thought of Coors kept lingering in my mind. I would perhaps choose an amber or a pale ale next time I braise my meat!
