So Simple Greek Chicken & Giveaway

Fun and unexpected – a summary of last weekend’s camping at Devil’s Lake, WI. The IMG_20150718_170707750unexpected came in the form of Saturday night dinner of spear fished bass straight from the lake. We also hadn’t bargained for Timber Rattlesnake sightings either. The boys filleted the fish while sitting at a picnic table in the lake, a far cry from the daily grind back in Chicago.

Camping isn’t a spontaneous activity and executing the many meal requirements ultimately requires everyone involved to cross their fingers and hope that it just doesn’t rain hard because when it does, that detailed spreadsheet will get thrown straight out of the tent door.

Setting up our camp kitchen wouldn’t be complete without a few key ingredients. Herbs (cilantro and oregano,) spices (a good smokey chili blend,) garlic, olive oil, and lemons take up little space and make anything taste good. This weeks post takes advantage of those same key ingredients in my home kitchen.

As summer progresses my once tidy oregano plant is beginning to occupy more than it’s fair share of the planter on my deck. Oregano is easy to grow in a container and is prolific, so trim the stems with a small pair of scissors to help keep it in check and encourage new growth before it becomes leggy.

Oregano is a classic aromatic and warm Mediterranean herb which loves other strong flavors. Its delicate leaves contain the compound Carvacrol which is warming and triggers our taste buds. In a very quick to prepare and easy supper, Greek chicken drumsticks uses a handful of savory ingredients including fresh and dried oregano topped with crumbled Greek feta cheese. The dried leaves are robust for a slow cooker recipe, the fresh oregano is added at the end to really pick up the dish.

New look website and a giveaway!

We’re excited to share our new look “Zen Shop.” To enter a giveaway for a trio of gourmet Zen Blends, let us know what you think of the new look by leaving a comment on this post and pin the most mouthwatering image from the new website onto your pinterest page and follow us at zencooks. We will draw the winner at 12 midnight CST on Sunday August 2nd 2015. 

In other news, we will be exhibiting at the Windy City Gift Show 2015 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont. July 25th – 28th 

 

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time:  5-6 hours on LOW or 2-3 hours on HIGH

Servings: 4-6 (12 drumsticks)

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 12 skinless chicken drumsticks
  •  kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
  • 2 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 1/2 tbsp dried oregano
  •  juice of 1 large lemon
  • 1/3 cup feta cheese, fresh grated
  • 1 tbsp fresh oregano

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Rub the olive oil around your slow cooker insert (or use a non stick spray) and put the chicken drumsticks in.

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper, garlic powder and oregano and rub well with your hands to ensure the pieces are well coated.

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Squeeze the lemon juice over the chicken. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours or HIGH for 3 hours.

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Remove from the slow cooker and sprinkle with fresh oregano, crumbled feta and a squeeze of lemon.

Zen Moment

“Fishing is much more than fish. It is the great occasion when we may return to the fine simplicity of our forefathers.”

– Herbert Hoover

this recipe was adapted from skinnytaste.com