From fried to roasted, my family can’t get enough of chicken. My challenge is in making a chicken dish meet my plant based food philosophy. If your moral compass approves chicken consumption, I always ask that you consume responsibly raised, organic, and free range chicken. Once you have that covered, the only thing left to do is to pair this lean protein with a double portion of nutrient dense veggies.
This is a dish that tastes indulgent, using cooking techniques that pull out flavor and richness without any unhealthy ingredients (it is possible). Ingredients include cancer fighting onions, lycopene loaded tomatoes, and heart healthy fats from olives this dish is a one well-balanced, one dish dinner.
Ingredients:
6 organic chicken thighs skin on (could also use breast)
sea salt and cracked black pepper
2 T. high heat coconut oil or organic olive oil
1 onion
2-3 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1/2 cup organic chicken stock
1 cup yellow or red cherry tomatoes
1 bunch fresh asparagus, trimmed (can use broccoli, green beans, or spinach too)
1 cup black or green olives (optional, can be left out)
handful fresh torn basil
Directions:
Pat dry chicken thighs or breasts. Season generously with sea salt and cracked pepper. Preheat large skillet over high heat, add oil and place chicken in hot oil skin side down. Cook until skin is crispy and golden browned, then turn over and sear, approx. 3 minutes on each side. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In the same pan that you cooked chicken in, add sliced onions, pinch of salt, and garlic. Saute on medium heat, stirring often to prevent garlic from browning. Add cherry tomatoes and olives, asparagus, and 1/2 cup chicken stock. Toss and saute for about 3 minutes. Add chicken back to pan (lay over the veggie mix), crispy skin side up.
Place pan in oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Top with generous portion of fresh torn basil. Serve with side of mixed greens, wild rice, roasted potatoes, steamed millet, or quinoa.
