By now you should know that I ALWAYS cook with lots of colorful fruits and vegetables. But what you don’t know is that I do not like to wash dishes! So, I made this great dish that fits any busy schedule (with only one roasting pan to wash) so I’ll have healthy lunches all week.
Mediterranean Chicken- 1 whole chicken cut into large pieces or 4 chicken breasts or 6-8 thighs, skinless
- 3 lemons cut in halves
- 2-3 smashed garlic cloves (to taste)
- Salt, pepper
- Basil, parsley or rosemary - fresh or dried (to taste)
- 1 cup of your favorite pitted green olives
- 1 cup of your favorite pitted black olives
- 1 pint of crimini mushrooms
- 1 cup of frozen pearl onions or 2 red/yellow onions, chopped bite size
- 1 pint of grape tomatoes
- 1 pint or 12 small sweet peppers or 3 sweet bell peppers, chopped bite size
Preheat oven to 375º F.
Place chicken in a large oven safe dish and squeeze lemon juice over chicken pieces (remove any seeds from the lemons before doing this). Leave the lemons in the dish for added color. Next, season with garlic, salt, pepper and herbs to taste. I recommend at least 2 tbsp parsley, 1 tbsp basil & 2 tsp rosemary dry. Double that if using fresh. Be liberal, as the flavors get diluted from the vegetable juices during cooking, plus this will increase your phytochemical intake. You can also add pepper flakes or hot peppers if you like. Mix all ingredients well to infuse the chicken. If time allows you can marinate the seasoned chicken in the fridge (even overnight) from this point on to intensify the flavors.
Before putting in the oven, add the drained olives, onions and mushrooms. Cook uncovered at 375º F for about 45 minutes or until the chicken juice runs clear when making an incision near a bone. Take out of the oven and add the grape tomatoes and sweet peppers. Next, place under the broiler until the peppers and tomatoes have charred a little and start to blister (about 10 minutes). Serve with baby red or any other potatoes or just a piece of toasted crusty bread.
This is a perfect one dish healthy meal! You can throw it in the oven and do something else like exercise, meditate, read or entertain guests while it cooks. It takes no time at all to assemble so try it! Don’t be afraid to add your own personal touch. Use vegetables that your family likes. Experiment with different spices like oregano, marjoram or sage. Try artichokes, fennel bulb or baby zucchini next time. The possibilities are endless! It’s also a great dish to entertain, as you can prepare it ahead of time in a nice roasting dish then bring it right to the table.
Enjoy!
- Josee
Labels: Diet, grocery shopping, Healthy Cooking, healthy eating, Healthy Recipes, Josee, Sensei
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