Stacey Hawkins, the Queen of Lean and Green Recipes makes Pan Seared Balsamic Chicken and Vegetables. This low-carb recipe is an Optavia Recipe, Optavia 5 and 1 recipe and complies with most low carb diets. Eat great and lose the weight!
Pan Seared Balsamic Chicken and Vegetables
Category
Main Dish
Cuisine
American
Servings
4
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
A recipe comes along that blows my socks off now and then. I never know when it will happen, why, or some days, even HOW!
I hit the market, buy what looks the absolute best and freshest and then come home to my "magic chemistry set" (which my man calls Stacey Hawkins Spices, lol) and see what happens.
This week, I created a one-skillet meal with some organic chicken thighs I found on sale and a thick, rich balsamic marinade. Threw them together with some zucchini and tomatoes. The result? Pan-Seared Balsamic Chicken and Vegetables. OMG, this is soooo good!!
Made in a cast-iron skillet (the key to a great "crust" on the chicken) over medium-high heat and then finished in the oven, the result was one my family RAVED about, and of course, I loved it because it is decadently Lean and Green.
The key is to start with the marinade and let the chicken sit to soak up all the yummy-ness. You can do as little as 20 minutes, or you could whip this together in the morning and let it sit all day. The Balsamic Mosto Cotto and the hot cast iron pan make for a flavor sensation that will put this recipe on your go-to list forever. There's a little crisp, a little thick, rich sauce, and the mellowness of veggies, all with a pop of Tuscan Flavor. It's sublime.
You can have tons of fun with this one too - mix and match the veggies (and swap out the seasoning to match) to create new combinations every time. No matter what you use, I promise you will never be hungry.
Happy Cooking!
Stacey
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
-
1Tablespoon (one Capful) Stacey Hawkins Tuscan Fantasy Seasoning
- 1Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- 2 C cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- 4Tablespoon  Stacey Hawkins Balsamic Mosto Cotto or balsamic reduction
- 2 C zucchini sliced into 3/8" slices (try to have the zucchini around 1" in diameter- smaller ones cook faster and have less seeds)
- 1/3 C water
Directions
- Whisk together balsamic, mustard and seasoning in a bowl large enough to hold the chicken.
- Add the chicken and toss to coat. Place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes, up to 8 hours to marinade.
When ready to cook, preheat oven to 425° F.
- Place a well-seasoned cast iron skillet (large enough to hold all the chicken without crowding) over medium-high heat.
- Shake off the excess marinade (reserving it in the bowl for later) and place the chicken in the pan. Cook until seared and slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Flip chicken and cook an additional 5 minutes on the other side.
- While chicken is cooking, prepare the vegetables.
- Add water to remaining marinade in the bowl and whisk to combine.
- Scatter the vegetables around the pan. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper (or Stacey Hawkins Dash of Desperation for additional flavor).
- Pour the marinade mixture over the veggies & chicken. Toss to combine together. Place in the preheated oven for 15 minutes additional.
- Remove from oven and serve hot
Chef's Notes & More
Serving Size is 5 ounces of chicken, 1 C of vegetables and 2 T sauce.
1 - Lean
2 - Green
2 - Condiments
0 - Healthy Fat
