Skinny Jeans Mediterranean Baked Lemon Chicken with Artichoke Hearts,Olives and Grape Tomatoes

Raise your hand if your sick and tired of chicken for dinner. Or is it just me? We hardly ever eat chicken anymore because of the humanitarian thing which correlates with the whole added hormones and who knows what else not good for you factor (yeah, I'm one of those sorts of weirdos). Sufficed to say, When I buy chicken it's the Organic, free range sort and I make sure I make a flavorful meal out of it like these Red Chile Shredded Chicken Tacos.





This Mediterranean inspired chicken dish is nowhere near boring with flavors of lemon, olives and herbs. Artichoke hearts pair beautifully with the lemony chicken and makes this simple dinner into a special weekday meal.

Make sure you either use frozen artichoke hearts or check the label on the jarred sort for the sodium levels. Usually the jarred variety are super high in sodium and since olives are used in this dish you want to steer clear of extra salt. 

Mediterranean Baked Lemon Chicken with Artichoke Hearts, Olives and Grape Tomatoes.

You Will Need
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts {Organic, free range if possible}
1 large lemon, thinly sliced, seeds removed
2 cups frozen artichoke hearts (or 1 jar, low sodium)
2 cups grape tomatoes
1/2 cup green olives, halved
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons Mediterranean spice rub {or equal parts: garlic powder, dried basil, Greek oregano, dried parsley, dried rosemary, dried dill weed, dried marjoram, ground thyme}
Garnish with fresh parsley, chopped



Drizzle olive oil over bottom of baking dish. Place chicken breasts in dish and coat each side. Sprinkle with cracked pepper and herbs. Top with thawed artichoke hearts, tomatoes, olives and cover with lemon slices.
Bake at 400F for 40-60 minutes until juices in chicken run clear (cooking time depends on the size of your chicken breasts. I suggest cutting large breasts in half to make them thinner or pounding them out a bit.)
Remove from oven, sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and serve immediately with a garden salad or sautéed garlicky Swiss Chard.

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Beyond Broccoli: The Artichoke

I have been dragging my feet on starting a new series about all of the amazing and delicious varieties of vegetables available across the globe and am finally doing so. I started this blog to try my best to share simple and healthy meals and snacks with all of you and thought it would be worth focusing on all types of produce so that maybe you can discover a new favorite of your own. I suppose the idea stemmed from being quizzically asked over and over again by grocery store cashiers what the name of the vegetable was that I was buying and what on Earth I did with it. 

We all get in the habit of cooking what we know, what we find familiar and the easiest to prepare. Especially when the days are long and our lives are hectic. We all know that vegetables are essential to a healthy diet but most people don't get a wide variety of produce simply because they don't know what to do with the stuff.  I am guilty myself of grabbing a bunch of broccoli and some carrots at the store when I am short on time because quite simply, they are easy to prepare and my kids will eat them.

I am a serious veggie lover from way back and will buy up sacks of vegetables simply because they are in season and more importantly because they look pretty, interesting and because I love to try new things. That's how I discovered I loved Bok Choy. I never had the vegetable in my child hood so it was unfamiliar to me but one day, many many moons ago I warily picked a bright and crisp looking bunch of Bok Choy up at the grocery and it has since been my very favorite vegetable.

Artichokes are another one of my favorite veggies and I thought I'd start out the "Beyond Broccoli"  series with these gems. I was introduced to them many years ago and only had them steamed and then dipped in a cayenne-mayonnaise concoction or in melted garlic butter for a long time. I have since discovered that are freaking  amazing roasted or grilled and that there are healthier options for condiments and toppings to go with them. One of the very first recipes I posted here on Simply Healthy Family was for   'Lemon Artichoke Chicken over Brown Rice'    I tell you that it was one of my first posts as a disclaimer because while the recipe is wonderful, the picture and post..... not so much.     Live and learn.    I recommend you give this recipe a go.

Le Artichoke

isn't she beautiful?

source

Artichokes are available all year on the West Coast, but they peak from March to May and again in October. Originating in the Mediterranean, an overwhelming majority of artichokes grown in the United States are from California. The plants are actually the buds of thistles, which are in the sunflower family.

Here are some artichoke recipes worth trying.

Grilled Artichokes with Garlic and Cheese

recipe source

Italian Stuffed Artichoke

recipe source

Healthy Artichoke Marsala

recipe source

In the future, I will be posting my own recipes but I hope you visit these lovely sites for now and most especially, Give A New Veggie A Try!






Have you tried a new vegetable recently 
or prepared an old favorite a new way?

Please do share!

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Artichoke and White Bean Buffalo Dip #Sponsored

If you love dips, sauces and spreads as much as I do but cringe at the calories, this vegetarian, low fat dip is for you!  No mayo, no cream cheese yet all of the flavor of classic buffalo dip. Party. ON!

“By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe challenge sponsored by Cabot Creamery and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.”

Cabot dairy  has a wonderful selection of premium cheeses so you're sure to find one that will pair well with any given recipe or to snack on with your favorite glass of wine and a bowl of fruit. When I tasted their Alpine Cheddar I knew instantly I needed to make a vegetarian Buffalo dip, minus the mayo {ick}.  The sharp and nutty flavor with hints of parmesan paired perfectly with the artichoke hearts in this dip. I decided at the last minute to add some of  Cabot's  Seriously Sharp yellow cheddar  to balance out the cheese flavors a bit. I've never been a fan of mayonnaise and haven't ever had a problem substituting plain, fat free yogurt instead as I did here.

I was going to use garbanzo beans but decided I wanted the consistency of this dip to be more, well consistent. I threw in some grated carrots to add a little bit of  sweetness to go along with the  salty  and spicy going on in here.  Grated zucchini would work equally as well!  Serve with your favorite whole grain chips or crackers and plenty of crudités.

Serve this at your Super Bowl party {that's football right?} 

Birthday, picnic, Fiesta, whatever! Just serve it!

So Simple even a mom of 4 can do it.

Happy Snacking!

SERVES 6-8 AS AN APPETIZER TIME 30 MINUTES TOTAL



Ingredients

1 White (Cannellini or Great Norther) beans
1 can Artichoke Hearts in water, chopped
8 ounces Cabot Alpine Cheddar, shredded
8 ounces Cabot Seriously Sharp yellow Cheddar, shredded
1 cup plain, fat free yogurt
2 medium-small carrots, grated
1/3 cup (about 1 bunch) scallions chopped (white and light green part only)
1 cup Buffalo Wing Sauce

Celery, Carrots, Jicama, Radishes, whole grain chips or crackers for dipping.




Preheat your oven to 375F

Mix all ingredients in a medium size bowl to combine. Spoon into an ungreased, 10" casserole dish.
Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes until hot and bubbly. Remove from oven and let cool for 10-15 minutes. Serve warm.







notes:
Do not add salt! The cheeses have just enough salt to make this dish right. Grate your cheese while it's cold, it's much easier. Greek yogurt is my favorite mayo substitute, just as creamy with zero fat.

An InLinkz Link-up

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