Chicken, Dairy-Free recipe, Mains

Thyme Chicken with Zucchini Couscous

Posted by Diana. on

This is a really simple, healthy and flavorful dinner—my favorite kind!

DINNER FOR TWO, INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 chicken cutlets
  • 1 zucchini
  • 2-5 cloves of garlic because who am I to tell you how much garlic you should use
  • 2 green onions
  • 1 tomato
  • 1 lemon, zested and sliced (kinda optional but it does brighten up these kinds of pasta dishes)
  • Couscous or really any kind of starch here will do: I also like rice, but technically you could use potatoes or corn, even.
    • FYI: Couscous is not gluten free! It’s tiny pasta balls! So switch this out for sure if you need gluten-free meals.
  • 1 tsp. dried thyme
  • 1/4 c. chicken stock
  • 2 TBSP. butter (or Earth Balance for dairy-free)

HOW TO MAKE IT

  1. First, wash your produce and cut things (except for lemon) into small dices: zucchini, tomato and garlic.
    • Separate the dark green from the whites of the scallions.
  2. First cook your starch however it’s best prepared. For couscous or rice, start by melting 1 TBSP of butter in small pot, add garlic until fragrant, then add couscous or rice with the right amount of water for your serving size and some salt. Set aside covered until the rest is done.
  3. Pat chicken with thyme, salt and pepper and cook in a large pan, probably 4-6 minutes per side. (You can bake the chicken instead, but the drippings in the pan are a nice flavor for the veggies you’ll cook next.)
    • When chicken is done, set on a cutting board to rest before cutting. You can cover lightly with foil to help keep it warm but you’re going to put warm sauce over it in a few minutes anyway.
  4. In the same pan, drizzle a little bit of oil and sauté diced zucchini with half of your garlic and some salt. Zucchini can take a while if it’s cut in large pieces, but this shouldn’t take more than about 5 to make soft.
  5. Once the zucchini is soft, melt 1 TBSP of butter in the same pan, and add tomato and scallion whites, with a little more salt/pepper to taste. Let cook 2-3 minutes.
  6. Add the chicken stock to the pan and lightly simmer until slightly reduced.
  7. Add couscous/rice/whatever to the zucchini sauce. Stir in some lemon zest and squeeze some juice in at this stage if you like.
  8. Add to plates, then top with your cooked chicken. Garnish with dark green scallion trimmings and lemon zest.