This recipe came together on a weeknight, I was lacking both time and energy and wanted to create a meal from what I had on hand and what was growing in my little garden. I had a HUUGE grey zucchini in my garden and my husband had mentioned he was craving his mum’s chicken and zucchini, however I was missing a few key ingredients to make that, so this is my “Mediterranean chicken and zucchini” as I call it. Before you freak out when scanning the ingredients for this, please don’t cringe when you get to “anchovies”. Even if you think you hate anchovies or fish for that matter, hear me out. You will NOT know they are there. Tinned/jarred anchovy fillets are frequently used in the Mediterranean diet to create a great depth of flavor and umami (the fifth taste)in dishes. They melt into the dish almost right away, so trust me, even your kids won’t know they are there! You can leave them out, but I wouldn’t, they really make a great difference in the final taste.
When it comes to zucchini, the larger they grow (mine got huge) the more seeds they contain and the thicker their skin. You will need to remove the seeds. The best way is to slice down the the zucchini lengthwise on either side of the large seeds in the middle. Discard the seeds. Be careful not to overcook zucchini, believe me it is easy to due. The moisture content of zucchini squash is high so you will end up a lot of liquid as you cook them. The longer you cook them the mushier they become. If you don’t have fresh beans on hand or available, you can also substitute kale or Swiss chard.
This makes a great make ahead lunch as well. No worries, the chicken stands up well to being warmed up and doesn’t dry out.
Add olive oil to a large saucepan. Add the onion and cook over medium low heat for about 15 minutes, then add garlic and sauté another 2 minutes. Add the filets of anchovies and stir, as you stir them they will essentially “melt” Add the sliced chicken breast, then the first amount of dried/fresh herbs, chili flakes and sea salt.
Sauté until chicken is cooked through (about 5 minutes), then add the zucchini half rounds and cook for about 5 more minutes, remove the cooked chicken , set aside and allow zucchini to soften more, but don’t allow it to get soft and mushy, about another 5 minutes.
Add the chopped beans (or sliced kale or Swiss chard) and cook until they are still a bit crunchy (for kale or chard until wilted but still bright green), but softened, about 8 minutes. Add back in the chicken. Stir in the second batch of chopped fresh herbs and serve. No need to serve over rice or pasta, though you certainly could if you wish.
Ingredients
Directions
Add olive oil to a large saucepan. Add the onion and cook over medium low heat for about 15 minutes, then add garlic and sauté another 2 minutes. Add the filets of anchovies and stir, as you stir them they will essentially “melt” Add the sliced chicken breast, then the first amount of dried/fresh herbs, chili flakes and sea salt.
Sauté until chicken is cooked through (about 5 minutes), then add the zucchini half rounds and cook for about 5 more minutes, remove the cooked chicken , set aside and allow zucchini to soften more, but don’t allow it to get soft and mushy, about another 5 minutes.
Add the chopped beans (or sliced kale or Swiss chard) and cook until they are still a bit crunchy (for kale or chard until wilted but still bright green), but softened, about 8 minutes. Add back in the chicken. Stir in the second batch of chopped fresh herbs and serve. No need to serve over rice or pasta, though you certainly could if you wish.