We took my niece to New York this past weekend, a birthday present for her 16th birthday. She’d never been to New York and I’m always looking for a good excuse to go. We had a whirlwind of a time! We went to museums, walked up and down the streets of the city, window-shopped, shop-shopped, saw Phantom of the Opera (one of my favorite shows! still made me cry like a baby!) and even made time for afternoon tea at Lady Mendyl’s Tea Salon.
Yes, it was a fantastic weekend. However, there’s nothing like a little travel to throw you off of your schedule and make some not-so-clean eating decisions. By the time I got home, all I could think about was eating healthy and starting back up with a low-carb diet.
Eating low-carb is one of my best tools for managing weight and improving cognitive performance. It’s especially helpful with PCOS since it allows very little sugar and carbs, but plenty of fat for a healthier hormone response. Now that I’m back on the low-carb bandwagon (and avoiding some of those starchy winter vegetables for awhile), I’ve been at it in the kitchen with some of my favorite low-carb recipes, this recipe included.
You won’t miss the starch with all the flavors in this recipe. Kale comes together with olives, caper, and artichoke to make a flavor-packed stuffing for the chicken. Plus, you have a hint of sweetness from the green beans and fennel, that make the recipe even more satisfying. And don’t worry — it’s also Paleo, Whole30 and Low-carb. Check it out!
Here’s what you need:
- 2 large pasture-raised chicken breasts
- 1 cup red kale, chopped
- 3 artichoke hearts, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/8 cup red onion, finely diced
- 4-5 kalamata olives, chopped
- 1 T capers
- ½ t dried mustard
- 1/4 t ground white pepper,
- 1/2 t dried parsley
- 1/2 t dried oregano
- 1/2 t dried basil
- 1/2 t sea salt (I like the pink kind), plus additional sea salt, to taste
- 1/2 t black pepper
- 3 T avocado oil, divided
- 3/4 cup fennel, thinly sliced
- 1 cup green beans, tips removed
- 1.5 T fresh chopped parsley, divided in half
Here’s what you do:
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
- Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add in about 1 tablespoon of cooking fat (I used avocado oil). Toss your kale in the skillet, along with the garlic and onion. Season with a little salt and pepper. Cook for about 3-5 minutes, until the kale has softened and is no longer tough.
- Remove the kale from heat and put it in a medium bowl. Add the olives, capers, and artichokes to the bowl. Give it a good mix. Set aside.
- Combine the dried parsley, basil, 1/2 t sea salt, white pepper, dried mustard, and oregano in a small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon avocado oil and 1/2 the chopped parsley. Give it a good stir. Set aside.
- Cut a slit in your chicken breast (lengthwise — be careful not to cut through the other side!) to create a pocket. Fill both pockets with the kale and olive mixture. Then, coat each chicken breast with the seasoning blend you made in step four. Place the chicken breast on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Put your green beans and fennel in a large mixing bowl. Toss with 1 tablespoon avocado oil, sea salt and pepper. Arrange the green beans and fennel around the chicken.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink.
- Delight in this healthy, flavorful dish!
Add this to your recipe box:
- 2 large pasture-raised chicken breasts
- 1 cup red kale, chopped
- 3 artichoke hearts, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/8 cup red onion, finely diced
- 4-5 kalamata olives, chopped
- 1 T capers
- ½ t dried mustard
- 1/4 t ground white pepper,
- 1/2 t dried parsley
- 1/2 t dried oregano
- 1/2 t dried basil
- 1/2 t sea salt, plus additional sea salt, to taste
- 1/2 t black pepper
- 3 T avocado oil, divided
- 3/4 cup fennel, thinly sliced
- 1 cup green beans, tips removed
- 1.5 T fresh chopped parsley, divided in half
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
- Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add in about 1 tablespoon of cooking fat (I used avocado oil). Toss your kale in the skillet, along with the garlic and onion. Season with a little salt and pepper. Cook for about 3-5 minutes, until the kale has softened and is no longer tough.
- Remove the kale from heat and put it in a medium bowl. Add the olives, capers, and artichokes to the bowl. Give it a good mix. Set aside.
- Combine the dried parsley, basil, 1/2 t sea salt, white pepper, dried mustard, and oregano in a small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon avocado oil and 1/2 the chopped parsley. Give it a good stir. Set aside.
- Cut a slit in your chicken breast (lengthwise -- be careful not to cut through the other side!) to create a pocket. Fill both pockets with the kale and olive mixture. Then, coat each chicken breast with the seasoning blend you made in step four. Place the chicken breast on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Put your green beans and fennel in a large mixing bowl. Toss with 1 tablespoon avocado oil, sea salt and pepper. Arrange the green beans and fennel around the chicken.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink.
- Delight in this healthy, flavorful dish!
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