Flavors of lime, garlic, olives, and cilantro combine to create this super tasty, golden chicken on a bed of zucchini "rice". If you don't like cilantro, use parsley. Either way, it's a Latin-inspired winner. It's a whole meal in a single pan. Easy, delicious, nutritious.
Instructions
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Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. Season the chicken with lime juice, annatto, salt, and pepper.
Heat the oil over high heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning to brown all over. Reduce temperature to low.
Stir in garlic, bell pepper, celery, and olives. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally until the chicken is very tender (about 17 minutes).
In the meantime, chop the zucchini noodles until they are cut into pieces about the size of a rice of grain.
Once the chicken is very tender, increase heat to high. Stir in the cilantro and zucchini, heat stirring for about a minute, or until heated through.
Remove from the heat and serve.
Tips!
Annatto (also known as anato, bija or achiote) is a tropical American tree with seeds that are intensely red and have a mild taste. Annatto has been used as a food coloring going back to pre-Columbian times. If you can't find annatto, use an equal amount of Spanish paprika.
If you don't like cilantro, use parsley instead.
Zucchini noodles, "zoodles", can be bought pre-made in most local supermarkets (perfect for busy people). However they are super easy (and cheap) to make with a spiralizer.
To make the rice, just chop the zoodles into rice-sized pieces. If you are really short of time, just use the zoodles without dicing. It will look and taste just as good.
