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.
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Heat the oil over high heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning to brown all over. Reduce temperature to low.
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Stir in garlic, bell pepper, celery, and olives. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally until the chicken is very tender (about 17 minutes).
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In the meantime, chop the zucchini noodles until they are cut into pieces about the size of a rice of grain.
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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.
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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.