Well I’ve indulged so much over the last few days that I can’t WAIT to lock down a few days of straight clean eating. Even though I looked forward to the cheat meals, wow, do I notice a difference! Just in the way that I feel after a meal. It makes me appreciate this clean eating lifestyle so much more! So since most of us may be struggling a little bit to get back on track, I thought I’d share a quick, easy, ONE-POT recipe that will feed a lot of people (since I know some may have extra family around this week too...thankfully!) In my multicultural childhood, my Italian-Albanian mom made this for my family about once a month...usually because my very-Polish dad asked for it. It’s a traditionally Hungarian meal but many Eastern European countries have their own twist on it. (My favorite part was the dumplings she made with it...sorry I had to leave those out, Mom! But let’s share a moment of silence for their perfection...) I serve this with plenty of extra sauce over brown rice or lentil pasta but it also tastes great over veggie noodles or even mashed parsnips or mashed white sweet potatoes. As always, please share your comments & photos and enjoy!
Chef’s Note- This recipe traditionally includes sour cream. I used almond milk yogurt in this recipe (my usual go-to sour cream substitute) but that can be substituted for coconut milk yogurt or even unsweetened coconut cream. If you’re not dairy-free, you can use non fat Greek yogurt as well. Another professional trick: for beautifully seared, crispy proteins, always dry them off with a paper towel before seasoning and browning them. The chicken in this recipe will brown perfectly if you dry the thighs off first. (That’s the way we get perfectly crispy seafood in a restaurant kitchen too!)
Ingredients
• 2 Tbsp avocado oil (divided)
• 2 lbs boneless, skinless, chicken thighs
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 small white onion, chopped
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp sweet paprika (not smoked!)
• 1/2 cup almond milk yogurt, unsweetened
• 1/3 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup diced tomato (if canned, then drain)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
1. Heat 1 tablespoon of avocado oil over medium heat in a cast iron skillet for 2 minutes.
2. With a paper towel, dry the chicken thighs. Season on both sides with a pinch of salt and pepper per thigh.
3. Place the chicken in the skillet and cook for 4 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and set the chicken aside.
4. Add the other tablespoon of avocado oil to the pan and stir in the onion, salt and pepper. Sauté for 5-7 minutes, then add the garlic. Continue cooking for an additional minute, taking care not to let the garlic burn.
5. Stir in the paprika, almond milk yogurt, and chicken stock, mixing well until fully blended. Then add in the tomatoes and the browned chicken thighs. Let the mixture simmer for 20-25 minutes.
6. Serve over brown rice or brown rice pasta (or starch of your choice!) with extra sauce and garnish with fresh chopped parsley. Season further with salt and pepper to taste.
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