Salsa Verde Green Chicken

Published On 23 January, 2014 | Dairy Free, Dinner, Gluten Free, Kosher

If I think a recipe is quick and easy, I always ask my wife for a reality check before I share that with you.  You see, I’ll gladly come home from work and spend two or three hours in the kitchen.  Our son is now old enough to help me measure or stir and our daughter can toddle and tumble, tasting and playing as we go.  Once the kids go to sleep, I can happily return to the kitchen and prep dinner for the next day, blissfully unaware of how late it is.

I checked, and this recipe really is quick and easy.  

This all came about because we buy our green salsa from Costco and the jar is huge.  I prefer red salsa, and it’s not that often that we’re cracking open a bag of chips and dip.  My wife nonchalantly mentioned a friend was joining us for dinner, which is a welcome and normal occurrence around here,  and I opened our bare, bare fridge and wondered what would be.

Rice, check.

Leeks, check.

Chicken, check.

Green cauliflower, check.

Salsa verde…. hmm… check.

After a Facebook chat with Kitchen Tested’s Melinda, I was confident that this could work.  This might actually be delicious. Dinner was a go! For the record, check out the Kitchen Tested Salsa Verde if you are making the salsa from scratch.  It’s the best way to go!

Leeks in Le Creuset

The green theme was stuck in my head so I wanted to make a green tahini.  That wasn’t going to happen, so I added tahini paste, sesame seeds and parsley to the grocery list and thought of plan B.  Inspired by the chicken paella I made with my buddy Chris of The Epicurean Pig, I went with aioli.

Dinner was magical.  Quick, easy and no groceries required.  Thank G-d for that — because I didn’t slip on the December ice and fracture my wrist running to the store for this recipe.  That was the next day! 

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How much do you love this photo? Right?! I know… stop…!

Salsa Verde Green Chicken

Serves 4

  • 2 Leeks
  • Half a head of green cauliflower
  • Half a head of broccoli 
  • 1.5lbs boneless chicken thighs
  • 1 cup salsa verde

Optional, and highly recommended 

  • Garlic aioli.  I’ll keep giving you this recipe until I post my own!
  • 2 cups cooked brown rice
  • One avocado

Here’s how you make this happen

  • Put a large skillet on a medium heat, my Le Cruset braiser was perfect for this dish, and it looked great on the table too! Drizzle some olive oil, grapeseed oil or coconut oil in the pan, slice the leeks and let them cook until soft and they start to turn golden brown.  This will take eight to ten minutes.
  • Cut the florets off the cauliflower and the broccoli, let them sit in salt water for ten minutes. 
  • Dice the chicken thighs and pour one cup of salsa verde over the chicken pieces.  Mix well. 
  • Rice the cauliflower and broccoli well and once the leeks are golden brown, add to the braiser.
  • After ten minutes on a medium temperature, turn the heat to low, add the chicken then go low and slow for the next 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked. 
  • Make a garlic aioli. 
  • Serve in bowls, over brown rice and garnish with aioli and sliced avocado.

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