Mediterranean Chicken with Saffron

Let me announce my new favorite way to eat chicken. Its beauty comes from the mixture of vegetables and sauce infused with aromatic saffron.

In this recipe sweet red peppers are sauteed with zucchini, onions and garlic in olive oil. Tomatoes and saffron are added to create an aromatic sauce. The vegetable mixture is added to sauteed chicken breasts to create incredibly satisfying dish with complex flavors and plenty of vegetables. Serve alone or with your favorite grain.

Saffron

Saffron is one of the most delicious and powerful foods in nature.  It’s known to reduce cravings, build vitality and provide stable mood and energy.  It offers powerful support for the nervous system.  I love the taste.  Saffron is used extensively in dishes from the Iberian Peninsula.

In the 15th and 16th centuries Spain and Portugal launched great explorations in search of spices.  They turned up sweet and hot peppers, tomatoes, beans, potatoes, vanilla, avocados and chocolate from the New World.  The kitchens of Europe were revolutionized by these discoveries.  The flavor profile of Mediterranean Cuisine emphasizes big bold flavors full of garlic, tomatoes, olive oil, peppers and spices.

Ingredients

• Sweet Peppers – I use sweet red peppers, but if you can find yellow peppers, combine them with the red peppers for a more colorful dish.
• Zucchini
• Onions
• Garlic 
• Crushed Tomatoes
• Shallots
• White wine – extra broth can be substituted if you prefer
• Chicken Broth – homemade or organic 
• Chicken Breasts – Buy humanely raised chicken. Cut them in half horizontally or buy thinly sliced
• Butter – olive oil or ghee can be substituted

Notes about butter: I use grass fed butter to cook the chicken because I love the taste and it browns the chicken nicely.  For years we were told butter was bad for us but now we know better.  As it turns out the fatty acids in butter have major health benefits.(1). Grass fed butter is high in the fatty acid CLA (conjugated linoleic acid). It can help with fat loss (2).   If butter isn’t part of you diet, saute the chicken in ghee or olive oil.  If using olive oil keep the temperature on low to prevent the oil from oxidizing.

How to Make

In this dish we make the saffron vegetable sauce first. Then the chicken is browned a pan and deglazed with either white wine or stock and combined with the saffron flavored vegetables.  The wine gives the dish a slightly acidic taste which balances the tomatoes, but if it’s not part of your diet use extra stock and a squeeze of lemon juice. 

Here are the general guidelines the details are in the recipe card below.

Step 1:Start by sauteing the peppers, zucchini, onions and garlic in olive oil.  Add tomatoes and saffron to create the aromatic sauce. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Set aside. 

.Step 2: Cut the chicken breast in half horizontally to get 4 thin cutlets. This allows them to cook quickly.  

Step 3:  In a heavy sauté pan large enough to hold the chicken breasts in one layer melt the butter. Cook over medium heat until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Sorry you have 2 pans to clean up but it makes a more flavorful dish. Turn the pieces and cook about 3 minutes more or until done. Do not overcook. Transfer the chicken to a warm platter.

Step 4: Add the shallots to the pan and cook until wilted, 30 seconds. Do not brown. Pour in the wine (or broth) and scrape the bottom with a wooden spatula to dissolve any brown particles that may cling to the bottom of the pan. Simmer until the wine is reduced by half. Add the chicken broth. Let cook until it is reduced by half.

Step 5: Return the chicken breasts back to the pan. Add the saffron flavored vegetables.  Heat until warmed through. 

Step 6: Serve sprinkled with parsley.

The complex flavors and many vegetables in this dish make it incredibly satisfying.  You won’t need to eat more than 4 ounces of chicken here, which is enough.  I always aim for my plate to be 70% vegetables.  Having lots of good tasting veggies to go along with your protein makes it to stay nourished.

Serving

I have served this dish with Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes and/or Sauteed Spinach and Radicchio.  It’s also good with Marinated Swiss Chard and/or Roasted Sweet Potatoes.  Any green vegetables are perfect.  Rice or quinoa is also nice.

Enjoy the recipe.  If you like it, make it three times over the next few weeks, you will have it memorized and it will be easy. You won’t even need to check the directions.   Please leave me a comment below. I love to hearing how your food comes out.

If you like this recipe, try these other delicious Saffron dishes:

• Moroccan Chicken with Saffron and Zucchini
• Cauliflower Risotto with Saffron and Peas (AIP, Paleo, Vegan)
• Spring Saffron Vegetable Soup (AIP, Paleo, Vegan)

 

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