Garlic Artichoke Baked Chicken

By now you’ve probably noticed a few ingredients that I tend to use a LOT of throughout my recipes, one of those being garlic.  Typically I’ll double the amount of garlic a recipe calls for just to make sure F and I get our fix.  This recipe is another easy one, and an especially great recipe to double and use for the next day’s lunch – it’s super yummy cold!

yes please

This recipe is adapted out of my Mark Sisson’s Primal Blueprint: Quick & Easy Meals cookbook given to me by another coach at CrossFit South Bay.  It is an amazing cookbook (planning on reviewing it in a later post), but Mark Sisson is primal rather than paleo – he allows for some amounts of dairy, has a slightly different view on saturated fat, etc.  For more on the difference between Primal vs. Paleo, see this great post written by Mariessa at CFSB: http://www.crossfitsouthbay.com/2011/03/9825/

So, since it is following the Primal model, the recipe calls for a small amount of butter.  This was OK with me as I use butter VERY rarely, but you’ll have to listen to your body and make the right choice for you.  My good friend Kathleen also suggested using “Earth Balance” brand from Trader Joe’s which is non-dairy and low hydro oils.  Like I said, do what works for you and have fun experimenting!

Garlic Artichoke Baked Chicken

INGREDIENTS (serves 3-4):

1/3 cup olive oil

2 – 2.5 T of butter

6 preserved anchovy fillets (DON’T GET SCARED!  They aren’t gross, they add so much flavor to the sauce!)

6-7 garlic cloves, finely chopped

lemon zest to taste (I grated about 2 sides of a large lemon)

2 lb. chicken, cut into cubes/chunks

2 14-oz. cans of artichoke hearts, drained and quartered (most come quartered)

chopped parsley for garnish

Salt & Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS: In a skillet over medium heat, combine the olive oil, butter and anchovies.  Anchovies can be found canned/jarred at any grocery store.  As the butter melts, smash the anchovies into a paste with a wooden spoon.  Your paste does not have to be perfectly pasty, the point is to mix everything together.  Once the anchovies have dissolved and the oil/butter start to bubble, turn off the heat and mix in the chopped garlic and lemon zest.  Stir thoroughly.

Turn your oven broiler on high.  I had never used my broiler until a few weeks ago, so if any of you are “broiler newcomers,” there is only one setting on your oven for the broiler that it automatically sets to (ours is 525 degrees).  So, no need to set it to the broiler at X amount of degrees.  Also, when you have something under the broiler, WATCH IT.  I burnt a cobbler to hell last week leaving it in too long.

Combine the chicken and artichokes in a baking dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.  Then, pour your sauce over the top and mix well (I used my hands to make sure everything was fully coated).  Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring several times until done.

Garnish with parsley!  We served ours with roasted radishes – recipe to come!

Enjoy – this is a DELICIOUS one! have a great weekend <3