herby chicken + stem broccoli + parmesan and lemon pasta = healthy springtime surprise
September 11, 2012 in Chicken + Poultry, Pasta
My mom, Babs, is in her eighties, extremely healthy and has been a size 10 her whole life. She is one of those “odd” people who does not like butter, cream, fatty foods, deep fried foods, chips and crisps or anything unhealthy and then she also does’nt like too much spices either – not like her not-so-small-foodie-wine-drinking-spice-loving-daughter! Lean proteins, huge salads, vegetables, different kinds of fruit and whole grains are part of her daily regimen – washed down with a cuppa tea or two – and then … always a healthy strong whiskey every single night. I have to admit though that she has been prone to a bit of strong cheese and a dash of olive oil here and there just to keep the body parts in good working order.
So when Babs comes to visit I have to cook something healthy and therefore for our Sunday lunch recently I prepared a chicken breast covered in fresh herbs, some stem broccoli and I served it on parmesan + lemon flavoured pasta. It was delicious, fresh with a light and dreamy springtime flavour… but most importantly … mom approved. Enjoy!
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 10 min
Cooking time: 30 min
Ingredients
For the chicken
4 Skinless deboned chicken breasts
1T Olive oil
1 Clove garlic – peeled and sliced in 4 slices length ways
2 T Fresh coriander – chopped
2T Fresh parsley – chopped
1T Fresh basil – chopped
1 Lemon
Salt
Black pepper
For the spaghetti
Cook enough spaghetti for 4 people
2T Olive oil
75g Grated parmesan cheese
2T Fresh parsley – chopped
1 Lemon
Salt
Black pepper
For the stem broccoli
4 or more stem broccoli
Salt
Black Pepper
Drizzle of olive oil
Squeeze of lemon juice
Method
Chicken
1. Make small incisions into the chicken breasts and insert a sliver of garlic into each breast.
2. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
3. Mix all chopped herbs together – parsley, coriander and basil.
4. Then press the breasts in the fresh herbs – so that the herbs coat both sides of the chicken breasts.
5. Using a non-stick pan fry the breasts till done – while frying squeeze a bit of lemon over the chicken.
6. When done put aside.
Pasta
7. Add the parmesan, olive oil and lemon in a bowl – mix well and add to the cooked pasta.
8. Then mix the parsley through.
9. Taste the pasta for seasoning – add some more salt and add the black pepper.
Stem broccoli
10. Cook as per packet instructions – normally only 3-4 minutes.
11. Immediately put in a bath of ice water.
12. After a while, warm the broccoli up again in the same pot you have cooked them – add a drizzle of olive oil, lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
To assemble
13. Place the cooked pasta the bottom of the bowl. Add the stem broccoli and then the chicken breast. To serve, add another drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon and parmesan shavings.
