Lemon Chicken Zucchini Noodles With Goat Cheese Food

LEMON GARLIC CHICKEN WITH GOAT CHEESE AND ZUCCHINI NOODLES RECIPE - (4.4/5)

Steps:

• LEMON GARLIC CHICKEN: Divide the goat cheese into 6 equal portions. Using your fingers, loosen the skin from one side of the chicken thigh to form a pocket for the goat cheese. Try to keep the skin connected to the thigh on the other sides as much as possible, but don't fret about it if it comes loose. Place a portion of goat cheese under the skin of each thigh, then press down gently on top of the skin to distribute the goat cheese over the thigh. Season the chicken liberally with salt and pepper. Over medium heat on stovetop, heat olive oil in the tagine (or a Dutch oven). Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute. Do not allow garlic to brown. Add wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, herbs, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Place the chicken thighs skin-side-up over the sauce in the tagine. Brush the thighs with the sauce. Tuck the lemon wedges in the tagine among the chicken pieces. Simmer for 30-40 minutes until the chicken thighs are tender and cooked through; occasionally brush the thighs with more sauce. Spoon off the excess fat and oil from the tagine and reserve for cooking vegetables. (If making zucchini noodles, just toss a couple tablespoons of the fat with the zucchini and saute until tender, but not falling apart.) Start the broiler and place the bottom part of the tagine with the chicken a few inches below the flames or broiler element. Broil until the tops of the thighs are crispy and well-browned. Allow the chicken to rest a few minutes so you don't burn yourself. Serve hot with pan juices...Enjoy! ZUCCHINI NOODLES: I skimmed off the excess fat from the cooked chicken and used it to quickly saute the zucchini. The fat from the chicken was already infused with garlic, lemon, and herbs, so no additional seasoning was necessary except a sprinkle of salt and pepper. The texture of the noodles was just like spaghetti - you could even twirl it on your fork.

LEMON-BASIL CHICKEN WITH ZUCCHINI NOODLES

Steps:

• Spread 1/4 cup flour on a large plate. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then dredge in the flour and shake off the excess. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and heat until shimmering, then add the chicken and cook until golden and almost cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes per side.
• Push the chicken to the edges of the skillet, add the shallot and basil stems to the middle and cook until softened but not browned, about 1 minute. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon flour and cook 1 minute. Add the chicken broth and lemon juice and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Reduce the heat and simmer, turning the chicken occasionally, until cooked through and the sauce is thick, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn off the heat and swirl in 2 tablespoons butter until melted. Add the lemon zest and season with salt and pepper.
• Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini noodles and season with salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until just softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Toss in half the torn basil. Divide among plates and top with the chicken, lemon sauce, remaining basil and red pepper flakes.

LEMON CHICKEN & ZUCCHINI NOODLES WITH GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Use a spiralizer to create the zucchini noodles, peel the green skin, and then zoodle them. Do not salt them, just let them sit on a paper towel.
• Dice up the chicken if you already haven't, you want 1-2 inch pieces. Toss the salt and plenty of fresh cracked black pepper in the chicken and mix around.
• Heat a cast iron skillet on medium low, splash some olive oil in the pan, start cooking the chicken.
• Cook the chicken, stirring to brown on all sides, when it is close to being almost cooked through (about 8-10 minutes) add the 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and scrape the bottoms. You are deglazing the pan, and creating a "sticky" chicken.
• Right before the chicken is done, add the lemon juice, and the garlic and stir reducing for a few more minutes until the chicken is fully cooked. Check the chicken by pressing a piece down in the middle. It should be firm and spring back.
• Chicken should be sticky, and glazed. Remove the chicken, set aside. Clean the pan, and toss the zucchini in the pan to saute for a couple minutes (just a splash of olive oil), you want them to retain their freshness and not be soggy!
• Combine noodles, goat cheese, and a portion of chicken for each individual plate or all in one bowl. You can add a little more seasoning using more salt and pepper at the end. Splash the dish with additional olive oil. Toss in basil leaves and red pepper flakes!

ZUCCHINI RIBBONS WITH GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat until the butter melts; cook and stir the shallot until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes; cook and stir until the garlic softens and releases its fragrance, about 3 more minutes. Pour in the chicken broth and zucchini ribbons, and cook, lightly stirring, until the chicken broth has come to a boil and the zucchini strips are cooked through but not mushy, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle with finely sliced basil leaves and crumbled goat cheese.

PASTA WITH ZUCCHINI AND GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package instructions; reserve 1 C cooking water, drain and return to pot.
• Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until zucchini is tender and liquid is evaporated (about 5 min.).
• Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute more.
• Add all but 2 T of the goat cheese to the pasta. Add reserved pasta water, 3/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Stir until creamy.
• Serve pasta topped with zucchini, lemon zest, and remaining goat cheese.