This recipe also contains one of our Balanced Bites Spice Blends - SUPER GARLIC Spice Blend - which you can shop here!
Ingredients
- 4 medium zucchini
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Sea salt and ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup cooking fat of choice
FOR THE BREADING
- 1 cup almond flour or other raw nut or seed meal or flour
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour
- 2 tablespoons SUPER GARLIC Spice Blend
- 1 large egg
FOR THE SPINACH ALFREDO SAUCE
- 5 tightly packed cups finely chopped fresh spinach (about two 5-ounce bags)
- 1/2 cup full-fat coconut, nut, or dairy milk
- 1/2 cup grated hard cheese, such as Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Sea salt (optional)
FOR GARNISH
- Coarse sea salt
- Red pepper flakes
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Make the zucchini into noodles using a spiral slicer, a handheld julienne peeler, or even a regular vegetable peeler (if using a regular peeler, the noodles will be wide and flat instead of spaghetti shaped). You should get 3 cups of noodles. Set aside.
Prepare the chicken: Tear 2 large sheets of plastic wrap from a roll and place 1 sheet on a large cutting board. Set a chicken thigh on the plastic wrap, then place the second sheet of plastic wrap on top. Using a kitchen mallet, evenly pound the chicken until it’s roughly 1/4 inch thick. Repeat this process for all pieces of chicken. Season the chicken on both sides with a few pinches each of salt and pepper.
Place a large, heavy-bottomed sauté pan over medium heat. Melt the cooking fat in the pan and allow it to become hot, about 5 minutes. While the fat is heating, bread the chicken.
Create a breading station for the chicken: In a large shallow bowl or dish, whisk the almond flour, coconut flour, and spice blend until well combined. In a second large shallow bowl or dish, whisk the egg until well beaten. Dip a piece of chicken into the egg to coat it completely, allowing excess egg to drip off. Next, dredge the chicken in the flour mixture to coat it completely, gently shaking off any excess. Repeat this process for all pieces of chicken.
Working in batches, place the chicken in the hot pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until the breading has turned golden brown, adding more oil as needed. Transfer the browned chicken to the prepared baking sheet. Once all of the chicken has been browned, place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F.
Meanwhile, make the alfredo sauce: Combine the spinach, milk, cheese, garlic, and pepper in a large saucepan and heat over medium-low heat, stirring often. Let the sauce reduce slowly for 8 to 10 minutes, until it thickens, then remove the pan from the heat. Taste, add salt if desired, and adjust the seasonings to taste.
Add the zucchini noodles to the alfredo sauce, stir everything together, and return to the heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until the noodles are fork-tender.
Serve the chicken over the zucchini alfredo and garnish with coarse salt and red pepper flakes.