I wanted to try something different for a baked chicken recipe and this was the perfect weeknight solution. The hummus cooked with the vegetables made for a yummy sauce mixed with the olive and seasoning. I made additional steamed green beans and potatoes as a side and will make again soon! This will be my solution to leftover hummus after serving as an appetizer when we have friends over so it doesn’t sit in my fridge for weeks!
Ingredients:
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- salt and pepper
- 1 zucchini, chopped
- 1 yellow squash, chopped
- 1 cup mushrooms, chopped
- 1 cup hummus, (I used whole foods store bought)
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 lemons
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Prepare two baking dishes lined with tin foil.
Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Cut up the zucchini, squash and mushrooms and place in baking dish and coat with olive oil, basil, salt and pepper. You can also add 1/4 cup chopped onion. Squeeze half lemon onto the vegetables and layer 2-3 tbsp of hummus over the vegetables.
Lay the chicken breasts in the second dish, then spoon the hummus on each chicken breast, coating both sides. Squeeze the juice of the other half of the lemon over the chicken and sprinkle the top with smoked & sweet paprika.
Optional: Thinly slice the remaining lemon, and place the slices in between the chicken and vegetables.
Bake for about 40 minutes, and the last 5 minutes turn the broiler on to give the vegetables and top of chicken a roasted look. Serve immediately, recommend with fingerling potatoes. If you aren’t afraid of a little butter, see below recipe for braised fingerling potatoes.
- 1-3/4 lb. fingerling potatoes, scrubbed
- 6 large sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 to 2 Tbs. unsalted butter
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2-3 cups low sodium chicken broth
Cut the potatoes so they are 1 inch in diameter. Arrange the potatoes in a skillet, ensure potatoes are not stacked on top of each other. Lay the thyme sprigs between the potatoes. Cut 1-2 Tbs. of the butter into pieces. Add the butter, 3/4 tsp. salt, and a sprinkle pepper on the potatoes.
Pour over just enough broth to almost cover the potatoes (about 2 cups). Partially cover and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Simmer, stirring gently once or twice, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a skewer, about 25 minutes. (If the broth dries up before the potatoes are tender, add another 1/2 cup, or add water.)
Transfer the potatoes to a serving dish. Increase the heat to high and boil the remaining liquid, uncovered, until it’s reduced to a buttery glaze, 5 to 8 minutes, depending on the amount of liquid. Remove the thyme sprigs . If you would like a richer sauce, add an additional Tbs. butter, but I didn’t find this necessary. Pour the glaze over the potatoes and serve immediately.
Adapted from below recipe: http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/braised-fingerlings-butter-thyme.aspx
Chicken Adapted from the below recipe:
www.gimmesomeoven.com/hummus-crusted-chicken/#_a5y_p=1169760