Costa Rica Herb Chicken with Tropical Salsa

in

It’s a bright, herby taste sensation inspired by Nichole’s travels in Costa Rica—perfectly cooked chicken thighs covered in cilantro, dill, and chopped chives. That's enough flavor on its own, but the sweet heat from the salsa, which is made of pineapple, peaches, and cucumber, gives this dish another level of flavor. We love to make this for company and equally love it atop lettuce cups for leftovers the next day. 

This recipe yields 4 - 5 servings.

Ingredients 

INGREDIENTS


  • For the chicken:
  • 6 chicken thighs
  • ⅓ cup fresh chopped cilantro
  • ⅓ cup fresh chopped dill
  • 3 tablespoons fresh chopped chives
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper

  • For the Tropical Salsa:
  • 2 fresh yellow peaches, chopped
  • 1 mango, chopped
  • ½ cucumber, chopped
  • 2 jalapeños, finely diced with ribs and seeds removed
  • 1 cup fresh pineapple, chopped
  • 1 passion fruit, chopped (optional)

  • For the chicken:
  • 6 chicken thighs
  • 33.7 grams fresh chopped cilantro
  • 33.7 grams fresh chopped dill
  • 20 grams fresh chopped chives
  • 30 ml olive oil
  • 30 ml maple syrup
  • 6 grams sea salt
  • 1.15 grams pepper

  • For the Tropical Salsa:
  • 2 fresh yellow peaches, chopped
  • 1 mango, chopped
  • ½ cucumber, chopped
  • 2 jalapeños, finely diced with ribs and seeds removed
  • 151.7 grams fresh pineapple, chopped
  • 1 passion fruit, chopped (optional)

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit. In a large mixing bowl add chicken thighs, fresh chopped herbs, olive oil, maple syrup, salt, and pepper. Toss the chicken until each piece is evenly coated, cover. Let marinate for 30-60 minutes.

  2. Once the chicken is marinated, place on a baking sheet lined with parchment and roast for 20-23 minutes. The chicken will appear golden and juicy. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing to serve.

  3. In another mixing bowl, toss the peaches, mango, cucumber, jalapeños, pineapple, and passion fruit (if using) together. Serve the fresh salsa over the herb roasted chicken. Enjoy!

tips

*For leftovers, add the chicken and salsa to a bowl with a small splash of coconut aminos and dollop of mayo for a quick tropical chicken salad. You can serve in lettuce boats or atop bread.

 

Rosemary and Sage Crackers

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While it’s now a breeze to banish regular saltines and fill our pantries with store-bought crackers made from better-for-you ingredients, when possible, I prefer to make my own. Also, using the nutritious ancient grain amaranth is a good way to branch out from other gluten-free grains or the ubiquitous almond flour.

This recipe yields about 12 crackers

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups amaranth
  • 1 tablespoon fresh or dried rosemary
  • 1 tablespoon fresh or powdered sage
  • 1 clove of garlic or ½ teaspoon of garlic powder
  • 1½ teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ cup water + extra tablespoon if needed
  • ⅓ cup olive oil
  • 260 g amaranth
  • 1 tablespoon fresh or dried rosemary
  • 1 tablespoon fresh or powdered sage
  • 1 clove of garlic or ½ teaspoon of garlic powder
  • 1½ teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 120 ml water + extra tablespoon if needed
  • 80 ml olive oil

Directions

  1.  Place all ingredients in a food processor and mix until combined (about 30 seconds). The mix will be crumbly but should hold together. 

  2. Place on parchment paper and, using a rolling pin, roll dough out to a very thin layer (as thin as you can get it without breaking the dough).

  3. Use a cookie cutter to make fun shapes or a knife to cut into squares.

  4. Using a fork, prick holes in the tops of the crackers.

  5. Sprinkle with fresh fennel or rosemary. 

  6. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit / 175 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes.

Tips

**The thinner you make the dough, the crispier your cracker will be.

**For a standalone cracker, double the herbs and add another half teaspoon of garlic and salt.

 
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