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Perfect each spring, summer and fall, when fresh asparagus is in season, this Dairy-free Marry Me Chicken is an easy favorite to serve to your family or guests, regularly.
While most versions of this recipe use spinach and/or sun-dried tomatoes, this version is anti-inflammatory, so we use gentler veggies: cauliflower and asparagus. The creamy fresh result is always delicious!
This recipe works great for anti-inflammatory and real food diets, including Gluten-free, Paleo, Low vA (VAD), Whole30, AIP, Low Carb and more.
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Ingredients in Dairy-free Marry Me Chicken
- cauliflower
- fresh asparagus
- chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
- chicken broth, or flavorful stock
- coconut milk, or other unsweetened, neutral-tasting dairy-free milk of choice
- olive oil, or avocado oil
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt, or quality clean sea salt
- arrowroot, or tapioca flour
- Dijon mustard, optional (omit for AIP)
- dried rosemary, powdered
How to make DF Marry Me Chicken with Asparagus & Cauliflower
Begin by roasting the cauliflower, as it will be added to the dish at the end.
Roasted Cauliflower
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Wash the cauliflower. Slice each head into ¾-inch steaks — expect three to four per head. The outer slices will fall apart; roast these alongside the steaks as florets. Pat dry if needed.
- Arrange steaks and florets in a single layer on a baking sheet. Brush generously with olive oil on both sides. Roast for 15 minutes, then flip, season with salt, and return to the oven for another 10 minutes, or until browned and fork-tender.
Chicken and Sauce
- Heat fat in a large skillet over medium-high. Season chicken thighs with salt, and cook 5 to 7 minutes per side until browned and cooked through: Reduce heat to low or medium-low (to keep a slow simmer), and cover to cook on the second side. Remove chicken and keep warm. Reserve all pan juices.
- Pour pan juices into a liquid measuring cup. Add broth to reach the 1-¼ cup line, then add coconut milk. Whisk in arrowroot, optional mustard, salt and powdered dried rosemary until combined. Set aside.
- In the same skillet, add a little more fat and cook asparagus over medium-high heat until almost done to your liking (more details in the recipe below). Return the cauliflower and chicken to the pan.
- Pour the sauce over everything. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until the sauce begins to thicken, turning the chicken once during this time — about 2 minutes.
- Serve with rice, cauliflower rice, mashed parsnips, good bread or roasted potatoes.
Leftovers
Leftovers keep great in the fridge for three days.
To reheat, place into warm 300°F oven until chicken is warmed through to the center. Or slowly reheat over low heat on the stove top.
Dairy-free Marry Me Chicken with Asparagus (nightshade-free)
Perfect each spring, summer and fall, when fresh asparagus is in season, this Dairy-free Marry Me Chicken is an easy favorite to serve to your family or guests regularly.While most versions of this recipe use spinach and/or sun-dried tomatoes, this version is anti-inflammatory, so we use gentler veggies: cauliflower and asparagus. The creamy fresh result is always delicious.Gluten-free, Paleo, Whole30, Low Carb, AIP and more.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 444kcal
Cost: $15.00
Equipment
- large skillet
Ingredients
- 1 large cauliflower head
- ¼ cup olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon quality salt Diamond Crystal kosher salt or quality clean sea salt
- 1.5 lbs chicken thighs boneless and skinless
- salt for sprinkling
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil or: coconut oil or tallow, plus additional if needed
- 1 bunch asparagus fresh
- 1 Tablespoon arrowroot or tapioca flour
- 1 cup chicken broth or flavorful stock (you may need less; see recipe)
- ½ cup coconut milk full fat, creamy/stirred, or other unsweetened, neutral-tasting dairy-free milk of choice
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard optional
- 1-½ teaspoons quality salt Diamond Crystal Kosher or 1 teaspoon quality clean salt (kosher salt is less salty)
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary powdered
Instructions
- Begin by roasting the cauliflower, as it will be added to the dish at the end.
Roasted Cauliflower
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Wash the cauliflower, remove outer leaves, and trim the bottom of the core, keeping it intact. Slice each head into ¾-inch steaks — expect three to four per head. The outer slices will fall apart; roast these alongside the steaks as florets. Pat dry if needed.
- Arrange steaks and florets in a single layer on a baking sheet. Brush generously with olive oil on both sides. Roast for 15 minutes, then flip, season with salt, and return to the oven for another 10 minutes, or until browned and fork-tender. Transfer to a cutting board, cut into mostly bite-sized pieces, and set aside.
Chicken and Sauce
- Heat fat of choice in a large skillet over medium-high. Season chicken thighs with salt, and cook 5 to 7 minutes per side until browned and cooked through: Reduce heat to low or medium-low (to keep a slow simmer), and cover to cook on the second side (this creates nice pan juices and gently cooks the chicken through). Remove chicken and keep warm. Reserve all pan juices.
- Pour pan juices into a liquid measuring cup. Add broth to reach the 1-¼ cup line, then add coconut milk. Whisk in arrowroot, optional mustard, salt and powdered dried rosemary until combined. Set aside.
- In the same skillet, add a little more fat and cook asparagus over medium-high heat until almost done to your liking. Return the cauliflower and chicken to the pan.
- Freshly whisk, then pour the sauce over everything. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until the sauce begins to thicken, turning the chicken once during this time -- about 2 minutes. (If using arrowroot, don't simmer the sauce too long, as arrowroot can thin again if over-cooked.)
- Serve with rice, cauliflower rice, good bread or roasted potatoes.
Nutrition
Calories: 444kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 112mg | Sodium: 856mg | Potassium: 855mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 166IU | Vitamin C: 72mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 4mg
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