Lemon Parsley Chicken with Roasted Red Peppers and Artichokes

Trying to eat healthy can be a hassle when you work until 6 every day (sometimes 7...) So when I get home I try to cook meals that can be done in 30-45 minutes whenever possible. I'm usually lucky if I can get a nice meal on the table by 8!

I have a feeling this dish is going to become a regular go-to meal on my work-night menu. It is one of those simple dishes that I can throw together pretty quickly and still feel healthy about it. I did use canned artichokes and roasted red peppers from a jar to make things go faster, but if you have the time I'm sure this dish would be even better with home-made roasted peppers and steamed artichoke hearts instead.

The lemon compliments the buttery flavor of the artichoke hearts really well, and the red peppers add a slight smokiness and beautiful color. Then there's the garlic and parsley, which give it a slight Italian feel. The chicken of course makes the bulk of the dish and absorbs all these wonderful flavors. I was surprised at how well this dish turned out because I don't cook with artichokes very often, but I must admit I rather enjoyed it. The husband even liked it...actually he said it was really good! :)

Ingredients:

• 1 TBSP Extra virgin olive oil
• 5 Cloves garlic, finely diced
• 1.5 Lbs Boneless, skinless chicken (I cut mine into strips to cook faster, but you are welcome to cook whole breasts and top with the artichoke/pepper mixture if you like)
• 1 Fresh lemon, cut into thirds (you only need 2/3 for the dish, but I used the other third as garnish)
•  Salt and pepper, to taste
• 14oz Can cooked artichoke hearts, chopped (or 14oz fresh cooked artichoke hearts if you prefer)
• 10oz Roasted red peppers, chopped (I used about 2/3 jar of Mezzetta brand)
• 1 TBSP Chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish

Directions:
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat until hot, add 3 cloves of the chopped garlic and cook until they begin to simmer. Toss in the sliced chicken and season with salt and pepper. Then squeeze 1/3 of the fresh lemon over the chicken. Stirring frequently, cook until no pink remains.

Meanwhile, drain most of the water out of the artichoke can then dump the remaining water (about 1/4 of the total water content) and the artichokes into a small saucepan. Toss in the remaining 2 cloves of chopped garlic and the chopped roasted peppers and cook over medium heat. I also poured a little bit of the red pepper liquid into the pot, probably about 1 TBSP. Squeeze 1/3 of the fresh lemon over the pot and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Cook until heated thoroughly.

When everything has finished cooking, mix the fresh parsley in with the chicken. Serve chicken alongside the artichoke pepper mixture and top with additional fresh parsley and a lemon wedge for garnish. And there you have it, super easy, super delicious, and actually pretty healthy too. :)