HEALTHY FOOD so TASTY you'll
want to eat it EVERYDAY.
RECIPE: CHICKEN & BLACK BEAN FAJITA BAKE
This is a go-to recipe in my house for weeknights as well as those times when you have house guests because...
The prep time is short and simple, I get both the protein, fiber AND the veggies in one dish so no fooling around with side dishes nor making a mess on the stove.
The leftovers are BRILLIANT for lunch...if you're luck to have any!
PREP TIME: 10-15 min
COOK TIME: 50 min
SERVES: 4
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE CHICKEN
-
1 sachet TASTE OF SANTA FE spice blend
-
3 TBSP (45ml) olive oil
-
1 TBSP (15 ml) honey
-
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
-
Salt & pepper to season
FOR THE VEGETABLES
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Two 15-oz (400 g) cans black beans
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¼ cup (60 ml) water
-
1 each red, yellow & green bell pepper, cut into thin wedges
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2 red onions, cut into thin wedges
-
Drizzle of olive oil
OPTIONAL GARNISHES (not pictured)
-
Sliced cherry tomatoes
-
Fresh cilantro/coriander leaves
-
Greek yogurt
-
Grated cheddar (or gouda) cheese
Red, yellow and green bell peppers, tinned/canned black beans, red onions.
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
1) Preheat oven to 200C / 400F.
2) Add TASTE OF SANTA FE spice blend, olive oil, and honey to a large bowl and mix well to combine.
3) Season chicken thighs with salt on both sides, add to the bowl and, using a wooden spoon, mix well to ensure all of the chicken pieces are coated with the spice mixture.
4) Drain and rinse the black beans and add to the bottom of a large roasting pan/oven dish, and pour in 1/4 cup water.
5) Distribute the sliced peppers and onions over the top of the beans and drizzle with a bit of olive oil.
6) Nestle the chicken on top, pushing down into the veggies a bit.
7) Cook for 45 minutes* in preheated oven, and then switch to the top heat (grill/broiler) and cook for another 5 minutes to brown the top.
Mix TASTE OF SANTA FE spice blend, olive oil, and honey in a large bowl. Add the chicken and mix well to fully coat.
Place rinsed beans in bottom of oven dish with water, add onions and peppers and drizzle olive oil over the veggies.
Snuggle the chicken into the veggies
And this is what it looks like after you take it out of the oven!
SERVE
Sprinkle fresh cilantro/coriander (or chives) and sliced cherry tomatoes over the top of the cooked dish...
... spoon into shallow bowls (you'll want a bowl to catch the yummy juices)...
...and further garnish with Greek yogurt, a tiny bit of a sharp, grated cheese, and for me, more cilantro!
Recipe & Photo Credit: Cathy Menees
COOK'S NOTES
INGREDIENTS
CHICKEN: make sure you use dark meat, as it's cooked in 30 min, but you can leave it longer to tenderise and develop flavours...which let's you be flexible on the timing (when the kids walk in, when your guests arrive...)
PREP TIME
Is so easy - 5 minutes to season the chicken with salt, mix it with the spice/oil/honey mixture and another 5-10 minutes with the veggies...so you get dinner in the oven in 10-15 minutes and have your hands free for other things!
SERVING BOWLS
The liquid/jus that results is so delicious, you'll want use shallow bowls (like soup or pasta bowls) so that you can capture the liquid...and once you mix greek yogurt in, well, you can imagine the cream sauce you'll get...and it's good for you!!!
*FLEXIBLE COOKING TIMES
Need LESS THAN 1 HOUR hands free?
the follow directions above.
Need A FEW HOURS hands free
follow direction above, except cook at 120C / 250F for at 1.5 TO 2 hours...longer if necessary.
