Chicken Tzatziki Dinner

I have been cooking for a long time and I am constantly trying to find new recipes that my kids will tolerate and my husband and I will still enjoy. It seems like an impossible task most nights. I scored huge mom points with this simple meal that pleased all of our palates. My boys really enjoyed the chicken and the rice. I knew the cucumber-tomato salad would be a fight (too much green) so I just gave them sliced cucumbers and dip instead. My husband and I really loved the combo of the chicken, rice and cucumber/tomato salad so everyone was satisfied. I have made a similar meal in the past where I grilled the chicken and made homemade hummus and pita chips. You can check out that post here. I hope you enjoy this version of baked Chicken Tzatziki, herb white rice and cucumber-tomato salad as much as my family did.

Ingredients

For chicken marinade:

1/2 cup yogurt (Paleo? Use coconut cream instead)

2 tbsp honey

2 tsp fresh lemon juice + 2 tsp lemon zest

2 tsp hot sauce

1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Pinch salt

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

For vegan cucumber relish:

1 English cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (about 4 cups)

Pinch salt

1 cup seeded, finely diced tomato

1/2 cup finely diced red onion

6 tbsp coarsely chopped and pitted black olives

4 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh parsley

2 tbsp chopped mint

1 garlic clove, minced

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

4 tsp fresh lemon juice

**Add in some feta if you are a cheese lover like me:)**

Directions

To prepare the marinade, whisk all ingredients together (except the chicken). Combine the marinade with the chicken breast in a large zip-lock bag or shallow baking dish. Distribute the marinade over the chicken and chill for 2-4 hours.
To prepare the salad: combine the tomato, onion, olives, mint, dill, garlic, olive oil and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Toss in the cucumbers, then cover the bowl and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
Make 2 cups of white rice (I use a rice steamer). When rice is done, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with fresh mint and parsley.
Remove chicken from zip-lock bag and discard marinade. Place chicken on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Let your chicken rest, slice and serve with white rice and cucumber salad.

Slightly modified recipe courtesy of Style at Home.

Thanks for stopping by~