Hi Guys! Ready for some fun?

How about a delicious, healthy, easy, one-pan chicken dinner?

Did I mention the artichokes?

Two clients - randomly - asked me for artichoke heart recipes recently, so I headed into the kitchen to play! Turns out I’ve been neglecting this treasure. Why, oh, why did I wait? No good reason at all. I think you’ll love what I came up with.

First of all, don’t let artichokes intimidate you. It’s worth getting to know them - they should never be left off the superfood list. They have a fun, rich history too.

Good for you, plus personality!

According to legend, the artichoke was created when the smitten Greek god Zeus turned his object of affection into a thistle after being rejected. Despite this prickly beginning, the ancients considered the artichoke full of health benefits, using it as an aphrodisiac, a diuretic, a breath freshener, and even a deodorant.

The artichokes we eat are actually the buds of a purple flower that can grow more than 3 feet tall. Because of their tough exterior, fresh artichokes take some careful preparation. HOWEVER, to keep things easy, today’s recipe uses canned artichokes! You’re welcome.

You will reap nutritional rewards -- the veggie is a good source of folate, dietary fiber, and vitamins C and K. Artichokes are also packed with antioxidants; they're number 7 on the USDA's top 20 antioxidant-rich foods list.

Trust me. Buy them in the CAN!

Take a trip to the grocery store and you'll find them hanging out near the pasta or the canned tomatoes or maybe the beans. Canned artichoke hearts. Yes, it’s a canned vegetable. Yes, it’s still good. And yes, it’s what I used in this no-brainer, one skillet, meal.

So, here goes folks....

Healthy Creamy Tuscan Chicken with Artichokes

What I really love about this healthy creamy Tuscan chicken is that it is so dang quick and so dang easy. The ingredients in the recipe are real elements to the dish: chicken, artichoke hearts, spinach, and there aren’t too many supporting ingredients. That makes it super-duper easy to throw together on a weeknight for a quick Italian skillet dinner.

The pitch:

It’s quick and easy, making it the perfect Italian recipe for a weeknight dinner.
The sauce is dairy-free but still oh so creamy, and it’s perfect with plenty of garlic, fresh spinach, sun-dried tomatoes (optional), and artichoke hearts.
The chicken breasts are cooked perfectly until they’re so tender, not at all dry.
It’s healthy, Whole30, paleo, dairy-free, gluten-free, and grain-free, so it’ll suit just about anyone!

Ingredients (4 servings)

4 chicken breasts uniformly sized (or thighs!)
1 tablespoon avocado oil, plus more as needed
1 tbsp ghee, butter, or avocado oil, see note
2 shallots minced, about 1/2 cup
3 cloves garlic minced
1 13.5-ounce can of coconut cream or full-fat coconut milk
salt
2 cups fresh spinach, packed
1 14-ounce can of quartered artichoke hearts drained
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, sliced

Instructions

Cook your chicken: sprinkle both sides of chicken with plenty of salt. Heat avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until oil is shimmering. Carefully place chicken breasts in skillet and cook 5-6 minutes per side, depending on thickness of breast, or until chicken is browned and firm. Transfer to a plate.

Clean out the pan with a quick wipe and then return to medium heat. Add butter, ghee, or avocado oil, and when hot, add shallot. Sauté shallot until soft, stirring occasionally, then add garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30-60 seconds.
Pour in your coconut cream; stir well. Add in your spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and artichoke hearts; stir. Simmer until flavors are well combined and sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Serve over roasted potatoes (see note), cauliflower rice, zucchini noodles, spaghetti squash, or pasta.

Variations

You can leave out 1 of the 3: sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, or artichoke hearts, if you or one of yours isn’t a big fan of it. Keep the other two, though, for a real Tuscan chicken flavor! And I certainly hope if you read this far you won’t be leaving out the Elusive Artichoke!
If you eat dairy or are keto, you can opt for half-and-half in place of the coconut milk or cream.
Use chicken thighs instead of the chicken breasts: sear them skin side down in avocado oil for 8 minutes or until the skin is golden brown and crispy. Flip and bake in a 375º F oven for 14 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and set chicken thighs aside. Pour off grease and continue with the recipe, starting with adding the butter or ghee.

Recipe Notes

If you're on a Whole30 or are strictly paleo, use ghee here. If you're not on any particular diet or include grass-fed butter as part of your paleo diet, use butter. If you're totally dairy free, use avocado oil.