artichoke

10.20.19

Spinach and Artichoke Spaghetti Squash

Posted on by Kelli Avila , Views: 162

This Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Spaghetti Squash recipe is the ultimate comfort food, lightened up! All the classic flavors of spinach and artichoke dip made healthy and stuffed into a low-carb and nutrient-rich spaghetti squash! You can optionally add-in chicken to make it heartier, or leave it as a vegetarian main dish. Make it dairy-free using cashew cream, or not.

stuffed spaghetti squash with spinach and artichoke fillingSpinach Artichoke Spaghetti Squash

Fall is the perfect time for spaghetti squash! Spaghetti Squash is the a healthier alternative to pasta and it works so well here with this Spinach and Artichoke recipe. It is like a dinner version of the Spinach and Artichoke dip (we’ve got that here, too) but more nutrient dense and hearty! What I love most about this recipe is that it can be made classic with some cheese or made dairy-free thanks to my favorite dairy-free swap: cashew cream!

Want to make this vegetarian? We gave the option to add-in chicken if you want, but feel free to omit to keep it vegetarian and vegan if you use the dairy-free option.

Love spinach and artichoke dip? Check out this chicken dish, this dip and this stuffed mushroom recipe.

spinach and artichoke filling Ingredients Needed

  • 1 medium spaghetti squash
  • Onion
  • Garlic
  • Spinach
  • Canned Artichoke Hearts
  • Cream cheese or Cashew Cream (for dairy-free)
  • Cheese or Nutritional Yeast (for dairy-free)
  • Rotisserie Chicken (optional)

Dairy-free Options

It’s hard to believe but we absolutely could not taste the difference between the version we tested with dairy using cream cheese and the version we tested using cashew cream and nutritional yeast. Even the nutritional yeast is optional if you prefer to skip it in the dairy-free option! We’ve talked about cashew cream at length on Lexi’s Clean Kitchen because it’s one of our favorite swaps to make dishes creamy without any dairy. To make it you blend soaked cashews until it’s rich and creamy. It’s used in the same way heavy cream or even greek yogurt would be.

spinach artichoke stuffed spaghetti squash on a baking sheet

How to make Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

The truth is, you don’t actually have to stuff the spaghetti squash to make this recipe. You can either bake this as a casserole in an 8″x 8″ dish (or something similar) or you can bake this Spinach and Artichoke dinner directly inside the spaghetti squash halves. To do that:

  1. Roast the spaghetti squash (or cook in an Instant Pot) following these directions.
  2. Meanwhile, make the spinach artichoke mixture.
  3. Once cooked and cooled, scoop out the spaghetti squash strands and combine with the spinach and artichoke.
  4. Place back in the empty shells of the spaghetti squash and top with shredded cheese, if using.
  5. Place under the broiler until the cheese and melted and the mixture is completely heated through.

If you like this spaghetti squash recipe, check out these others:

Spinach Artichoke Spaghetti Squash

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Prep Time 00:15 Cook Time 00:45 Total Time 01:00 Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1 spaghetti squash (about 4 pounds)
  • 2 teaspoons avocado oil
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 5 ounces baby spinach, fresh or defrosted if frozen
  • 1 cup canned or frozen artichokes, drained and chopped
  • 3 ounces cream cheese (or 1/3 cup cashew cream with 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast for dairy-free)
  • ¼ cup parmesan cheese (omit for dairy-free)
  • 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken (optional)
  • 1/2 cup mozzarella or gruyere cheese (omit for dairy-free)

Directions

  1. Cook spaghetti squash using these directions.
  2. Meanwhile, make spinach and artichoke mixture: Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Once hot, add onion and garlic and cook until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add in spinach and artichokes and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and pepper and add cream cheese (or cashew cream) and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
  4. Preheat the broiler on high.
  5. Once spaghetti squash is cooked and cooled enough to handle scoop out the squash into a large bowl. Add parmesan cheese (if using), chicken (if using) and spinach artichoke mixture. Mix together gently until fully combined.
  6. Either divide the mixture into the now empty squash shells and top with mozzarella cheese or place in an 8" x 8" oven safe casserole dish.
  7. Place under the broiler until the cheese and melted and the mixture is completely heated through.
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There may be affiliate links in this post! By clicking on them, or purchasing recommended items I may receive a small compensation, at no cost to you! However, I only recommend products I absolutely love and use in my own home! Thank you for supporting Lexi's Clean Kitchen when you shop! See my privacy policy for more information about this, the information we save, and more!
06.26.19

Instant Pot Lemon Chicken with Artichokes and Asparagus

Posted on by Kelli Avila , Views: 10833

Need a delicious light dinner that doesn’t require much cooking and is so DELICIOUS? Then this Instant Pot Lemon Chicken with Artichokes and Asparagus is just what you need to make tonight! This seasonal and bright dinner is perfect for a night you still want something delicious but don’t want to cook much. It’s also gluten-free, paleo, low carb and whole30 friendly. Made in partnership with my friends at Shenandoah Valley Organic (SVO Farmer Focus)!

Instant Pot Lemon Chicken for DinnerEasy Instant Pot Lemon Chicken Recipe

This Instant Pot Lemon Chicken recipe with asparagus and artichokes is exactly why we love the Instant Pot! It cooks up delicious meals, using mostly hands-off cooking, and quickly! We love how flavorful this dish is with the bright lemon that compliments the earthy artichokes, asparagus and hearty chicken. This meal is pretty low-carb on its own, but if you’d like you can serve it alongside pasta, rice or cauliflower rice.

Of course, not all of the ingredients cook at the same time so there are a few steps in this recipe. It’s not difficult though, and it makes it so that you are mostly just placing ingredients inside the instant pot, and then letting it work it’s magic!

Here’s what you need:

  • SVO Farmer Focus chicken breasts
  • Dried oregano
  • Salt and Red Pepper Flakes
  • Garlic
  • Chicken stock
  • Lemon
  • Asparagus
  • Canned artichoke quarters
  • Arrowroot starch

Ingredients for Instant Pot Lemon Chicken

How to Prep Asparagus

Asparagus is in season throughout the spring. Look for asparagus in the store with medium sized spears that have dry tips. Try giving the tips of the asparagus a quick smell, it should be earthy and fresh. If it smells funky, pass on them.

To clean asparagus rinse the spears to remove any grit. The end of the spear is woody. You can snap off the bottom and they will naturally break where the woody part is. Alternatively, if you prefer not to lose too much asparagus you could cut off 1″ of the stem and peel a few layers off of an additional 1-2″ of the spears.

How To Cook Asparagus in the Instant Pot

The timing for this asparagus is based off of fairly average supermarket asparagus. If your asparagus is very thin, you might be better off cooking the asparagus on the saute mode in the lemon broth instead. Simply saute until al dente. For average asparagus:

  1. Clean the asparagus
  2. Place in instant pot and cook on low pressure for ZERO minutes. The Instant Pot is cooking the food while it’s coming up to pressure and this is just the correct amount needed to cook the asparagus. 
  3. Use the quick release function

Lemon chicken in instant pot

I am so happy to partner with my friends at SVO Farmer Focus to bring you today’s easy Instant Pot chicken recipe! Shenandoah Valley Organic (SVO) is my go-to trusted, farmer focus, chicken company for years now because they pride themselves in producing the highest quality chicken grown on family-owned farms.

These days you can go to the grocery store and *think* that you are picking up chicken that comes from an all-natural sounding brand that does things right, but then unfortunately if you look further into who owns that chicken company, you might be surprised to find out that it’s just the giant chicken manufacturer in this country.

Shenandoah Valley Organic is building partnerships with growers through a Farmer Focus Business Model

I love that with SVO Farmer Focus you know that they are supporting their farmers and is a company that is working hard to do things right and truly raise and produce the highest quality chicken! Every SVO Farmer Focus product includes a 4-letter farm I.D. that traces your chicken to the farm that raised it. How cool is that? So aside from the best quality chicken (truly), Farmer Focus also delivers the peace of mind that I am supporting hard working family farmers.

SVO chickens are humanely raised and fed a diet free from animal byproducts, pesticides, and antibiotics. On their website you can see where all of the farms are located, so you know just where your chicken was raised!

You can also use their easy store locator to find where you can get this amazing quality chicken near you.

organic chicken for instant pot

If you like this chicken recipe, check out these others:

If you like this Instant Pot Recipe, check out these others:

Watch the video:

Instant Pot Lemon Chicken with Artichokes and Asparagus

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Prep Time 00:05 Cook Time 00:09 Inactive Time 00:15 Total Time 00:29 Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1-½ lbs. SVO Farmer Focus chicken breasts or chicken thigh
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • Pinch red pepper flakes
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 2 tablespoon lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 2 bunches asparagus
  • 1- 15 ounce can artichoke quarters
  • 1 teaspoon arrowroot
  • Lemon wedges, to serve

Directions

  1. Place chicken breasts, oregano, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic, chicken stock, lemon juice and zest in a 6 or 8 quart Instant Pot. Mix together to combine and make sure that the chicken is not stacked on top of each other.
  2. Cook on manual high pressure for 8 minutes and once done use the quick release function. Remove chicken, cover to keep warm and set aside.
  3. Take 2 tablespoons of brine from the artichokes and place it in the pot. Drain the remainder of the brine and add artichokes and asparagus to the pot. Cook on manual LOW pressure for 0 minutes. Use the quick release function when done.
  4. Slice the chicken and divide on four plates along with artichokes and asparagus. (see note about warming up chicken)
  5. If desired you can thicken up the sauce at this point: Press the saute function. Add 1 teaspoon of arrowroot to a small bowl and scoop out some of the lemon liquid and whisk it with the arrowroot to create a slurry. Return it to the pot and let cook until it has thickened to your desired consistency. Drizzle over the chicken, asparagus and artichokes and serve with wedges of lemon.

Recipe Notes

  1. The timing for this asparagus is based off of fairly average supermarket asparagus. If your asparagus is very thin, you might be better off cooking the asparagus on the saute mode in the lemon broth instead. Simply saute until al dente.
  2. Yes this is supposed to say ZERO minutes. The Instant Pot is cooking the food while it’s coming up to pressure and this is just the correct amount needed to cook the asparagus.
  3. You do not need to thicken this sauce up, this step can be skipped and the sauce served as is.
  4. If you are looking for a more carb-heavy dinner serve over pasta or with rice.
  5. If your chicken has cooled too quickly in between steps, place the chicken back in the pot in the liquid when thickening up the sauce to warm up briefly.
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There may be affiliate links in this post! By clicking on them, or purchasing recommended items I may receive a small compensation, at no cost to you! However, I only recommend products I absolutely love and use in my own home! Thank you for supporting Lexi's Clean Kitchen when you shop! See my privacy policy for more information about this, the information we save, and more!

This post is sponsored by Shenandoah Valley Organic! All thoughts and opinions are always 100% my own! I love the integrity of their products and think you’ll love them too. Thank you for continuing to support LCK and the brands I work with!

05.06.19

Creamy Spinach and Artichoke Chicken

Posted on by Kelli Avila , Views: 9803

This Creamy Spinach and Artichoke Chicken is comfort food turned easy weeknight dinner! This optionally dairy-free dish is so creamy and tastes just like spinach artichoke dip but with fresh healthy ingredients served for dinner!  This dish is Paleo, Keto and Whole30 friendly and so delicious!

Creamy Spinach and Artichoke Chicken

Another easy weeknight dinner coming your way! And if you are a fan of spinach artichoke dip (but…who isn’t?) then you’re going to love this one. We took all the flavors of that classic dip and updated to create a healthy nutrient-dense dinner that is so creamy and delicious without any actual cream! Ok…we did include a note about how to use cream if you prefer to keep this nut-free. So you decide which version works better for you!

Ingredients Needed:

  • chicken breast (or chicken tenders)
  • oil
  • onion
  • garlic
  • chicken stock
  • canned artichoke quarters
  • cashew cream (see this post on how to make)
  • nutritional yeast (optional, for dairy-free “cheesy” taste)
  • lemon juice
  • spinach
  • salt and pepper

If you want to keep this nut-free and tolerate dairy substitute heavy cream for cashew cream and parmesan cheese for nutritional yeast. Either way, it’s going to be good!

Why do we use cashew cream in this recipe?

We love using cashew cream as a dairy-free alternative to make things CREAMY! Unlike coconut cream or coconut milk that can often leave a taste, cashew cream makes things instantly creamy, without any coconut taste! It’s totally dairy-free, and delicious. You can use it in savory or sweet dishes. But even without the health benefits, cashew cream is just totally delicious.

What to serve with Spinach and Artichoke Chicken:

There are so many options to serve this delicious dish with. Try:

If you like this simple weeknight chicken dinner, check out these other favorites:

  • Creamy Tuscan Chicken (Paleo & Keto)
  • Chicken Parmesan
  • Roasted Chicken Dinner
  • Sheet Pan Curry Chicken and Vegetables

    Spinach and Artichoke Chicken

    Print shopping list
    Prep Time 00:10 Cook Time 00:25 Inactive Time 00:00 Total Time 00:25 Serves 4

    Ingredients

    • 1-½ pound chicken breast, diced into 1” x 3” pieces (or chicken tenders)
    • 2 teaspoons avocado oil (if needed)
    • 1 onion, sliced thin
    • 3 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1-½  cup chicken stock
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon pepper
    • 1 15 ounce can artichoke quarters, drained and chopped roughly
    • 1/2 cup cashew cream (see this post on how to make)
    • 1-2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional, for dairy-free “cheesy” taste)
    • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
    • 2 cup spinach
    • Green onions, sliced thinly, for garnish
    • For serving: cauliflower rice, pasta, rice, spaghetti squash

    Directions

    1. Heat oil a large saute pan over medium heat. When hot cook chicken, in batches if necessary, and cook on each side until lightly browned and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove from pan and set aside.
    2. Add 2 teaspoons oil if the pan is dry.  Add onion and garlic, and lower heat to medium low and cook until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes.
    3. Add in chicken stock, salt and pepper and artichokes and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan and bring up to a boil. 
    4. Reduce heat to medium low and stir in cashew cream, nutritional yeast and lemon juice until smooth.
    5. Add spinach, and return chicken to pan and continue to cook until the spinach has wilted and everything is combined. If your sauce is too thick, add a bit more chicken stock to thin it out.
    6. Serve immediately with either cauliflower rice, pasta, rice, spaghetti squash!

    Recipe Notes

    1. Want to make this nut free and tolerate dairy? Make with heavy cream and ⅓ cup grated parmesan
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    There may be affiliate links in this post! By clicking on them, or purchasing recommended items I may receive a small compensation, at no cost to you! However, I only recommend products I absolutely love and use in my own home! Thank you for supporting Lexi's Clean Kitchen when you shop! See my privacy policy for more information about this, the information we save, and more!
11.10.13

Lemon Roasted Chicken with Garlic, Capers, and Artichokes

Posted on by Lexi , Views: 73103
One-Pot Lemon Roasted Chicken with Garlic, Capers, and Artichokes - Lexi's Clean Kitchen

This one-pot Lemon Roasted Lemon Roasted Chicken with Garlic, Capers, and Artichokes is such a flavorful and hearty dish! The perfect dinner for those nights you want as little clean-up as possible! Whole30 compliant, paleo-friendly, nut-free, and egg-free!

Lemon Roasted Chicken with Garlic, Capers, and Artichokes

Lemon Roasted Chicken with Garlic, Capers, and Artichokes

It’s starting to feel like Winter is on the horizon. Heavier jackets have started coming out, and I woke up to a text of a backyard cover in snow this morning! In lieu, this week’s Savory Sunday is here with a cozy Autumn/Winter meal that is loaded with bright and delicious flavors. This dish was a major hit; the chicken fell right off the bones and it is extremely simple to throw together, a one pan wonder! Perfect for a Sunday night family dinner, or a meal prep for your work week.

Lemon Roasted Chicken with Garlic, Capers, and Artichokes

How to make roasted chicken

Want other chicken recipes? Try these:

Lemon Roasted Chicken with Garlic, Capers, and Artichokes 

Lemon Roasted Chicken {with Garlic, Capers, and Artichokes}

Print shopping list
Prep Time 00:05 Cook Time 00:45 Total Time 0:50 Yields 4

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 °F.
  2. In a medium dutch oven, heat oil over high heat.
  3. Pat chicken dry and season well with salt and pepper. In stages, sear chicken on both sides. Should be around 5 minutes each side.
  4. In a large bowl whisk together lemon juice, lemon slices, artichokes, crushed garlic, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, paprika, salt and pepper
  5. Add the seared chicken back into the pan and pour the lemon juice mixture over it. Sprinkle with additional freshly ground pepper, sea salt, and Italian seasoning.
  6. Roast, uncovered, in the oven for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked and no pink remains.
  7. Serve hot!

Recipe Notes

  • *To make the chicken have extra color, broil on high for 1-2 minutes after roasting.
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There may be affiliate links in this post! By clicking on them, or purchasing recommended items I may receive a small compensation, at no cost to you! However, I only recommend products I absolutely love and use in my own home! Thank you for supporting Lexi's Clean Kitchen when you shop! See my privacy policy for more information about this, the information we save, and more!

What is your go-to cozy Autumn/Winter meal?