Oregano and olive chicken skillet
Plus, your May meal plan!
Hello! I hope you’re having a great week and soaking up all the lovely things about summer. I’ve been testing out some low-sugar/low-carb summer desserts and I can’t wait to share them with you in the coming weeks!
Since it’s the last Thursday of the month, I have a week-long meal plan for you in today’s newsletter, along with a chicken skillet meal that, I hope, adds some ease to your dinnertime routine. It’s a one-pan situation, with juicy chicken and crisp-tender green beans, warm olives, fragrant oregano, and sweet dates. Let’s get to it!
A couple of weeks ago, I sent out a survey that helped me get a good idea of how much you cook over the summer as well as the types of recipes you’re interested in.
The feedback shows that a majority of you want recipes with minimal cooking (which echoes my thoughts exactly!). Summer days have a way of draining energy like no other and the very last thing I feel like doing after a day spent in 100-degree weather is turning on the oven or hovering over the stovetop for an hour.
This week’s skillet meal warrants the stovetop, however, but you won’t be cooking for long. It requires only about 20 minutes of active cooking (no hovering required). After the green beans steam for about 3 minutes and the chicken cooks in the same pan, a slightly sweet and briny butter sauce— with loads of garlic and oregano— comes together very quickly. Toss in some green olives, a few chopped dates, and nestle the cooked chicken into all of that goodness.
The result? A wonderful balance of sweet, tangy, and savory flavors, all made in one skillet. Somehow, it tastes equally comforting but summery, like it should be enjoyed al fresco on some Mediterranean coast with a good seaside breeze. (I assure you it’s just as good served on paper plates with busy kids who refuse to sit still at the table— and no coastal breeze whatsoever).
The recipe, printable PDF and nutritional calculation is available below to paid subscribers! Not a paid subscriber but want to be? You can upgrade your subscription and start receiving a low-carb, real-food recipe every Thursday, plus a bonus dessert recipe and a week-long meal plan every month. You’ll also have immediate access to the entire Recipe Index! Keep reading to learn more about the freebie paid subscribers are currently receiving…
Light dinners, minimal prep and cleanup required… that’s what my May meal plan is all about. If you’re new here, I share a week-long meal plan on the last Thursday of every month, which includes five meals plus one treat or breakfast recipe and a shopping list. I’ve been trying to incorporate more meal prep tips for you, too!
Here’s a look at what’s lined up for the week! The downloadable plan + shopping list is linked below.
Want more meal plans? I took my four favorite week-long meal plans and put together an all-in-one resource, At the Table: Dinners! It’s available for purchase on my website but right now I’m giving away the 50-page, printable e-book for free to every paid subscriber. It’s a great way to kickstart four weeks of low-carb, low-glycemic eating with flavor-packed, protein-forward meals, and you’ll have every recipe and shopping list in one place!
A few summertime recipes, finds, and favorites worth sharing:
This tahini bread! The texture, the flavor… tahini does wonders in baked goods. I have tried lots of different tahini brands and always come back to Soom tahini.
On the hunt for a new one-piece swimsuit, I turned to Amazon this year for the first time! How cute is this one? (The fit and quality really wowed me!) And here’s another fun one that’s on the way.
Keto blackberry crumble… which also works as a base recipe for other fruits, including strawberries, peaches, nectarines, etc.
The burger bowl recipe that continues to be a dinner staple (that sauce!). I’ve been making it a lot on our Blackstone which seems extra easy.
My basil plant is one of the few I planted that are thriving, and I was also gifted some beautiful fresh basil this week! This creamy basil balsamic vinaigrette is on the menu for the weekend (and it’s my favorite summer dressing).
LMNT electrolytes to stay hydrated, especially in the summer heat! My whole family loves LMNT (I especially like the ingredient list, much better than Liquid IV or other popular electrolyte drinks). I’ve found that one pack is too sweet for me so I like to split each pack between two servings, which also means a 12-pack could give you up to 24 servings. We like the variety pack and my favorite is the Citrus Salt flavor.
Have you ever had chicken marbella? The dish begins with a chicken marinade of oregano, olives, prunes, and vinegar, which all roasts together to create an epic chicken dinner.
This recipe features some of the same elements but cuts down the prep time! If you’re unsure of the combination of briny olives and capers with sweet dates and a buttery, garlicky sauce, I promise you that it works! Loads of oregano and garlic give this a Mediterranean vibe, and there are many health benefits to every ingredient in here.
A quick note about the dates: you’ll only need 3-4, and you can increase it to 5 if you’d like, but keep in mind that each date adds a good amount of natural sugar. Since we are pairing them with healthy fats (olive oil, butter and olives), fiber from the green beans (and dates themselves), and protein from the chicken, this meal is still blood sugar friendly.
Yield: 4 servings
Prep time: ~25 minutes
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