Hello! It’s Megan Hutson from @mamaofwholelittles back again to share another crazy easy, family friendly recipe! I am always so inspired by the wide variety of vegetables that Pure Flavor® offers and this time, the star of the show is these Pure Flavor® Juno® Bites Red Grape Tomatoes.
Recently, I saw a meme going around asking: “What was one restaurant that you thought was so fancy growing up?” There were some hilarious responses, as it is so fun to see through the eyes of yourself as a child, with limited knowledge of the world. My response was Olive Garden! As the oldest of 5 siblings, we were not able to eat out much at all, but not to a “fancy” place like Olive Garden – ha! When my husband and I started dating in college, I honestly thought he was the coolest, richest guy in the world since his family frequented Olive Garden and because it was his favorite restaurant, we went on dates there often.
Now, you may be wondering what this story has to do with Juno® Bites Red Grape Tomatoes! Well, my husband has probably been to Olive Garden hundreds of times in his life, and every single time he has ordered the same dish: chicken scampi. I am more of an adventurous eater when going out, but when you’re paying $17 a plate, I guess he didn’t want to risk it! As the years have gone on, and we’ve had more and more kids, and the budget has gotten tighter and tighter, there have been less and less opportunities for him to indulge on his favorite meal. Then throw in the 2020 pandemic, and we really weren’t planning any date nights.
So, yes, you guessed it, I got to work starting to create a brand-new chicken scampi recipe for my husband to enjoy at home. My husband’s overall diet can look very different than mine, as he doesn’t appear to have many food intolerances and he will usually pick the “real thing” over my (dairy free, gluten free, sugar free etc.) creation just because it’s the way he’s always enjoyed it. BUT, he was raving over this new creation and of course, thankful that I took the time to create one of his favorites this time!
After reading what seemed like hundreds of chicken scampi recipes and deciding what substitutions to make so that this dish could be gluten free, dairy free and alcohol free, I wasn’t sure if the final product would pass the test, but he was impressed, and I think you will be too!
Now that I’ve got you hooked on the flavor with this dish, let me tell you just how easy it is! When I create family meal recipes, I’m always thinking about my working mamas, mamas with newborns, or pregnant mamas that I know want to feed their family healthy meals but can’t seem to look past the exhaustion to find the dinner solution that week. That’s why this recipe is extremely easy, and it is perfect for anyone with a busy schedule as you can have the veggies chopped beforehand and this dish comes together in just minutes.
I’m not usually a fan of leftover pasta, but because this recipe has this delicious lemony sauce, it is perfect for meal prep and usually tastes even better the next day!
You start by boiling salted water, and the adding in your favorite gluten free pasta. While that is boiling, mix your dry ingredients. Instead of using the traditional inflammatory all-purpose flour, I have chosen to use tapioca starch plus some flavorful spices to give the chicken a nice light crispy dust. The paprika and Italian seasoning really meld together well to make sure that you have flavor in every bite!
Once the chicken is done in the middle and lightly golden on each side, remove from the pan and set aside. Next, you cook up those beautiful Juno® Bites with onions and garlic. I am notorious for how much I love garlic in our family, but the flavor is so good here, don’t be shy with your teaspoon!
Next, you’ll add in the chicken broth and lemon juice, scrape the bottom of the pan if needed and let the sauce deglaze for a few minutes. I added in the optional tapioca starch so the sauce would thicken more, as if there was cheese in it, but the flavor is perfect either way, so it’s up to you!
Finally, you simply toss all the prepared ingredients together and you have made yourself a super flavorful, delicious dish that is always in season.
To make this Tomato Chicken Scampi recipe yourself, click here.
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