I love playing around in the kitchen when we’re not starving for dinner and I have time to try something new on my own, sans recipe. I created this recipe because I had some Greek yogurt in the fridge leftover from making the Kohlrabi and Carrot Fritters with Avocado Cream and fresh rosemary that wasn’t going anywhere.

Marinating chicken in yogurt is one of those things where the longer it sits the better it gets, but not longer than 24 hours, and of course in the refrigerator. The longer it marinates the better the yogurt will stick to the chicken when you saute it. However, even if you only have a half hour to let it sit, just don’t move it around much in the pan or else you will lose more of that coating. As the yogurt coating heats up it turns more into a sauce anyways.

This is a simple and healthy meal and the chicken becomes tender. The only change I’d make is to chop the rosemary up instead of whole leaves. A dollop of yogurt on top is all you need to make this a perfect dish. The flavors meld together so well and you can really taste the rosemary and lemon. Enjoy!

Healthy Greek Yogurt, Rosemary and Lemon Chicken Tenders

Recipe by: Everyday Cooking Adventures, 2015

Serves: 2

Prep Time: 10 minutes (plus 30 minutes-overnight for marinating)

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 large chicken breast, sliced into 2″ long x 1″ wide strips or 7-8 chicken tenders, boneless, skinless
• 6 oz. Greek plain all-natural yogurt plus more to dollop at serving
• 1 rosemary sprig, fresh or 2 Tbsp. dried, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, halved
• 1/2 Tbsp. canola oil

Directions:

1. In a medium glass bowl or dish, whisk together yogurt, rosemary, lemon juice, large pinch of salt and pepper until just combined. Add the chicken tenders and turn to coat evenly. Yogurt mixture should cover the chicken pieces. Cover with dish lid or plastic wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes but overnight works even better.
2. Heat a grill pan or medium-large saute pan over medium heat. Add canola oil and garlic and cook garlic until slightly softened about 2 minutes.
3. Add the garlic tenders gently so you don’t lose too much of the yogurt coating. Don’t overlap the chicken pieces in the pan. Cook each side about 5 minutes or until slightly browned and cooked through. Remove from pan and serve immediately. Add a dollop of yogurt atop each plated serving.