Skinny Chicken Scarpariello

A lighter take on Chicken Scarpariello that's delicious,and also happens to be gluten-free, low-carb and paleo-friendly. I'm thrilled to share this recipe from my friend Jackie Ourman of CAFE (Celiac and Allergy Friendly Epicurean). I met her last summer at the Big Summer Potluck after tasting her gluten-free coconut cake that was unforgettable! After she shared this chicken recipe with me, I tested it myself and thought it was great – I think you will too!

 

My name is Jackie Ourman, I'm so thrilled to be here on Skinnytaste today. The recipes are amazing and you are some of the best and most engaged readers on any food blog out there. I met Gina last summer and was very inspired by her hard work and genuine nature.  I really appreciate the opportunity she is giving me to connect with all of you here.

I recently graduated from culinary school at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City and completed an internship in the test kitchen at Bon Appétit Magazine. So now, I suppose I can officially say I am a trained chef. Pretty exciting!

However, my most important job is being a mom of 3 incredible young boys. Two of my sons have life-threatening food allergies to peanuts, most tree nuts and sesame. One also has celiac disease and I was recently diagnosed with the same. These issues were overwhelming at first, especially when it came to thinking about what I could feed our family.  You see, I had always been a big food lover but, I began to fear food and mostly the potential it had to harm my children.

I decided to go to culinary school, regain my passion for food and help my children learn to love it despite all of our dietary restrictions.  Once I replaced fear of food with enjoyment again, I decided to share it with others.

Gluten-Free is not a fad for the many people out there who need it for celiac disease or other medical issues. The biggest misconception is it helps you lose weight. As in, “that gluten-free chocolate chip cookie must be healthy, right”? No way! It’s a treat and loaded with sugar, butter and carbs just like any other dessert.

I really appreciate the effort Gina makes to share naturally gluten-free and healthy recipes here on her site. It’s important for all of us to be mindful of the little decisions we make when preparing a meal that can lead to unnecessary calories.

Chicken Scarpariello is one of my favorite Italian dishes. It’s spicy, rich and truly a comfort food. The skinny version is absolutely delicious. I kept the chicken breast on the bone and just pulled off the skin in order to reduce the fat but keep the meat nice and tender. Traditional potatoes were replaced with cauliflower florets. They are strong enough in texture to stand up to the braising process and really enhanced by the seasonings in the dish.

I like things really spicy and this version packs a lot of heat. However, the spice level can easily be modified by reducing the number of cherry peppers, leaving out the extra liquid or even just subbing in red bell peppers and using the light heat from the sausage. Either way, it will still be a very flavorful and rustic dish, which also just happens to be healthy, gluten-free and very allergy friendly. Enjoy!