Chicken with Sauce Vierge, Saffron Rice, & Asparagus

Healthy dinner recipe but make it gourmet (but still easy AF!)

This macro-friendly dinner has TONS of micro-nutrients and tastes SO fresh even days later as a meal prep. It’s high in protein & has a perfect balance of healthy fats & carbs to help you reach your goals!

You’ll need a variety of fresh ingredients for the sauce:

  • Green Grapes
  • Red Cherry Tomatoes
  • Shallot
  • Garlic
  • Parsley
  • Tarragon
  • Lime
  • Lemon

It’s called sauce vierge because it doesn’t require ANY cooking (vierge = French for virgin)

And if you’re skeptical of raw tomatoes–don’t worry I’m not a fan either BUT they are fantastic in this recipe!

And you can also serve this sauce over ANY choice of protein.

It’s phenomenal with fresh cod–but I typically meal prep it with chicken.

You can also choose to make couscous instead of rice & you can skip the saffron to make it a bit more budget friendly.

Same thing with the veggie!

It’s the sauce that’s the STAR of this dish.

Finally, credit to my man Travis for teaching me this recipe ❤️

Such a healthy dinner recipe with so much flavor!

One thing I’ve learned since I’ve started hanging out with a chef is the TYPE of salt you use matters a lot!

He’s got me using thicker grained salt–here’s the one I use:

You can find this at your local grocery or on Amazon here

Macros with 100g saffron rice: 360 calories 26.3P 11.1F 41C

Add more chicken & more rice if you need more protein or carbs!

Chicken with Sauce Vierge, Saffron Couscous, & Asparagus

Recipe by Emyogifit
Servings

5

servings
Prep time

20

minutes
Cooking time

20

minutes
Calories

360

kcal

Ingredients

  • 16 oz Chicken Breast (or more)

  • 2 cups of dry white rice

  • Fresh Asparagus (I had 370g total)

  • 1.5 cups chicken stock

  • Saffron (1-2 pinches)

  • For the sauce
  • 250g green grapes

  • 250g cherry tomatoes

  • 1-2 cloves of garlic crushed, then minced

  • 1 small shallot, minced

  • 3 tbsp Italian parsley, chopped fine

  • 1 tbsp tarragon, chopped fine

  • 3.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (a NICE kind)

  • salt & pepper to taste (at LEAST 1 tbsp salt)

  • 1-2 tbsp lemon juice

  • 1-2 tbsp lime juice

Directions

  • Bring the chicken stock to a simmer & add your saffron. Simmer for 5-10 minutes to allow it to bloom & release flavor.
  • Add the chicken stock to the dry rice & add any additional water needed. Cook the rice as instructed.
  • For the sauce, cut all of the grapes & tomatoes in half.
  • Add the grapes & tomatoes to a bowl with all the other ingredients for the sauce, then toss to combine
  • Taste & add more salt if needed (use GOOD salt here!)
  • Cook your chicken however you prefer–I seasoned mine with Ras Al Hanout seasoning & salt (again you can season however you’d like, it’ll be delicious) & cooked it in a pan. I flipped it after 1 minute & then covered the pan & cooked on medium low for ~5 minutes until cooked through & it comes out SO JUICY!!
  • For the asparagus, bring a large pan of water to a simmer & add the asparagus. Cook for 2-4 minutes until the asparagus has turned a deeper green color. Remove from heat & plunge in an ice path to stop it from cooking further. Easy peasy.
  • To serve… put that sauce over everything!! (For macro purposes I divided the sauce evenly but do NOT put the sauce into your meal prep containers already. We don’t want the sauce to heat up in the microwave) This is a COLD sauce.

Notes

  • Again this sauce does not require cooking, don’t put it in your meal prep containers until AFTER you’ve heated it up the day you will eat it.
  • Use GOOD salt. I use sea salt flakes now or coarse sea salt.
  • You can adjust the amounts of tomatoes & grapes, the recipe is very forgiving!

If you give this recipe a try be sure to tag me on instagram! I LOVE seeing your creations!

Other recipes you might like..

Also don’t forget to check out my cookbook, A Foodie’s Guide to Macros!

2 Comments

  1. Pingback: Salsa Chicken with Poblano & Tomatillo Rice - Emyogifit

  2. Pingback: Ratatouille Inspired High Protein Chicken & Rice Meal Prep - Emyogifit

Leave a Reply