If you’re in a dinner slump, look no further because I’m about to pull you out of it. This juicy, saucy, harissa sheet pan chicken & veggies is impossible to mess up and only requires one pan to make - and it packs 40g of protein per serving. Nobody wants a dry chicken breast, and I promise this won't be.
Ingredients for your follicular phase: chicken, lemon, zucchini, broccoli, parsley. During the follicular phase, your metabolism naturally slows down, so you want to eat foods that aid liver detoxification to ensure estrogen buildup doesn't occur in the gut.
Chicken is a follicular phase food because it is high in choline, which is an important mineral for fertility. It is also high in vitamin Bs and minerals such as zinc - which is needed for follicle development- and magnesium - which is important for metabolizing estrogen. Since magnesium is at its lowest during the follicular phase, it's important to maintain healthy levels of it at this time. Lastly, chicken is high in protein (even more so than beef!) which helps regulate blood sugar levels. But also, your body is most easily going to build muscle during this part of the cycle, so load up on protein to ensure you're providing your body with what it needs!
Lemon, and citrus more generally, are high in vitamin C and antioxidants which reduce inflammation in the body. But most importantly, they are effective at liver detoxification, and vitamin C helps with iron absorption.
Zucchini is high in both vitamins A and C and is a light food to eat which means our bodies can easily digest it, even when the metabolism has slowed down during this phase. Vitamin A aids in the process of gut detoxification, allowing our body to more easily excrete excess estrogen which can help prevent acne. Vitamin C helps our body absorb iron and aids progesterone production.
Broccoli, and cruciferous vegetables more generally, are full of vitamins, minerals, and fiber, and contain phytoestrogens. Fiber helps the body flush out excess estrogen from the digestive tract, and phytoestrogens mimic estrogen in the body, making estrogen less effective. These two aspects combined make it great for follicular.
Parsley contains high levels of vitamin K which is great for bone health and is also rich in vitamin C and antioxidants which alleviate inflammation in the body.
Harissa Sheet Pan Chicken and Veggies
Serves: 4 Active Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 55 min
Ingredients
Sheet Pan
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp harissa powder
1.5 tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp smoked paprika
4 chicken breasts
2 cups broccoli florets
2 medium zucchinis, chopped
Rice
1 cup white rice
2 cups chicken bone broth
Parsley to serve
Process
Add your olive oil, tomato paste, harissa powder, garlic powder, lemon juice, and smoked paprika to a large mixing bowl and whisk together until combined. Add your chicken, broccoli, and zucchini, then mix until the sauce fully covers.
Cover and let it marinate for at least 15 minutes. If you marinate for longer than 30 minutes, place in the refrigerator.
Preheat the oven to 425ºF when you're ready to start cooking.
Move the chicken and veggies from the bowl to a sheet pan, and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked.
While the chicken is cooking, prepare the rice. Prepare according to the instructions on the package, substituting water for chicken bone broth for extra flavor and protein.
Assemble your bowls, and top with parsley.
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