As a lover of all things Italian food, it broke my heart when I learned I was gluten intolerant. What do you mean no fresh bread dipped in olive oil?? No bruschetta!? No more eggplant parm with pasta?? How would I survive?
Luckily, I have come up with a number of fun Italian recipes that I can still consume, such as this delicious balsamic chicken with asparagus and a tomato basil mozzarella salad. Mmmm!
At first, it was quite difficult to tell myself I needed to avoid the foods that were previously so comforting. After awhile, the cravings diminished, but my desire to eat quality Italian food did not. Luckily, I’ve come up with some recipes that do not require pasta, bread or breaded anything, that I can enjoy without any negative effects.
This balsamic chicken with asparagus is super easy to make. It comes together in about 5 minutes, then you just let it marinate for a bit and toss it in the oven. You can even prepare it ahead of time, let it sit in the fridge until you are ready to bake, then cook whenever you are ready!
The tomato basil mozzarella salad is even easier to whip up than the balsamic chicken! Literally all you need to do is chop up the ingredients and mix with a bit of balsamic vinegar, olive oil and honey.
This balsamic chicken is a super simple meal for those busy nights where you are just way too busy to spend two hours preparing a healthy meal! I can totally relate with those nights, trust me. That’s when meals like this are a complete life-saver!
I hope you thoroughly enjoy this delicious balsamic chicken with asparagus. Comment below if you have any go-to gluten free Italian meals, I can never get enough!
Balsamic Chicken with Asparagus and Tomato Basil Mozzarella Salad (Gluten-Free, Grain-Free)
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breasts or thighs boneless
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- 2 tsp honey
- 1 bunch asparagus
- 4-5 Roma tomatoes cut into cubes
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
- 12 oz. fresh mozzarella cut into 1/2 in. cubes
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste I love this Himalayan pink salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Defrost chicken if necessary, and put it into a 10 x 15 oven-safe dish, along with the asparagus.
- Mix 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar with minced garlic and sugar.
- Pour mix over chicken and asparagus, and marinate in fridge for an hour or so, if desired.
- Place dish into oven and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken is done.
- While the chicken and asparagus are roasting, place chopped mozzarella, basil and tomato in a bowl.
- Mix 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar with extra virgin olive oil and honey. Pour over tomato basil mozzarella mixture and stir to combine. Let marinate until chicken is done.
- Enjoy!
