1 1/2 lbs boneless chicken, thighs are the most flavorful, cut into bite sized cubes
2 lemons, zested, juiced and juice strained
1/2 tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups rice
about 1/4 cup good olive oil
1 bunch green onions, washed, trimmed and chopped, divided in two parts
1 medium sized onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup finely chopped garlic, use a lesser amount if you are not a garlic nut like I am!
3 cups chicken broth or water
a bag of baby spinach, torn in pieces
(if you happen to have a jar of Better Than Bouillon in your fridge, a heaping tablespoon of that, if you don't have it, don't worry about it.)
Place the chicken in a large bowl, then sprinkle with half of the lemon juice and grated zest, the oregano, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, as well as a tablespoon of olive oil, toss well and allow to sit at room temperature for a few minutes. Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy dutch oven and then brown the chicken in two batches, remove from the pan and set it aside. In the pan add the onion, half of the green onions and the rice. Fry until the onion and garlic are wilted and starting to brown a bit, adding more olive oil if needed. When it reaches that point, add the broth and stir well (if you have some Better Than Bouillion, add now and dissolve in the broth, it will add a bit of extra richness and flavor) scraping up any of the brown stuff on the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken and any juices back into the pan and mix well. Bring broth to a full boil, then reduce heat to where it just barely bubbles. Cover tightly and cook for 20 minutes. When done, remove from the heat and allow to sit a couple of minutes, then add the spinach, stir it in, recover and allow to sit covered for 5 minutes. Pour the reserved lemon juice and zest, the remaining green onions and another couple tablespoons of olive oil, stir it in and and then serve. All you really need with it is some crusty bread.
If you are needing something lower carb, omit the rice and most of the chicken broth, brown about 4-5 cups of cauliflower rice with the onion and garlic, then add about a cup of chicken broth, along with the chicken and simmer for about 10-15 minutes, or until it is nearly dry. I have even made this using both the rice and cauliflower rice and it was very tasty.
