I wanted to share the latest recipe I am obsessed with. It was one of the meals in the Summer Love Wellness Bootcamp and Detox program that finished up in July.

It is light, refreshing and gluten-free. And it’s so easy to make.

The original recipe was in the Real Simple June Issue but uses zucchini and oil-cured olives.

I thought I was following the recipe to the “T”.  The day I was making it, after I spiralized the cucumbers, I read the directions again and the word zucchini jumped out at me.  How I made that mistake I don’t know but as James Joyce says…”Mistakes are the portals of discovery”.  And this mistake has turned into a summer favorite.

My husband says it was my inner chef guiding me.  Maybe.

Don’t skip pan-frying the lemon at the end and adding it to the chicken. It brings all the flavors together. And give eating the whole lemon a try. But not all at once.  Slice it up into small bites and eat it combined with everything. Eating the whole lemon — rind and all — is really good for you (and your liver).  More on that later…

Cucumber Noodles with Parsley, Olives, Lemon and Chicken

2 medium cucumbers (about 1 lb.)
2 celery ribs, thinly-sliced
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 lemon thinly-sliced
4 tbsp. olive oil, divided
sea salt and black pepper,to taste
1/4 cup Parmesean cheese (optional)
1 lb. chicken thighs

Directions:

Using spiralizer or vegetable peeler, create linguini-sized (thin) or fettuccine-sized (wide) noodles.  Place in colander to let the excess water drain.

In a large bowl, combine cucumber, celery, parsley, olives, lemon juice, 3 tbsp. olive oil,and 1/2 tsp. sea salt and 1/4 tsp. black pepper. Set aside.

Season chicken with 1 /2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.
Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp. of oil. Add chicken. Let brown for 6 minutes, each side. Remove from pan.

Add lemon slices to skillet and cook for 1 minute each side until browned.

Divide cucumber noodles on each plate and top with 1-2 chicken thighs and 1-2 slices of lemon.

Enjoy!