Juicy roasted chicken is paired with blistered tomatoes, roasted lemon, briny olives, creamy garlic yogurt, and vibrant parsley pistou for a meal that’s full of bright, comforting flavors. While elegant enough for guests, it’s easy enough for a nourishing weeknight dinner.
How This Dish Comes Together
The chicken is first seared until lightly golden, then finished in the oven where it roasts alongside sweet cherry tomatoes, fragrant lemon wedges, and savory Kalamata olives. As everything cooks, a creamy garlic yogurt sauce comes together with fresh lemon, sumac, and a touch of Aleppo pepper for gentle warmth. A quick parsley pistou adds fresh herbal flavor, while lightly pickled red onions bring brightness to every bite. When served together, the tender chicken, roasted vegetables, creamy yogurt, and vibrant herbs create a colorful Mediterranean-inspired meal that feels both comforting and refreshing.
Why This Dish Is Supportive for Pancreatic Cancer Patients
This roast chicken provides an excellent source of high-quality protein to help support muscle maintenance, strength, and recovery during and after treatment. The creamy yogurt offers additional protein and can make each bite easier to enjoy, while roasted tomatoes and fresh herbs contribute vitamins, antioxidants, and fresh flavor that may help stimulate appetite. Because fat tolerance can vary for people with pancreatic cancer, this recipe is also easy to adapt by using low-fat Greek yogurt, reducing the parsley pistou, and limiting the olives if needed. These simple adjustments help preserve the bright Mediterranean flavors while creating a meal that can be gentler on digestion and easier to enjoy.
*The recipe is higher in fat because of the olive oil, tahini, yogurt, and olives. If fat digestion is difficult, reducing the parsley pistou (olive oil), using low-fat Greek yogurt, and limiting the olives can significantly reduce the fat content while maintaining flavor.
Watch the Episode
Eveleigh Roast Chicken with Tomatoes and Olives
Chef Jared Levy's famous Mediterranean-inspired roast chicken, made simple for home kitchens.
Ingredients
- 1 chicken half (or 3 chicken breasts)
- 2 lemons (1 sliced into six wedges, plus the juice and zest of 1 lemon )
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1⁄2 cup extra virgin olive oil plus 3 TB
- 1 cup water
- 1⁄2 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 cup picked flat leaf parsley
- 1 red onion (peeled and thinly sliced)
- 1 cup greek yogurt
- 1⁄2 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1⁄4 cup kalamata olives
- 3 tablespoon tahini
- 1 tsp sumac powder
- 1 tsp aleppo pepper
- salt & pepper
Directions
- Heat an oven to 450°F. Boil water, vinegar, 2 T kosher salt and 1 T of sugar. Pour hot water mixture over onions and cool slowly in the refrigerator.Â
- Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add 3 T olive oil and sear chicken, about 3-5 minutes each side.Â
- Place in the heated oven for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, add the cherry tomatoes, olives and lemon to the pan. Cook for an additional 10 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F.Â
- Meanwhile, pulse garlic in a food processor or blender. Add Greek yogurt and pulse lightly – add water if it is too dry. Add sumac powder and Aleppo pepper. Season with lemon zest, salt and pepper. Pour into a storage container and hold.Â
- Parsley pistou. Rinse out the food processor or blender, pulse parsley and 1/2 C olive oil until roughly chopped and blended.Â
- To plate, spoon the garlic yogurt mixture and tahini onto a plate. Slice chicken and plate with blistered tomatoes, olives and roasted lemon.Â
- Garnish with pickled onions, salt and pepper, additional lemon juice and zest and top with parsley pistou.
Tips
*If having GI issues, use canned peeled tomatoes, limit or omit the olives, reduce the total amount of olive oil and instead of the pistou, finish the dish with fresh chopped parsley.Â
*Feel free to omit Aleppo pepper if sensitive to spice since treatment.
