Grilled Chicken, Creamy Polenta and Green Vegetables
A gentle trio for your gut: lean protein, gluten-free starch and nourishing green vegetables to support your microbiome.
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts (approx. 150 g each)
- 150 g quick-cook polenta (fine cornmeal)
- 500 ml water
- 200 ml lactose-free milk (or mild vegetable stock)
- 1 medium courgette (approx. 200 g)
- 100 g fresh spinach
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon (juice + zest)
- 1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger (or ground)
- 1 tablespoon freshly chopped herbs (chives, parsley, basil or oregano)
- 20 g finely grated aged Parmesan (optional)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Preparation Steps
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Prepare the marinade for the chicken. In a bowl, combine the lemon juice and zest, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the sweet paprika, grated ginger, salt and pepper. Place the chicken breasts in the marinade, coat them well on all sides and leave to marinate for at least 10 minutes at room temperature. This garlic- and onion-free marinade makes the recipe suitable for sensitive stomachs whilst still delivering plenty of flavour.
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Start cooking the polenta. In a medium saucepan, bring the water and lactose-free milk (or stock) to a gentle simmer over a medium heat. Season lightly with salt. Pour in the polenta in a thin, steady stream, stirring continuously with a whisk or wooden spoon to prevent lumps from forming. Reduce the heat to its lowest setting and continue stirring regularly for 5 to 7 minutes, until the polenta thickens and pulls away cleanly from the sides of the pan. Gentle cooking and generous hydration give the polenta a creamier consistency and make it easier to digest.
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Finish the polenta off the heat. Once the polenta is cooked, remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in 1 teaspoon of olive oil (and the aged Parmesan if you wish), mixing vigorously. Cover and keep warm. Aged Parmesan is naturally very low in lactose and is well tolerated by most people with dairy sensitivity.
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Grill the chicken. Heat a griddle pan or non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the marinated chicken breasts and cook for approximately 5 to 6 minutes on each side, depending on thickness, until golden brown and cooked through. Avoid excessive heat, which can char the outside before the inside is done. Once cooked, transfer the breasts to a chopping board and leave to rest for 3 to 4 minutes before slicing — this allows the juices to redistribute and keeps the meat tender and moist.
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Sauté the green vegetables. While the chicken is cooking, wash the courgette and slice it into rounds or half-moons approximately 5 mm thick. In a frying pan, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over a medium heat. Add the courgette slices and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden but still firm to the bite. Add the fresh spinach, stir to combine and allow it to wilt for just 1 to 2 minutes. Season lightly with salt. A short cooking time preserves the vitamins, polyphenols and pleasant texture of the vegetables, while making them easier to digest than when eaten raw.
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Add the fresh herbs at the very end. Remove the pan from the heat and scatter your chosen fresh herbs over the vegetables. Adding aromatic herbs off the heat better preserves their antioxidant compounds and brings a lovely freshness to the dish.
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Assemble the plates. Spoon a generous portion of creamy polenta into the base of each wide or deep plate. Arrange the green vegetables alongside or on top of the polenta. Slice the chicken breasts on the diagonal and lay them over everything. If you like, finish with a drizzle of raw olive oil over the chicken for a Mediterranean touch, a few extra fresh herbs and a pinch of freshly ground black pepper.
Why This Recipe Is Gut-Friendly 🌿
Grilled chicken is one of the gentlest proteins for the gut: easy to digest, low in fermentable residue, and perfectly suited to periods of digestive sensitivity or during an elimination protocol.
Polenta serves as a soft, naturally gluten-free starch. Its smooth, creamy texture — achieved through slow, well-hydrated cooking — is generally well tolerated by reactive guts. It makes an excellent alternative to pasta or bread for those avoiding gluten.
The green vegetables — courgette and spinach — are among the best choices for sensitive digestive profiles: low in FODMAPs at normal serving sizes, rich in gentle fibre and polyphenols that feed the beneficial bacteria in your microbiome. Together, they provide the fermentable substrates that are often missing from overly restrictive meals.
Olive oil, used as the main cooking fat, aligns with the Mediterranean dietary model, whose benefits for low-grade intestinal inflammation are regularly documented in the scientific literature.
Adaptations for Your Digestive Profile
| Profile | Suggested Adaptation |
|---|---|
| IBS / Low-FODMAP | Lemon and herb marinade with no garlic or onion ✓ — Polenta made with lactose-free milk or stock ✓ — Courgette and spinach well tolerated at normal serving sizes ✓ |
| Lactose intolerance | Use an unsweetened plant-based milk (rice or certified oat milk) or stock in place of milk — Aged Parmesan remains an option as it is very low in lactose |
| Gluten sensitivity | Check that your polenta carries a certified gluten-free label if you have coeliac disease, as cross-contamination during production is possible |
| Difficult digestion during a flare | Reduce the vegetable portion slightly, opt for well-cooked rather than lightly wilted spinach, and avoid adding Parmesan |
Storage Tips
- The chicken and vegetables will keep for up to 2 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
- Polenta firms up as it cools: reheat it gently over a low heat with a splash of water or lactose-free milk, stirring well to restore its creamy consistency.
- Avoid freezing the creamy polenta, as it loses its texture once defrosted.