Chicken and Veggies

A few years ago, I lived three blocks from Wisconsin's largest farmer's market. Since that time, I spend eight months a year anxiously awaiting the arrival of my local farmer's market.
Last week I visited the farmer's market, feeling much like a kid in a candy store. Many of the vegetables and fruits offered here are more beautiful and tasty than those offered at the grocery store, as well as being less expensive. One booth had a zucchini the size of my lower leg for 50 cents!
I've come to appreciate zucchini much more as an adult than as a child. When I was younger, the only way I would eat zucchini voluntarily was in a chocolate bundt cake. (Perhaps I'll post that recipe another day.) Now, I tend to saute it and add it to many dishes. It's very good in vegetable blends accompanying meats and eggs.
One of my favorite blends is usually accompanied by fish. This week I substituted chicken, as that's what I had in the freezer. I also added one of the large sweet onions that I brought back from the farmer's market.

I started by slicing a chicken breast (or two split breasts) into 1/4 inch slices. I could have cooked the chicken without slicing it, but this would cook faster. I heated about a tablespoon of olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat and then added the chicken, stirring occasionally until it started to brown. While the chicken was cooking, I sprinkled it with garlic powder, paprika and a little salt. (I sometimes will use garlic powder, thyme and basil.)
After removing the chicken to a plate, I heated a bit more oil, and added one onion, sliced very thinly. I sauteed this until all the onion pieces were translucent, and then removed them to the other side of the same plate that held the chicken.
Again, I heated oil in the skillet, then added one zucchini and three carrots, cut into strips. I sprinkled them with salt, pepper, and garlic powder while they cooked. The original recipe also called for red pepper strips, but I didn't have a fresh red pepper on hand. These take a bit longer to saute. Don't turn up the heat to speed the process, as this will merely burn the veggies without cooking them all the way through.
When the final batch of vegetables was done, I layered a plate with a bed of onions, then the carrots and zucchini, and topped them with about a quarter of the chicken slices.
If you want to keep the calories down, you can keep a box of chicken broth close, and add a splash of broth instead of the oil. You'll need to keep a close eye on the pan and add more broth when it has all evaporated.

The next day, I took all the leftovers and put them into my slow cooker with two tablespoons of chicken bouillon granules and six cups of water. Since I was out of egg noodles, I added one cup of white rice and set the slow cooker to high for one hour. It made a delicious soup. For a twist, I sprinkled a large pinch of parmesan cheese over the soup after serving it.