Herbed Chicken on Vegetables and Rice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 7x11-inch baking dish with nonstick vegetable spray.

Combine the stock, salt, pepper, and the bay leaf in a medium-size saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the rice, reduce heat to low, and cook, covered, until the rice is tender and all the liquid is absorbed, about 45 minutes.

Remove and discard the bay leaf. Spoon the rice into the prepared baking dish and spread it evenly over the bottom of the dish. Spread the zucchini pieces evenly over the rice. Lightly salt and pepper both sides of the chicken breasts and place them on top of the zucchini.

Sprinkle the herbs over the chicken. Spread the tomatoes evenly over the chicken. Sprinkle the parsley over the top.

Cover tightly with a lid or aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven until the chicken is completely opaque, about 20 minutes. Do not overcook or the chicken will become tough.

While the chicken is cooking, make the sauce. Combine all the ingredients, except the olive oil, in a blender or food processor and purée. Pour the puréed mixture into a medium-size saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat and pour it through a strainer, pressing it with the back of a spoon to extract all the liquid. Pour back into the saucepan. Whisk in the olive oil, cover, and set aside to keep warm.

To serve, use a spatula to remove each serving, being careful to get the rice, chicken, and vegetables out intact and onto each plate. Pour one-quarter of the sauce over each serving and garnish, if desired, with the parsley sprigs or fennel fern.