Meal Plan – February 8th – Febuary 14th

• Friday: Family Dinner Out – North Star American Bistro – This is a restaurant I actually forgot about, but we ended up at due to their not having a wait on a Friday night when we’d already stopped at 2 other restaurants with hour+ long waits. I started with the Chestnut Manhattan, which I was looking forward to having again immediately after my first sip. Not surprisingly, we ordered calamari, which was very good. I loved my entrée of short ribs, cheesy mashed potatoes, and sautéed spinach. Unfortunately, Jim did not care for his entrée of bourbon salmon. His disappointment was slightly forgotten when he dug into a slice of turtle cheesecake garnished with candied nuts. So, so good.

• Saturday: Caesar Salads, Antipasti, and Bolognese Sauce over Tagliatelle – Great recipe, didn’t change a thing. The best part is that it’s a large batch and freezes very well for a quick weeknight meal.

• Sunday: Buttermilk Roast Chicken, Green Beans, Corn, and Mashed Potatoes – I LOVE this recipe. I don’t change much, except for upping the spices, and adding a bit of tabasco to the marinade. Another step I take is to drain and dry the chicken before roasting. I just use paper towels to sop up as much of the marinade as possible. The first time I made this, I didn’t do that, and the chicken was delicious, but soggy. When you dry before drizzling with oil and roasting, it gives the skill more of an opportunity to crisp up. And really, let’s be honest, isn’t crispy skin the best part of roasted chicken???

• Monday: Errands & Dinner Out – Chili’s – For as much as I don’t care for chain restaurants, there are a few that are “worthy” of our time and money. Chili’s is one of those on our list. I used to get the chicken tacos, and I’m still a little annoyed that they took those off of the menu. Scratch that, I’m a lot annoyed. They were good. Really good. Whatever, I’ll try to move on … try. My new go-to are chicken fajitas, Cadillac style. They’re always good, and they ensure lunch is also covered for the next day or two.

• Tuesday: Pizza and Salad – We had Carter’s 4K registration and tour, and didn’t get home until almost 8:00 p.m. Thank goodness for frozen pizzas from Costco. Did you know I love Costco?

• Wednesday: Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef over Rice with Asian Roasted Asparagus and Mushrooms – This was good. Like, Jim asked if it was from a bag good. I should be insulted by that, but I know him well enough to know he meant no harm. I did add some Sriracha, which I will definitely do next time as well.

• Thursday: Alfredo Pasta with Chicken Sausage and Mushrooms and Steamed Broccoli – I just wasn’t feeling like actually cooking, so Carter and I picked up some sauce from the grocery and I tossed with sausage, mushrooms, and pasta we already had on hand. It was really a Valentine’s present to myself.

Spicy Honey – Brushed Chicken Thighs

Start to finish 20 minutes. Can you believe that? Well, believe it. This delicious recipe from Cooking Light by way of Confections of a Foodie Bride is perfect for a weeknight meal. This simple preparation results in a spicy – sweet and juicy chicken with a slight crust that pairs perfectly with some right and steamed veggies.

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp Garlic Powder
  
• 2 tsp Chile Powder
  
• 1 tsp Salt
  
• ½ tsp Ground Cumin
  
• ½ tsp Cinnamon
  
• 1 tsp Paprika
  
• ½ tsp Crushed Red Pepper
  
• 8 Chicken Thighs, boneless – skinless
  
• Cooking Spray
  
• 6 Tbsp Honey
  
• 2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
  

Directions:

1. Preheat broiler.
   
2. Combine the dried spices in a small bowl. Sprinkle on both sides of chicken thighs, coating well.
   
3. Place chicken on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Broil chicken 5 minutes on each side.
   
4. Combine honey and vinegar in a small bowl, microwave for 15 seconds, and stir well.
   
5. Remove chicken from oven; brush 1/2 the honey-cider mixture onto the chicken.
   
6. Broil 2 minutes. Remove chicken from oven and turn over.
   
7. Brush chicken with remaining honey mixture. Broil 2 additional minutes or until chicken is done.

Kung Pao Chicken

Who doesn’t love Chinese take-out? If you don’t, you should try it again, because it’s good, real good. Here’s the problem though: It’s not always that healthy. I mean, what I love about it, is what makes my pants tighter than I would like. So, I love when I can find Chinese recipes that are so tasty that I don’t wish I would have just caved and called Emperor’s Kitchen, our favorite local place.

This recipe from Elizabeth’s Edibles, is a great adaptation of a Cooking Light recipe that I’m very glad I found. It combines lean, juicy chicken pieces, with crunchy veggies, and a slightly spicy savory sauce. I would suggest serving over rice, as it soaks up a ton of flavor, but pasta would be good if that’s what you have.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp Dark Sesame oil
  
• 1 cup Onion, chopped
  
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
  
• 1 pound boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts, trimmed of fat and cut into 1″ pieces
  
• 3/4 cup Water
  
• 3 Tbsp Lower-Sodium Soy Sauce
  
• 2 tsp Cornstarch
  
• 1 tsp Brown Sugar
  
• ½ tsp Ginger, fresh, minced
  
• 1 ½ tsp Crushed Red Pepper
  
• 1 cup Red Bell Pepper, sliced thinly
  
• 1 cup Snow Peas, trimmed
  
• 2 Tbsp Unsalted, Dry-Roasted Peanuts, chopped
  

Directions:

1. Heat sesame oil in a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until softened. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Being careful not to let it burn. Add chicken; sauté 3 minutes or until chicken begins to brown.
   
2. Combine ¾ cup water and the next 5 ingredients (through crushed red pepper) in a liquid measuring cup, stirring with a whisk until sugar dissolves. Add water mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Add bell pepper and snow peas to pan; cook for 2 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender and sauce thickens. Sprinkle with nuts.
   
3. Serve over brown rice or whole wheat pasta.

Lighter Chicken & Dumplings

Bridget at The Way the Cookie Crumbles is one of my favorite bloggers. I find myself going to her blog constantly, and this recipe from Cook’s Illustrated is another reason why. This was a delicious recipe that I am happy to have leftovers of and will definitely be making again. I loved that the broth was rich and flavorful with a nice balance of broth vs. “stuff”. That being said, I did add some extra carrot and celery pieces at the end to give a little more crunch, Bridget’s idea, not mine. I think the best part of this dish were the dumplings. They were perfectly fluffy with a dry, not dense, center that was a delicious compliment to the overall dish. Yes, this was the perfect dish for a cold Wisconsin evening.

Ingredients:

Stew:

• 6 bone-in, skin-on Chicken Thighs (about 2½ pounds), trimmed of excess fat
  
• Salt
  
• Black Pepper, freshly ground
  
• 2 tsp Vegetable Oil
  
• 2 small Onions, chopped fine (about 1½ cups)
  
• 2 medium Carrots, peeled and cut into ¾-inch pieces (about 2 cups) + 1 carrot cut on the bias into ½” pieces
  
• 1 medium Celery rib, chopped fine (about ½ cup) + 1 celery rib, cut on the bias into ½ “pieces
  
• ¼ cup dry Sherry
  
• 6 cups Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
  
• 1 tsp Fresh Thyme Leaves, minced, or ½ tsp Dried Thyme Leaves
  
• 1 lb Chicken Wings
  
• ¼ Fresh Parsley, chopped
  

Dumplings:

• 2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
  
• ½ tsp Baking Soda
  
• 1 tsp Sugar
  
• 1 tsp Salt
  
• ¾ cup Buttermilk
  
• 4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, melted and cooled slightly
  
• 1 Large Egg White
  

Directions:

Stew:

1. Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels and season with 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add chicken thighs, skin-side down, and cook until skin is crisp and well browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Using tongs, turn chicken pieces and brown on second side, 5 to 7 minutes longer; transfer to large plate. Discard all but 1 teaspoon fat from pot.
   
2. Add onions, carrots, and celery to now-empty pot; cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, 7 to 9 minutes. Stir in sherry, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in broth and thyme. Return chicken thighs, with any accumulated juices, to pot and add chicken wings. Bring to simmer, cover, and cook until thigh meat offers no resistance when poked with tip of paring knife but still clings to bones, 45 to 55 minutes.
   
3. Remove pot from heat and transfer chicken to cutting board. Allow broth to settle 5 minutes, then skim fat from surface using wide spoon or ladle. When cool enough to handle, remove and discard skin from chicken. Using fingers or fork, pull meat from chicken thighs (and wings, if desired) and cut into 1-inch pieces. Return meat to pot.
   

Dumplings:

1. Whisk flour, baking soda, sugar, and salt in large bowl. Combine buttermilk and melted butter in medium bowl, stirring until butter forms small clumps; whisk in egg white. Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients and stir with rubber spatula until just incorporated and batter pulls away from sides of bowl.
   
2. Return stew to simmer; stir in parsley, and remaining carrot and celery pieces, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
   
3. Using greased tablespoon measure (or #60 portion scoop), scoop level amount of batter and drop over top of stew, spacing about ¼ inch apart (you should have about 24 dumplings). Wrap lid of Dutch oven with clean kitchen towel (keeping towel away from heat source) and cover pot. Simmer gently until dumplings have doubled in size and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 13 to 16 minutes. Serve immediately.

Spicy Asian Chicken Ramen

People seem to have a misconception that I require every meal I make to have 10,000 ingredients and steps and be super fancified all of the time. That couldn’t be further from the truth. I’m like any other working mom who gets overwhelmed and stressed out, and needs more than a few quick and tasty recipes in their repertoire. This recipe from What’s Cookin, Chicago?, is one of those recipes and I can guarantee it will make a repeat performance.

First off, you’ll usually have all of the ingredients in your pantry, and, if you have to go out and buy one of the ingredients, like the mirin, it will last and last until you make the next batch, and the next, and the next. Next, could ramen noodles be any cheaper? What are they up to now, like $0.38 a pack? Yeah, I think, even in a recession, we can all afford that. Finally, you can adjust the ingredients to your dietary needs, and it will be just as delicious. Worried about the spice? Cut down the Sriracha, or even leave it out. Don’t eat meat? Use vegetable stock and omit the chicken. Heck, maybe even throw in some thinly sliced mushrooms. The point is, this recipe is a great go-to for a quick weeknight meal, maybe with a side of edamame and sushi, or a super jumping off point to create your own deliciousness in a bowl.

Ingredients:

• 8 cups Chicken Broth, low sodium
  
• 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
  
• 2 Tbsp Mirin
  
• 2 Tbsp Fresh Ginger, grated
  
• 1 Tbsp Sriracha, Asian chili garlic sauce (or to taste depending on your preferred spice/heat level)
  
• 2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, sliced thinly and cut into bite-sized pieces
  
• 2, 3 oz., Packages of Ramen Noodles
  
• ½ Red Bell Pepper, julienned and cut into 1″ pieces
  
• 4 Scallions, sliced thinly on the bias
  
• ¼ cup Fresh Cilantro Leaves, minced
  
• 4 tsp Toasted Sesame Oil
  
• Pinch of Crushed Red Pepper Flakes for Garnish (optional)
  

Directions:

1. Bring broth, soy sauce, mirin, ginger, and chili garlic sauce (if using) to a boil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add the cut up chicken breasts to the pot and simmer, covered, over medium-low heat until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes.
   
2. Open the packages of ramen noodles and discard the seasoning packet included. Place the dried ramen noodles into the broth and cook, stirring occasionally, until they’re just about cooked, about 3 minutes.
   
3. Stir in the scallions and cilantro and serve in bowls. Garnish each bowl additional fresh cilantro leaves and a drizzle of 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil. If you like things on the spicy side, sprinkle a few red pepper flakes for garnish too!

Classic and Delicious Chicken Pot Pies

Alright, I hate to do this again, but it’s by special request that I post this recipe, even though I wasn’t able to get a great pic of the final product. If you really, really need to know what pot pie looks like, feel free to check out the original recipe on Ezra Pound Cake’s blog. I promise to update next time we enjoy, so that I can include the picture, but please make it without one, and soon. This is everything you want pot pie to be, and more. The epitome of comfort in a bowl topped with a flakey and savory pastry. The pastry recipe makes a large batch, so if you’re planning on freezing the filling, only make half the topping, and then make a fresh batch when you’re enjoying the leftovers.

Here’s a picture from some leftovers:

Ingredients:

Filling:

• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
  
• 1 medium-size yellow onion, chopped
  
• 1 large russet potato, peeled and diced
  
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
  
• 8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
  
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  
• 2 to 3 large, bone-in, baked Chicken Breasts
  
• 4 cups frozen vegetables such as peas, cut green beans, diced carrots, and/or corn
  

Sauce:

• 5 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
  
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
  
• 2 1/2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
  
• 1 cup 1% Milk
  
• Dash of hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco
  
• Salt and freshly ground white pepper
  

Crust:

• ¾ cup, 1 ½ sticks, Unsalted Butter
  
• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  
• 6 ounces chilled cream cheese
  
• ¾ to 1 cup Ice Water
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
  
• 1 large egg
  

Directions:

Filling:

1. Melt the butter in a large sauté pan set over medium heat. Add the onion and potato; sauté for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, bell pepper, and mushrooms and sauté about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Stir in the crushed red pepper and add salt and pepper to taste.
   
2. While the vegetables are sautéing, skin the chicken, pull the meat off the bones, and shred the meat or cut into bite-size pieces. Set aside.
   
3. Stir the frozen vegetables and chicken into the vegetable mixture. Set the filling aside.
   

Sauce:

1. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the chicken stock and cook the sauce over medium heat until it thickens to the consistency of a cream soup. Add the milk, hot pepper sauce, and salt and white pepper to taste.
   
2. Pour the cream sauce over the chicken filling and stir to combine.
   
3. Fill individual 1 ¼ cup capacity oven-safe bowls three-quarters of the way to the top, or a large casserole dish, with the creamed chicken filling.
   

Crust:

1. Preheat the oven to 375⁰.
   
2. Cut the butter into 16 pieces. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, pulse the butter and flour until crumbly. Add the cream cheese, salt, and white pepper. Add water about 2 Tbsp at a time while continuously pulsing just until the dough forms a ball.
   
3. Set the dough on a flat surface dusted with flour. Use a floured rolling pin to roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thickness.
   
   1. If making individual pot pies, measure the diameter of the pot pie bowls and cut out dough rounds that are 1 ½ inches larger in diameter. Whisk the egg in a small bowl. Lay the dough rounds on top of the pot pies, making sure the dough hangs evenly over each bowl.
      
   2. For a casserole: Either cover the entire dish with one large sheet of dough, or place the dough on a separate cookie sheet lined with a silpat or parchment paper. Cut into desired shapes, you could get creative and seasonal here, and bake. Once they’re done, you can spoon the filling into individual plates or bowls, and then top with the crusts.
      
4. Brush the dough lightly with the beaten egg.
   
5. Bake the pies for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Serve immediately.
   

 

Servings – 12

WW Points – 9 pts per serving

Sesame Chicken with Snow Peas

I’m down to 2 magazines, Bon Appétit and Food Network. This is big. I was recently subscribing to 5, but I cancelled InStyle, Clean Eating and Real Simple. There wasn’t anything wrong with those magazines; I just looked around one day and realized I was drowning in stacks and stacks of issues from previous months. It was more business than pleasure.

This recipe is from the latest issue of Food Network Magazine. We loved it. It was savory, spicy, sweet (hey, that reminds me of a blog I know …) Anyways, we really enjoyed it, and I particularly enjoyed that the chicken had a ton of flavor without a lot of extra fat or calories from breading and frying before tossing the chicken with the sauce.

Oh, by the way, in the spirit of full disclosure, I get Martha Stewart Living too, but I don’t pay for it, so it doesn’t count. Not that I steal it from the neighbor or anything, it was a promotional subscription.

Ingredients:

• 5 Tbsp Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
  
• 4 tsp Toasted Sesame Oil
  
• 2 tsp Honey
  
• 1 ¼ pounds skinless, boneless Chicken Breasts, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
  
• 6 tsp Canola Oil
  
• 2 Scallions, thinly sliced
  
• 1 Tbsp Ginger, grated
  
• 3 cloves Garlic, minced
  
• 1 ¼ cups Chicken Broth
  
• 3 Tbsp Sugar
  
• 4 tsp Cornstarch
  
• 1 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
  
• 1 tsp Chile Paste
  
• 4 cups Snow Peas, trimmed
  
• 2 cups Cooked Brown Rice, for serving (optional)
  
• 2 Tbsp toasted Sesame Seeds
  

Directions:

1. Whisk 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 teaspoons sesame oil and the honey in a bowl. Toss in the chicken and marinate 20 minutes.
   
2. Remove the chicken from the marinade using a slotted spoon. Heat 2 teaspoons canola oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken in 2 batches; turning once or twice, until browned, 3 to 5 minutes (add 2 more teaspoons canola oil between batches). Transfer the chicken to a plate and wipe out the skillet.
   
3. Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons canola oil in the skillet. Add the scallions, reserving some of the green parts for topping. Add the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Whisk the broth, sugar, cornstarch, vinegar, chili paste and the remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce in a bowl; add to the skillet and cook, stirring, until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the remaining 2 teaspoons sesame oil.
   
4. Meanwhile, cook the snow peas in a steamer basket set over a few inches of boiling water until crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
   
5. Return the chicken to the skillet with the sauce and heat through. Serve the chicken and snow peas over brown rice, if desired. Top with the sesame seeds and reserved scallion greens.
   

 

Servings – 4

WW Points – 9 pts per serving

Italian Spiced Chicken Bites

These were based off of the Spiced Chicken Bites we enjoyed last weekend. Since we were having these with pizza, I wanted to give them an Italian spin. I think they were a total success, with a nice spicy kick from the crushed red pepper. Serve them with your favorite ranch dressing for a great appetizer (Hello, football season is just around the corner), or over a tossed green salad for lunch or dinner.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into roughly 1″ cubes
  
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
  
• ½ tsp Onion Powder
  
• 1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
  
• 1 tsp Oregano
  
• 1 tsp Chili Powder
  
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt
  
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
  
• ½ cup Panko Italian Bread Crumbs
  
• ½ cup Plain Bread Crumbs
  

Directions:

1. Rinse and pat dry the chicken wings.
   
2. In a bowl combine garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt and olive oil in a bowl. Sprinkle over the chicken wings and toss to coat completely. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
   
3. After the wings have marinated, preheat oven to 400 degrees.
   
4. Mix panko and plain dry bread crumbs in a bowl. Press marinated wings into the bread crumbs to coat completely.
   
5. Place on a baking sheet and bake 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and bread crumbs are golden brown. Transfer to a serving platter and serve.
   

 

Servings – 6

WW Points – 5 pts per serving

Spiced Chicken Bites with Chipotle Lime Dipping Sauce

As I’ve mentioned before, the man in this house cannot live on vegetables alone. That was made evident very recently by the joy expressed when I presented him with Bacon Waffles. Truth be told, I enjoyed the heck out of them as well. That being said, I am constantly on the hunt to find a healthified version of one of his favorites: chicken wings. The chicken wing can be a thing of beauty in that it packs huge flavor and spice in a tiny package. Unfortunately, those tiny packages also pack a huge double whammy of fat and calories.

It’s obvious that the first place one can cut some of the “bad” stuff out is to use white meat chicken, eliminate the skin, and skip the deep fat frying. This recipe from Life’s Ambrosia got me halfway there, and I filled in the other two points by trading wings for chunks of chicken breast. The result was a deliciously spicy grown up chicken nugget of sorts. Paired with the Chipotle sauce and you have the perfect equation for an empty serving platter. We had these as our dinner with some corn on the cob and watermelon, but I think they would make a great appetizer during football season, or just about any other time for that matter.

Ingredients:

Chicken Bites:

• 1 ½ lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into roughly 1″ cubes
  
• ½ tsp Garlic Powder
  
• ½ tsp Onion Powder
  
• ½ tsp Cumin
  
• ½ tsp Chili Powder
  
• ¼ tsp Chipotle Powder
  
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt
  
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
  
• ½ cup Panko Bread Crumbs
  
• ½ cup Plain Bread Crumbs
  

Chipotle Lime Dipping Sauce:

• 1 cup Non-fat Greek Yogurt
  
• ½ cup Reduced Fat Mayo
  
• 2 to 3 Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce
  
• Juice of 1 Lime
  
• 1 tsp Vinegar
  
• ½ tsp Kosher Salt
  

Directions:

Chicken Bites:

1. Rinse and pat dry the chicken wings.
   
2. In a bowl combine garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt and olive oil in a bowl. Sprinkle over the chicken wings and toss to coat completely. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
   
3. After the wings have marinated, preheat oven to 400 degrees.
   
4. Mix panko and plain dry bread crumbs in a bowl. Press marinated wings into the bread crumbs to coat completely.
   
5. Place on a baking sheet and bake 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and bread crumbs are golden brown. Transfer to a serving platter and serve.
   

Chipotle Lime Dipping Sauce:

1. Combine yogurt, mayonnaise, chipotle peppers, lime juice, vinegar and kosher salt in a food processor.
   
2. Process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl. Serve.
   

 

Chicken Bites: Servings – 6 / WW Points – 5 pts per serving

Chipotle Lime Dipping Sauce: Servings – 16 / WW Points – 1 pt per 2 Tbsp serving

Lightened Up Chicken Piccata

We’ve probably all had classic Chicken Piccata. It’s rich and delicious, dredged in flour, and served with a tangy buttery sauce. That being said, it’s also pretty fattening and indulgent. A dish like that is great for a special night out, but not so great when you’re trying to watch what you’re eating to be a little healthier and/or lose some weight.

I had a recent craving for the dish, and clicked onto MyRecipes.com to see what Cooking Light might have to offer. They didn’t disappoint, as this recipe was in line with the classics, but cut down the butter and oil significantly. I was ready to make the recipe as is, and then had the last minute idea to eliminate the dredging altogether. I mean, I get that the crust soaks up the delicious lemony sauce, but what’s the point of wasting the fat and calories on breading if it’s not even going to be crispy? This is my big problem with classic eggplant parmesan as well, but that’s an entirely different post.

The result? A dish that’s just as savory and delicious as the original, but with a calorie count that can be handled any day of the week. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention the unplanned bonus: By skipping the dredging, clean-up and overall cooking time were reduced considerably. Start to finish, this took about 20 minutes! I’m already looking forward to trying this treatment on Chicken Marsala soon.

Ingredients:

• 3 to 4, 1 pound, Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast Halves, total
  
• 1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
  
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
  
• ½ cup White Wine
  
• ¼ cup Fresh Lemon Juice
  
• 2 Tbsp Capers
  
• 2 tsp Garlic, minced
  
• ¼ tsp Salt
  
• ¼ tsp Black Pepper, freshly ground
  
• 2 Tbsp Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped
  

Directions:

1. Butterfly chicken breasts so they lie flat, and then place each breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Sprinkle each side with salt and pepper.
   
2. Heat butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, and cook for 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm in a 350⁰ oven.
   
3. Add white wine, 1/4 cup lemon juice, capers, and garlic to pan; scrape pan to loosen browned bits. Cook for 2 minutes or until slightly thick. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
   
4. Pour sauce over chicken and place back into oven for 10 minutes to fully absorb the sauce.
   
5. Enjoy with pasta or mashed potatoes.
   

 

Servings – 4

WW Points – 5 pts per serving