Lemon Chicken with Broccoli

This chicken is lighter tasting (and lighter in calories) than the traditional "chicken & broccoli" that I love from the Chinese restaurant.  The lemon makes it refreshing and yummy!  I served it over Basmati rice.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp all purpose flour

1/2 tsp table salt, divided

1/4 tsp black pepper

12 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced

2 tsp olive oil

1-1/2 c fat free reduced sodium chicken broth, divided

2 tsp minced garlic

2-1/2 c uncooked broccoli florets

2 tsp lemon zest

2 tbsp fresh parley, chopped

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Directions:

On a plate, combine 1-1/2 tbsp flour, 1/4 tsp salt & pepper.  Add chicken & turn to coat

Heat oil in a non-stick pan over medium high heat.  Add chicken and cook, turning occasionally until cooked and a little brown - about 5 minutes.  Remove to a plate

Put 1 c broth and garlic in same skillet and bring to a boil over high heat.  Scrape bits of chicken with wooden spoon.  Add broccoli.  Cover and cook 1 minute

In a small cup, stir together remaining broth, 1/2 tbsp flour & 1/4 tsp salt.  Add to skillet and bring to a simmer over low heat

Cover and cook until broccoli is a little crispy and sauce is thickened - about 1-1/2 minutes.  Stir in chicken and lemon zest; heat through.  

Remove skillet from heat.  Stir in parsley & lemon juice.  Toss to coat.  

4 points 

Enjoy!

Balsamic Chicken with Mushrooms

This recipe has been requested by so many people after I put the picture on Facebook.  It is a pretty easy dinner but has great flavor!  Again, it's from the WW community recipe site.  We buy our chicken from Costco so it needs to be pounded pretty thin to make cooking it on the stove top easier.  As long as you get the chicken fairly thin and even, this turns out really nice!  I don't think this picture does the meal justice - sorry!!

Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cups fresh mushrooms (I use baby bella)
1/3 c chicken broth
1/4 tsp dried thyme

Directions:
In a nonstick skillet, heat 1 tsp olive oil
In a medium bowl, mix vinegar, mustard and garlic.  Add chicken & turn to coat
Transfer chicken & marinade to the skillet.  Saute chicken until cooked, about 4-5 minutes per side (with the larger Costco chicken breasts).  Transfer chicken to a platter & keep warm.  (I put my oven on 200 degrees and put the plate in there to keep the chicken warm)
Heat remaining tsp olive oil in skillet.  Saute mushrooms for about 1 minute.  Add broth, thyme and remaining balsamic vinegar.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are cooked and have a deep brown color.
Serve chicken topped with mushrooms

4 points

Enjoy!

Roasted Cauliflower with Parmesan Cheese

I don't know why I never thought I'd like cauliflower in the past but it has become one of my new favorite sides!  I found this on the weight watchers community recipe site and it had a ton of reviews.  It is so good and has an almost "nutty" flavor.  This is a super simple recipe but makes a great side dish!

Ingredients:
4 c uncooked cauliflower florets
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Spread cauliflower florets on baking sheet and drizzle olive oil, salt and pepper over top
Bake cauliflower for 20 minutes or until lightly browned in spots
Remove from oven and sprinkle cheese over top.  Return to oven for 5 more minutes then serve

1 point

Enjoy!

Turkey Meatloaf

This has become a new favorite in our house - even M goes back for 2nd and 3rds!  I think it's better than the traditional meatloaf and has really good flavors!  This goes well with some mashed cauliflower (or potatoes) and broccoli!

Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1-1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp ketchup
1/2 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1-1/4 lb lean ground turkey
1/4 c low fat shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 c seasoned whole wheat bread crumbs (I eye ball these so, you may need a little more depending on the texture)

Topping:
1/2 c ketchup
1 tbsp light brown sugar
1 tsp mustard


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Heat oil in pan and add onions.  Saute onions for about 3-5 minutes.  Add garlic and stir - making sure to not burn the garlic.  Set aside and cool a bit
In a large bowl, combine turkey, onion mix, Italian seasoning, 1 tsp ketchup, salt, pepper, egg, cheese & bread crumbs.  Mix well.
Lightly spray loaf pan with cooking spray and pack turkey mixture in pan
Bake for 25 minutes
Meanwhile, combine topping mix.  After 25 minutes of baking, spread topping on meatloaf and bake for another 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to cool about 5 minutes before cutting.

4 points

Enjoy!

 

Onion Mustard Crusted Pork Chops

I'm trying to collect a few of my recent favorites and update the blog a bit (I'm so far behind!).  This is a weight watchers recipe but honestly, you can't tell that it's "light".  This recipe would work well with pork or chicken.  We had some thick cut pork chops from Costco & these turned out so yummy!

Ingredients:
3 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1/2 c chopped, uncooked onion
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb lean uncooked pork chops

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Place pork chops in shallow baking dish
In a small bowl, combine mustard, soy sauce, garlic, onion, rosemary & olive oil
Spread mixture over pork chops
Place pork in the oven and bake approx 20-30 minutes, depending on thickness of the chops
Coat with any extra sauce throughout the cooking

5 points per serving

Enjoy!