Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Because I'm not selfish...

I am sharing this recipe.
I cooked it for the first time tonight and it was delicious. I recently discovered www.eatingwell.com  and came across some delicious meals that I've already tried with my family and they loved it! They have some low-cal, on a budget meals, along w.desserts, salads, and what not.
So far I've learned how to make fajita turkey burgers, how to mix baby spinach and lettuce with cantaloupe for a yummy salad and tonight, this meal took the award home. Please read my comments (which are in red) because I made some small changes, but it was scrumptious nevertheless. and did I forget to say HEALTHY!?!?!?

Aqui va:

Chicken with Whole-Grain Mustard & Zucchini in Packets


3.9 out of 5 stars based on 36 reviews
Mustard and thyme flavor chicken and veggies in this easy dinner.
Chicken with Whole-Grain Mustard & Zucchini in Packets Recipe
4 servings
Active Time:
Total Time:

Ingredients

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, (1 1/4-1 1/2 pounds), trimmed and tenders removed (see Tip) - I did not have boneless breasts, so i just left the breasts with the bones and just split each breast in 2 so it's not so big
  • 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard - Couldn't find whole grain mustard at the store so I used regular mustard
  • 2 small zucchini, thinly sliced - I used 3, I love zucchini!
  • 2 sweet banana peppers, or cubanelle peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 shallots, thinly sliced - I heard shallots are just fancy onions, and I didn't have them so I just used regular yellow onions
  • 1 1/2 cups halved grape or cherry tomatoes
  • 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F
  2. To prepare packets, start with four 20- to 24-inch-long pieces of parchment paper or foil. Fold in half crosswise. With the parchment or foil folded, draw half a heart shape on one side as you would if you were making a Valentine. Use scissors to cut out the heart shape. Open up the heart. (I would just use aluminum foil if you're using the oven. I didn't bother being specific about this. I just cut some pieces of foil big enough to wrap each piece of chicken and that would hold up the chicken juice)
  3. Place a chicken breast on one side of each open heart fairly close to the crease and leaving at least a 1-inch border around the edges for folding and spread with mustard. (Before placing each chicken breast in the foil, I put the chicken pieces in a bowl and let it marinade with mustard and smashed garlic for a few minutes)
  4. Toss zucchini, peppers, shallots, tomatoes, oil, thyme, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Place about 1 1/4 cups of the vegetable mixture on top of each piece of chicken.
  5. Close the packet to cover the ingredients. Starting at the top, seal the packet by folding the edges together in a series of small, tight folds. Twist the tip of the packet and tuck it underneath to help keep the packet closed. Place the packets on a large rimmed baking sheet (packets may overlap slightly). Bake until the vegetables are tender and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken registers 165°F, about 25 minutes. (Carefully open one package to check for doneness be cautious of the steam.) (I don't have a thermometer, I just poked the meat with fork to see if it was cooked.). Let the packets rest unopened for 5 minutes before serving.
I also made some mashed potatoes, grilled peppers and mushrooms, and steamed carrots to accompany this delicious meal.  It was soooo good and the house had such an enticing scent! MMMMMM....oh the smell of the onions with the banana peppers and the cherry tomatoes....yummy~! 
I'm not normally one who likes to brag about her skills, but I think I'm beginning to master the art of cooking. hehehe...because this was incredible! 
I invite you to make it! Easy, fast, healthy and sooo good! Can you say 243 calories?!!? and that's with a whole chicken breast! that's like 2 granola bars! not bad at all!
so if you want the original link, here it is http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/chicken_with_whole_grain_mustard_zucchini_in_packets.html

Good luck everyone!

ps: The important stuff below.

Nutrition

Per serving: 243 calories; 9 g fat ( 2 g sat , 5 g mono ); 78 mg cholesterol; 7 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 30 g protein; 2 g fiber; 522 mg sodium; 619 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (60% daily value), Potassium (18% dv), Vitamin A (15% dv).
Carbohydrate Servings: 1/2
Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 4 lean meat, 1 fat

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