Baked Chicken With Zucchini

My dinner last night was super yummy, healthy and low calorie, does it get much better? I Baked a small potato, chicken breast and sauteed zucchini. I will tell you have I prepared each item, you can find all recipes through weight watcher .  

Baked Chicken 3 Points Plus Per Serving 
1 spray(s) cooking spray   
1 pound(s) uncooked boneless skinless chicken breast(s), four 4 oz halves   
1/2 tsp table salt   
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground   
1 tsp olive oil   
2 tsp fresh lemon juice, or more to taste   
2 tsp rosemary, fresh, chopped   
2 tsp fresh parsley, chopped   
1/4 cup(s) canned chicken broth 

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Coat a small, shallow roasting pan with cooking spray.

Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. Transfer chicken to prepared pan and drizzle with oil; sprinkle with lemon juice, rosemary and parsley. Pour broth around chicken to coat bottom of pan. 


Bake until chicken is cooked through, about 30 to 35 minutes.

Sauteed Zucchini

2 zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (I used yellow squash too)

2 shallots, minced

1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

This is same same recipe I posted here in my blog a while back. It is worth a re-post, and as you can see it goes with many different proteins 

Spray or drizzle a small amount of oil to the pan. Add zucchini and shallots to skillet. Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes (I cook longer to get a nice color on the zucchini). Add broth and mustard and stir gently. Simmer until liquid thickens, about 3 minutes or longer. 

For the baked potato first I washed then I poked holes all around, rubbed a little olive oil on the skin and sprinkled with salt. Then  I baked it for 1.5 hours and when it came out I took a fork and poked holes down the center of the cooked potato. Then I pushed the sides and popped it open. I didn't need toppings because the left over juice from cooking the chicken gave plenty of flavor. You can also use a little spray "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" if desired. 

And "Ta-da" dinner is done!

Grilled Chicken With Roasted Kale

This was my first time ever cooking with kale, and I have to say, what a treat! Not only is kale one of the healthiest leafy green out there but it is very tasty!  I found this recipe in an issue of the Food Network magazine that I get in the mail every month, you can also find this recipe on foodnetwork.com in the healthy cooking section. 

Serves 4

1/2 lb small red-skinned potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing

1 large bunch kale, stem removed, leaves torn (about 10 cups)

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

2 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 1.5lbs) (I cut my into 2 smaller pieces)

4 cups mixed salad greens (I forgot to add this part)

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Toss the potatoes with 1/2 tbsp olive oil on rimmed baking sheet; spread in a single layer and roast 5 minutes. Toss the kale in a large bowl with garlic, 1/2 tbsp olive oil, 1/4 tsp salt, and pepper to taste. Add to the baking sheet with the potatoes and toss. Roast until the kale is crisp and potatoes are tender, stirring once, 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat a grill or grill pan to medium and brush with olive oil. Slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally to make 4 cutlets. Coat evenly with 1/2 tbsp olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the chicken until well marked and cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to plate.

Toss the kale, potatoes, the remaining 1/2 tbsp olive oil, the salad greens, tomatoes, Parmesan, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste in large bowl. Divide the chicken among plates and top with any collected juices. Serve with kale salad.

Weight Watchers Point Plus Value: 11 point plus

Calories 434

Fat 14g

Saturated 4g

Cholesterol 112mg

Sodium 586mg

Carbohydrate 28g

Fiber 6g

Protein 50g

Chicken with Bruschetta Topping

This recipe is quick, easy and full of flavor, I found it in Teresa Giudice Fabulicious Fat & Fit cookbook. The chicken was super moist and the bruschetta topping was something I never tasted before, I think the white wine brought it to another level. 

I chose to cut my chicken up into smaller pieces and added lots of topping. This recipe is for the chicken only. I paired this with garlic roasted broccoli and cauliflower. I will pair that recipe with you soon!

Serves 4

3 ripe (Roma) tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch dice

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1 medium celery rib, cut into 1/4 inch dice

1/4 cup dry white wine

2 tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/2 lbs)

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground pepper

1. Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Lightly oil a 13X9 inch baking pan.

2. Combine the tomatoes, onion, celery, wine, parsley, oil, garlic and red pepper flakes in a medium bowl. Set aside while the oven is preheating. 

3. One at a time, place the chicken breast half between 2 plastic storage bags. Using a flat meat pounder or a rolling pin, pound the chicken until it is 1/2 inch thick. Season with salt and black pepper.

4. Arrange the chicken in the prepared baking pan. Spoon equal amounts of tomato mixture over each chicken breast half, then pour any of the liquid in the bowl around the chicken. Bake until the tomato mixture is hot and the chicken is opaque throughout, 15 to 20 minutes.

5. Transfer each chicken breast half with its topping to a dinner plate, then pour the pan juices on top. Serve Hot.

Weight Watchers Point Plus Value: 7 point plus
Nutrition Facts:
Calories 290
Carbohydrate 5g
Fat 12g
Saturated Fat 2g
Cholesterol 94mg
Fiber 1g
Protein 35g
Sodium 244mg

Garlicky Chicken Stew

I made this stew over the weekend and I am in love! So delicious! I found this recipe in the Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook 2013. 

I decided to serve it over rice, I think it gave a little more substance to the dish. We ate the leftovers for lunch the next day and had it without the rice, it was super yummy either way.

Serves 8

1 (3 1/2 pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces and skinned (I just used 4 chicken cutlets)

1/2 cup dry white wine

3 tbsp tomato paste

1 (14 1/2 oz) can reduced-sodium chicken broth

5 large garlic cloves, chopped

1 tsp dried thyme (I used a couple springs of fresh thyme) 

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

3 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 (9oz) package frozen green beans (I used fresh)

3 tomatoes, halved and sliced
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1. Put chicken in slow cooker (I browned the chicken in a frying pan first). Whisk together wine and tomato paste in small bowl until smooth. Pour over chicken. Add 1 1/2 cups of broth, the garlic, thyme, salt and pepper to slow cooker. Cover and cook until chicken is fork tender, 4-5 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low. (I skipped this part because I used boneless chicken breast, I just added everything together and cooked on low for 5 hours).

2. Meanwhile, refrigerate remaining broth.

3. About 40 minutes before cooking time is up, whisk together remaining broth, vinegar, and flour in small bowl until smooth. Whisk in about 1/4 cup of hot stew liquid until blended. Gradually stir broth mixture into slow cooker.

4. Add green beans and tomatoes to slow cooker. Cover and cook on high until stew simmers and green beans are tender, about 35 minutes. Serve sprinkled with parsley. 

Weight Watchers Point Plus Value: 4 point plus
Per Serving (1 piece chicken with 1/2 cup sauce)
Nutritional Fact:
Calories 166
Carbohydrate 8g
Total fat 3g
Saturated Fat 1g
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 67mg
Fiber 2g
Protein 23g
Sodium 390 mg
Sugar 2g

White Wine & Garlic Chicken with Veggies

This is one of my favorite Weight Watchers recipes, I have made it a handful of times. This time I made it exactly the way it told me, in the past I just chopped the chicken into chunks before hand and cook them up first. I like it that way even better. No matter how you prepare the chicken this dish is quick, easy and tasty, perfect for a weeknight meal. 

Serves 2

4 oz whole wheat pasta

1 tsp olive oil

2 chicken breast 

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup chopped onion

1 8oz  package sliced cremini (or button) mushrooms

1 tsp minced garlic

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 tsp Italian seasoning (optional, I left this out)
1 10oz package of Green Giant Baby Vegetables Medley (you can find this at your local grocery store, feel free to substitute you favorite frozen mixed veggies)

1 15oz can fat-free chicken broth

Bring a medium pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions and set aside. Heat olive oil over medium high heat in large non-stick pan. Season chicken breast with salt and cook for a couple minutes on each side, until browned. Remove to plate. 

Add onions and mushrooms to pan and cook, stirring frequently for about 7 minutes until softened and beginning to brown. Add garlic and seasoning and cook for 1 minute. Add wine and cook until almost evaporated. Pour in chicken broth and nestle chicken breast back in skillet. Bring to boil and cover, cook for additional 7-10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (turning chicken once during cooking). Toss in cooked Green Giant baby vegetable medley and pasta.

Divide across two plates and serve.

Weight Watchers Point Plus Value: 11 point plus