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GUILTLESS CHICKEN PARMESAN WITH PASTA

Recipe courtesy of Robin Miller & Clean Eating

Ingredients:

• Olive Oil Cooking Spray
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1./2 cup onion, divided
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp. dried oregano, divided
• 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 tbsp. reduced fat Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4  tsp. ground pepper
• 4 4oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1-inch thickness
• 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 8 oz. cooked penne (or your favorite pasta)
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion, bell pepper and garlic and sauté 3 to 5 minutes, until vegetables are soft. 
3. Add 1 tsp. oregano and stir to coat.  Cook 30 seconds, until oregano is fragrant. 
4. Add tomatoes and tomato paste and bring to a simmer.  Reduce heat to low, partially cover and simmer 20 to 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, in a shallow dish, combine panko, Parmesan, remaining 1 tsp. oregano, thyme, salt and black pepper.  Mix with a fork to combine. 
6. Brush both sides of each chicken breast with the Dijon mustard.  Transfer each breast to panko mixture and turn to coat both sides. 
7. Arrange chicken on prepared baking sheet.  Coat surface of chicken with cooking spray. 
8. Bake 20 minutes.
9. Top each chicken breast with 2 to 3 tbsp. of tomato sauce and 2 tbsp. mozzarella. 
10. Return chicken to oven and bake 10 minutes more, until crush is golden brown and cheese is melted and bubbly.
11. Arrange pasta on a serving plate and top with remaining tomato sauce.  Serve chicken with pasta on the side, garnishing both with basil. 

Gather The Ingredients

Simmering The Sauce

Panko Breading

Mustard – So Much More Flavorful Than Egg

Mozzarella and Homemade Sauce – Yes please…

The End Result…

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When I was shopping this weekend, I encountered a HUGE sale.  Blueberries were on sale at Genuardis for under a dollar and I stocked up with the intent to freeze most and perhaps make a blueberry sauce for dessert.  Those plans were quickly scrapped when I encountered a recipe for Sautéed Chicken with Blueberry Sauce and Blue Cheese in Cuisine at Home’s latest issue of CUISINELite.  This sauce had quite a bit of spice so if you are a wimp (like I am at times) you might want to reduce the amount of red pepper.  The blue cheese providing the right amount of creaminess to offset the sauce.  Not to mention, the per serving calorie count is under 300 calories.  Serve it with some couscous and you’re all set.  I guess that it is safe to say that blueberries aren’t just for dessert anymore.

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Sautéed Chicken With Blueberry Sauce And Blueberry Sauce

Recipe courtesy of  CUISINELite, 2009

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, halved (5-6 oz. each)
• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp. minced shallot
• 1/4 cup dry Madeira or sherry
• 3/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp. brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 2 tsp. crumbled blue cheese

Directions:

1. Using a meat mallet, pound each piece of chicken between plastic wrap to a thickness of 1/2 inch.  After pounding, cut each breast into two pieces. 
2. Heat 2 tsp. oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat.
3. Season chicken with 1/4 tsp. salt and black pepper. 
4. Sauté chicken on both sides until cooked through (6 min.).  Transfer chicken to a plate; tent with foil.
5. Sauté shallot in pan with 1 tsp. oil over high heat (1 min.).  Deglaze the pan with Madeira, cooking until liquid is nearly evaporated.
6. Add blueberries; simmer until berries start to burst, about 2 minutes.  Add broth, vinegar, brown sugar, pepper flakes, and remaining 1/4 tsp. salt.
7. Crush blueberries with a potato masher; simmer 2 minutes.
8. Place two chicken pieces on each plate.  Top servings with blueberry sauce; garnish with blue cheese. 

Lining Up The Ingredients

Sautéing the blueberries with the shallots

The final product – delish!

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