Chicken

Parchment Chicken Caprese with Asparagus

April 7, 2018 By Diane Boyd

Parchment Wrapped Chicken Caprese with Asparagus pairs well with a Casear salad for an easy weeknight meal.

Have you ever wondered what your life would be like as an empty nester? I always imagined I would spend more time cooking. Boy was I wrong. On most weekdays, I still don’t want to spend more than 30 minutes on meal prep. I love good food, and can’t stop searching for more ideas to get tasty food on the table PDQ. Today’s recipe is one of my new favorites!

Scrolling through my Facebook feed one night, a McCormick Recipe caught my attention: Stuffed Chicken Caprese. I made the recipe serveral times, but found the chicken too dry. Enter a new cooking method, en papillote or cooking in parchment paper. It made a HUGE difference. Not only was the chicken moist, but clean-up was a breeze. This low carb entree is very light, only 300 calories. ( I serve it with a Casear salad and some French bread for a heartier meal .) Make this your go to recipe for getting a delicious meal on the table lickety split.

Parchment Chicken Caprese with Aparagus

Parchment Chicken Caprese with Asparagus is my go to recipe when I want a delicious and equally nutritious meal on the table fast.

Author: Diane Boyd
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 4 1x
Category: entree
Method: baking in parchment paper (en papillote)
Cuisine: French

Ingredients

Scale

1 bunch asparagus spears
4 teaspoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
4 chicken cutlets
4 tablespoons McCormick All Purpose Seasoning (Oregano, Basil, Garlic and Sea Salt)
4 campari tomatoes, sliced
1 tablespoon balsamic glaze
2 ounces part skim mozzarella cheese, grated

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut four pieces of parchment paper (13 inches by 14 inches). Fold paper in half.
Divide asparagus between 4 parchment sheets; place on the fold. Drizzle each with olive oil ; sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
Top each bunch of asparagus with a chicken cutlet. Season with all purpose seasoning.
Add sliced tomato to the top of each cutlet and drizzle with balsamic glaze. Bring ends of parchment paper together and make small overalpping pleats all the way around to seal the edges completely. Make your last fold turn under.
Bake for 30 mintues. Remove from oven. Open each pouch and top with mozarella cheese. Allow cheese to melt and serve immediately.

Notes

May use foil instead of parchment paper.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 chicken cutlet
Calories: 300
Sugar: 11 grams
Sodium: 280 mg
Fat: 7 grams
Saturated Fat: 3 grams
Trans Fat: 0 grams
Carbohydrates: 19 grams
Fiber: 5 grams
Protein: 38 grams
Cholesterol: 85 mg

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Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

December 23, 2017 By Diane Boyd

Slow cooker chicken cacciatore is easy to make and so delicious your family and guests won’t know it’s good for them, unless you tell them.

I have cookbooks to spare. I started my collection when I landed my first clinical nutrition job in a Philadelphia, teaching hospital. Here’s what I remember: most of my patients had diabetes. Did you know that diabetics have an increased risk of heart disease? It ‘s why I have The American Heart Association Cookbook in my library. This book has enabled me to sharpen my cardio-protective cooking skills and share this culinary knowledge with patients interested in changing their lifestyles. Many of these tips have stuck with me throughout the years.

So why this story? The Recipe Redux December theme is Grab and Book and Cook. Here’s our challenge…

We’re playing a little party game at the end of 2017: Grab your nearest cookbook and ReDux the recipe on page 201, 17, 217 – or any combination of the number ‘2017.’ (Of course, please don’t forget to credit the original recipe and change enough of the recipe to make it your very own.

…and I am choosing The American Heart Association Cookbook for this party game. On page 217 I found a recipe for Chicken in Tomato Wine Sauce. I’ve changed it up to make it a slow cooker recipe and served it over creamy polenta. Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

While there is NOT a one size fits all approach to managing diabetes, this recipe fits into several eating patterns appropriate for diabetics (or anyone interested in a healthy eating and healthy aging) including low fat, DASH and Mediterranean. One serving provides a healthy dose of protein important for stabilizing blood sugar (and for muscle protein synthesis), is low in fat (particularly saturated fat), contains a whole grain, is a source of healthy fats, has no added sugar. In addition, this meal provides lycopene, a powerful antioxidant associated with lower rates of cardiovascular disease. I hope you will try this recipe and find more delicious recipes from my colleagues in the links at the bottom of this post.