Hey there friends! I'm really excited to finally be posting recipes again! I've have some minor changes to my diet recently. I joined Weight Watchers and am learning how to use their new Points Plus program. What I love about WW is that I can enjoy all of my favorite foods, I just learn how to balance it with everything else. Some days I'll eat my fruits and veggies all day so that I can enjoy Pioneer Woman meals in the evenings. Most days I'll enjoy healthier dinners though. So you can look forward to some healthier recipes coming your way from me!
This is for Sauteed Chicken Thighs with Lemon and Capers. I've added cooked carrots and y special herbed cheesy rolls to accompany it. Chicken thighs are great because they are cheap and easy to cook. Add boneless and skinless to the mix and we're game! I'll show you everything without the rolls and I'll tell you how I make my rolls at the end. Quick version is at the bottom!
Here is the ingredient line up:
Baby carrots, Bouillon packet/ cube, olive oil cooking spray, 1 cup chicken broth, cracked pepper, 1.5 TB capers, 1 lemon, 1/4 cup flour, about 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
First cover carrots with water in a sauce pan. Add the bouillon packet. (You could also use chicken broth instead of water and omit the bouillon) Cover and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer as you finish cooking. Check on it occasionally and make sure it's doing good.
Spray large non stick skillet with olive oil spray. It doesn't have to be olive oil but it's better for you. And the cooking spray has less fat that the actual oil but feel free to use EVOO instead! Heat pan to med-heat.
Next, combine flour and cracked pepper.
Cover both sides of chicken with pepper/ flour mixture
Cook chicken until golden on the bottom, about 6-10 min. Flip over and cook 4 or 5 min more. Then, remove to a platter.
Add chicken broth to pan and stir with wooden spoon to deglaze your pan.
Place chicken back in pan and cover. Reduce heat and let simmer about 3 min.
Meanwhile, juice your lemon. You'll need 2 tablespoons.
Mix 1.5 TB of your capers with the juice and add to the pan. Cover and cook about 30 seconds.
We didn't notice a huge enhancement from the capers but it was a nice little pinch of flavor when you had one. You could leave them out but they are yummy :)
Place chicken on a platter and pour the sauce on top. (5 WW plus points for 2 thighs and 1.5 TB of sauce)
Place carrots in serving dish and sprinkle with cracked pepper. That's it! If you want to indulge add some kosher salt but that's really all they need. ( no points!)
Kristin's Herbed Cheesy Rolls:
EVOO
Italian seasoning
Fresh cracked pepper
minced garlic or garlic powder
Parmesan cheese
Rhodes frozen yeast rolls (or whatever you fancy... I grew up doing this with sandwich bread)
Combine oil, pepper, garlic, and seasoning in small bowl. Before putting rolls in over, spoon small spoonful of oil mixture over roll. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake as directed.
These things are SO good! (5 WW plus point, 3 points if just a plain Rhodes Roll). What's so great about these is that they don't need butter or honey or another adornment. They are amazing as is! Blake says so! Also, if you're eating a low point/ cal meal such as this, you can afford a yummy roll! Whole meal is 1o points. When you get 29 a day (plus 49 weekly allowance points) that's not too bad!
Here is a quick version of the recipe:
Sauteed Chicken Thighs with Lemon and Capers
w/ Cooked Carrots
1 spray cooking spray
1/4 cup flour
1/4 ts black pepper
8 boneless, skinless, chicken thighs
1 cup chicken broth
2 TB fresh squeezed lemon juice
1.5 TB capers
1 package of baby carrots
1 chicken bouillon cube/ packet
1. Cover carrots with water in sauce pan. Add bouillon. Cover and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer.
2. Spray 12 in non-stick skillet, set over med-high heat.
3. In a small bowl, combine pepper and flour. Coat meat with flour.
4. Brown chicken in a single layer until golden on the bottom. (6-10 min) Flip and brown on the other side (4-6 min). Remove chicken from skillet.
5. Pour broth into pan and deglaze by scraping all the bits up with a wooden spoon. Return chicken to pan. Cover, reduce heat to low. Simmer about 3 min. Add lemon juice and capers. Heat for 30 seconds.
6. Place chicken on serving platter. Pour sauce on top.
Yields 4 servings
5 WW plus points for 2 thighs
0 points for carrots
