Oregano Chicken with Fresh Tomato & Balsamic Sauce – DELICIOUS and low fat!!!

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balsamic, Chicken, Cooking, entree, Food, healthy, low-fat, main dish, oregano, Poultry, recipe, tomato

Oregano Chicken with Fresh Tomato & Balsamic Sauce

I think chicken is my favorite protein to cook with! It’s so versatile, healthy and just delicious! This dish was even more delicious than what I expected going in. I want to make it again, so I told myself I definitely needed to blog this recipe. Because yes, I do cook from my own blog! LOL! They are recipes that I loved enough to take the time to document and photograph, so in my book that means they’re worth revisiting!

Oregano Chicken with Fresh Tomato and Balsamic Sauce

Serves 4 people

Cooking time: 45 minutes

4 chicken thighs (I used bone-in with skin removed, as they add more flavor, but you could do boneless and reduce cooking time)

2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp Kosher salt

2 tsp avocado or olive oil

2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

2 shallots, thinly sliced

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved (I buy the multicolored heirloom cherry tomatoes. Delicious!!!)

1/4 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup white wine (Only use wine you would drink. If it’s not good enough for drinking, it’s not good enough for cooking!)

2 tsp capers, drained

2 tbsp lemon juice

Add oil to non-stick frying pan and heat over medium-high heat. Season one side of chicken with 1/2 of salt and rosemary and add to pan, seasoned side down. Season other side of chicken. Brown chicken on each side for about 2-3 minutes per side. When browned but not cooked all the way through, remove to plate and stick in a 350 oven while you continue cooking sauce.

Turn the heat on your frying pan down to medium-low and add garlic and shallots (You don’t want to burn your garlic! It turns bitter, ruins your dish and that pan is done!) stir until shallots are softened. Add vinegar and cook until mostly evaporated, scrapping the bottom of the pan while it cooks to get the yummy stuff off the bottom and into your sauce.

Stir in tomato halves, capers, chicken broth, wine, lemon juice and a little more salt and pepper to taste. Stir and simmer until well mixed. Add your chicken back in to the plan and turn to coat with sauce. Cover the pan and simmer on low for 15-20 minutes, turning chicken once, until chicken registers at least 165 degrees with a meat thermometer.

This is great served over rice! The sauce is fabulous, so you want something to soak up that goodness!!! I paired it with some artichokes cooked with lemon and garlic. So good!!!

I hope you enjoy!!!

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup – An Easy, Healthy Version of a Family Staple

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Carrots, Chicken Noodle Soup, healthy, low cholesterol, low sodium, low-fat, oregano

I know it’s summer, but it’s never the wrong time for a good bowl of soup! My in-laws have been having some health issues, so we’re trying to stock up their fridge and freezer with some easy, healthy meals. My father-in-law loves soup, so I figured I would make some Chicken Noodle Soup. What is more comforting than a big bowl of delicious, homemade chicken noodle soup??? My goal with this batch was to keep the sodium and cholesterol to a minimum as my mother-in-law is on a cardiac diet. That is one of the joys of cooking from scratch. You’re in control! And it is possible to keep fantastic flavor and make a healthy meal!

I used lots of herbs and fresh ingredients to give this soup plenty of flavor. Of course, if you’re not watching your sodium you can add more salt, but I found this to taste great without much.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts

6 cups low sodium, fat free chicken broth

3-4 medium size carrots, finely chopped (I used my Pampered Chef chopper to get the fine chop quickly)

1/2 large white onion, finely diced (I’ve also used leeks in the past. These add a really nice subtle flavor)

1 tbsp fresh or dried oregano

1/2 tsp thyme

1 tsp tarragon

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 garlic cloves, diced or pressed

1 tsp garlic and herb Mrs. Dash

16 oz whole wheat fettuccine noodles or rotini pasta

Put all ingredients, except pasta in a slow cooker and give a gentle stir. Cook on low for 6 hours. Gently remove chicken breasts to a cutting board and use two forks to shred them, then add back to the slow cooker. Add pasta and cook an additional 15-20 minutes until pasta is cooked. This soup freezes well if you want to save it for later.

Enjoy!

This Food Blogger is Stepping Up Her Game with Home Grown Veggies!

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Cilantro, Cooking, Food, Gardening, home grown, oregano, peppers, recipe, tomatoes

   
More to come as time advances, but this girl is stepping up her cooking game this year! I’m a farmer’s daughter who has planted before, but it has been a few years. My husband I just played in the dirt planting Roma tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, red bell  peppers, jalapeno peppers, oregano and cilantro. We still have some basil and cucumbers left to plant. I’m looking forward to fried green tomatoes, fresh salsa, sundried tomatoes and marinara made with home grown tomatoes! If you have never planted a garden, I can’t recommend it enough! It’s not just the effort, the vegetables truly taste like NOTHING you’ve had before!!! You just can get tomatoes, whether farm fresh or from the grocery store, that taste like home grown! There are so many uses that you can never have too many. You can make sundried tomatoes and marinara and freeze for later use.

Wow we made a mess though! And I’ve washed my hands 3 times and still have dirt under my nails. It will all be worth it though! I can just imagine how wonderful the marinara sauce will be!!! You know you’ll hear more from me about that!!!