Ohhhhh....heyyyyyy! It's been... what? 8 months? Well, in those months life has gone on and I had basically decided I was done blogging. I "didn't have time" for this anymore and wasn't really passionate with the experience. However something changed and I'm back!
You see, I posted years ago about my experience with postpartum depression. To treat this I was placed on medication and this medicine led me to gain 30 pounds in the course of 3-4 months. I tried, desperately to lose the weight but couldn't. I then gave up and tried to accept that this was "just me" now. I tried hard to go off the medicine about a year ago but it was too soon. Two months ago I finally went off the medicine and am ready to tackle this weight that came with the medicine (and 15 pounds left over from my kids... so.... we've got a long trip ahead of us!) I rejoined Weight Watchers on December 8 and am down 8 pounds in three weeks! I've been making tons of great healthy recipes and really needed to start blogging again so I have a place to store them!
This recipe comes from Emily Bites, one of my all time favorites for WW recipes. I didn't modify her original recipe at all except to exchange asparagus for broccoli. I'm so excited to be back in the kitchen, back blogging, and back on the voyage of getting back to "me".
Source: Emily Bites
Makes 4 servings (1 1/2 cups per serving)- 6 Freestyle SP
INGREDIENTS:
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon light butter (I used Land O’Lakes)
6 oz uncooked wheat orzo pasta
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups reduced sodium fat free chicken broth
1 cup fresh broccoli, chopped
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup halved grape tomatoes
Additional salt to taste
DIRECTIONS:
1- Combine the flour, garlic powder, pepper and salt in a small dish and stir to combine. Place the chicken pieces in a gallon zip-top bag and add the flour mixture. Seal the bag and shake/massage it around until the chicken pieces are coated.
2- In a large saute pan, bring the oil over medium heat and then add the chicken. Stir to coat with the oil and then cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken pieces are cooked through and begin to brown. Transfer the cooked chicken to a side plate and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. Wipe out the inside of the skillet.
3- Place the skillet back over medium heat and add the butter. When the butter is melted, add the orzo to the pan and stir to coat. Spread the orzo across the surface of the pan and allow it to cook for 2 minutes until a few of the orzo pieces begin to brown. Add the garlic to the pan and stir. Allow to cook for another minute.
4- Add the chicken broth to the pan and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to low to simmer and cover the pan. Simmer covered for 4-5 minutes and then add the broccoli and tomatoes. Stir and re-cover. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir. Add the lemon juice, with salt to taste. Stir together and then add the reserved chicken to the pan. Stir to combine and serve.
1- Combine the flour, garlic powder, pepper and salt in a small dish and stir to combine. Place the chicken pieces in a gallon zip-top bag and add the flour mixture. Seal the bag and shake/massage it around until the chicken pieces are coated.
2- In a large saute pan, bring the oil over medium heat and then add the chicken. Stir to coat with the oil and then cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken pieces are cooked through and begin to brown. Transfer the cooked chicken to a side plate and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. Wipe out the inside of the skillet.
3- Place the skillet back over medium heat and add the butter. When the butter is melted, add the orzo to the pan and stir to coat. Spread the orzo across the surface of the pan and allow it to cook for 2 minutes until a few of the orzo pieces begin to brown. Add the garlic to the pan and stir. Allow to cook for another minute.
4- Add the chicken broth to the pan and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to low to simmer and cover the pan. Simmer covered for 4-5 minutes and then add the broccoli and tomatoes. Stir and re-cover. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir. Add the lemon juice, with salt to taste. Stir together and then add the reserved chicken to the pan. Stir to combine and serve.
For those of us not on weight watchers and just doing our own diets could you please put the nutritional information on all of your recipes ? Thank you
ReplyDeleteWelcome back! This looks delicious!
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