Garlic Chicken Fillets w/Balsamic Vinegar

So if you're following the Mama Heada journey, you know we are making some changes in our house and diet. Good changes. But changes. And sometimes changes need a little getting used to.

I have a major headache. M is super exhausted and has battled a migraine all day. And we're struggling with wanting the good bad foods and adjusting. M did awesome though. He downloaded the My Fitness Pal app to his iPhone, set up a 2400 cal diet to help manage his weight and daily intakes of everything that is put in his mouth and actually did really awesome. I'm really proud of him. 

I did ok. I just cannot drop my soda intake right now. I'm craving Pepsi or Dr Pepper ALL day long. I know I can cut it out since I've done it before, but I just don't want to yet. Need to get on that. And I totally caved and ate a hearty, no good lunch with my mom. She wanted to grub and I'm thinking that she may not be allowed over here anymore if she is going to tempt me like she did today. Just kidding Mom. Needless to say I definitely didn't do as great as I could have or as good as M did.

And when M got home I knew I was in for trouble since I had NO idea what I was going to cook. Luckily I had all the great American Heart Association cookbooks to reference and had picked up some chicken breast at the store last night as well. So I looked up some recipes real quick and decided Garlic Chicken Fillets in Balsamic Vinegar sounded right up our alley.

 

And you know what? They really were. It had a tasty sauce to pour over the chicken and rice. It was tasty but light. And I left dinner feeling full but not FULL. Does that make sense?

So without further ado, here's the recipe.

Garlic Chicken Fillets w/Balsamic Vinegar

Serves 8

Ingredients:

8 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (almost 4 oz each), with all visible fat removed

1/2 cup all purpose flour

2 tsps olive oil

6-8 cloves garlic, minced, or 3-4 tsps bottled minced garlic

vegetable oil spray

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

Freshly ground pepper to taste

2 tbsp water

1 tbsp cornstarch

Directions:

Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry. Dredge breasts in flour, shake off excess.  Heat large, nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Add oil and swirl to coat. When oil is hot, add breasts. Cook on one side for 2-3 mins or until golden. 

Add garlic. Spray top sides of breasts with veg oil spray. Turn breasts and continue cooking about 2-3 minutes, or until brown.

Add broth, balsamic vinegar and pepper. Reduce heart to med-low and cover. Cook for about 5-10 mins or until chicken is tender. (This will depend on the thickness of the chicken) Remove chicken from skillet and keep warm.

Pour water into a cup or small bowl, add cornstarch, stirring until it dissolves. Add cornstarch mixture to skillet and boil for 1-2 minutes or until thick and smooth. Pour sauce over chicken and serve immediately.

Served with:

White rice, sauteed herbed carrots and a side salad w/spritzed dressing.

Mama Heada thoughts:

It was so yummy. I wasn't sure about it, but man I was impressed. I hate cooking with chicken breast. I always feel like it gets so dry so fast. And I just hate white meat. But this was really moist. The "breading" I felt needed a little work but was still yummy. And it was delicious paired with the rice, carrots and salad. M was in heaven after a long day of trying to find a good balance for himself.

And the best part? We weren't overly full afterwards. We were just the right amount. And not bloated from all the salt and other junk. It was light, tasty and filling. And M even asked to add it to the new recipe book I'm starting. :)

Nutritional Stats 

(according to AHA Cookbook)

Calories per serving: 183

Protein: 26 g

Carbs : 9 g

Total Fat 9 g

Sat Fat: 1 g

Poly Fat: 1 g

Mono Fat: 2 g

Cholesterol: 62 mg

Sodium: 65 mg

Please note that all opinions are my own. I was not compensated in any way and the AHA and My Fitness Pal have no idea who I am :)