Harlequin Chicken

I know you all have probably been through this before. You have your dinner (or whatever) planned, and it just falls through. So you reschedule, and it still falls through. And the cycle is repeated for, oh, about 5 more times before you finally say “forget it. I am making this dinner that serves 4 for just myself or else it will NEVER be made cuz it is clearly cursed.”

And so I made a half batch of harlequin chicken, and it really should not have been cursed, because it was great! It was filling, healthy, delightful to smell and just as good to taste. It had a great pan sauce from when you sauté chicken and peppers and then add tomatoes and their juices to the hot pan. The sauce isn’t heavy or creamy, just juicy, tangy and chicken-y. Fabulous.

I would definitely recommend serving this with some whole wheat bread to sop up the juices, and a salad could be nice too. I am entering this dish into Eat Healthy-Protein Rich. It can be on the table in about 35 minutes and has 12g of protein by itself and 17g of protein when served with whole wheat bread. Enjoy.

Harlequin Chicken

Serves 4

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or cutlets depending on how hungry you are)

1 onion, halved

1 each, red, yellow and green bell pepper

1 TBSP vegetable oil

14 oz can diced tomatoes

2 TBSP fresh parsley (or about 2 tsp dried parsley)

Salt and pepper

1. Cut chicken into bite sized pieces. Thinly slice onion. Halve and seed the peppers and cut into small diamond shapes.

2. Heat the oil in a skillet. Add the chicken and onion and stir fry quickly until golden. Add the bell peppers, cook for 2-3 minutes, then stir in the diced tomatoes and parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Cover tightly and simmer for 15 minutes, until the chicken and vegetables are tender.

Mexican Chicken Casserole

Phew- I lucked out on this one. I had to guess on one of the ingredients, but thankfully this guess did not end up like the spicy shrimp incident. I was really confused by what the original recipe meant by “2 cans taco sauce.” Well, I couldn’t find any cans of taco sauce. I did find jars of taco sauce that are slightly bigger than the suggested size, and it worked great. I note the amount you should use for jars below.

Between the chicken, the cheese and the beans, this meal is packed with protein. 29 g of protein per serving actually. That’s why I’m submitting it to Eat Healthy- Protein Rich. Try it out for a super filling, tasty, and kind of impressive looking, weeknight meal.

Mexican Chicken Casserole

Served 4

¾ cup short grain rice (used sushi rice)

10 oz can red kidney beans, drained and thoroughly rinsed

3 ½ TBSP chopped, fresh cilantro

1 TBSP oil

4 chicken cutlets

1 8oz jar taco sauce

2 cups grated cheddar

½ cup sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a 8 ½ inch round (about 2 ¾ inch deep) casserole dish (I used a slightly smaller rectangle for 3). Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add rice and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain

2. In the prepared dish, combine the beans and cilantro, then add the rice and toss together. Lightly press the mixture so that it is flat.

3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Sauté the chicken 2 minutes, then turn and sauté another minute. Add the sauce and cook for a further 2 minutes.

4. To assemble, spread ½ the cheese over the rice. Arrange the chicken and sauce on top in a single layer. Sprinkle with cheese and cover with foil.

5. Bake for 30 minutes and then remove foil and bake for another 5. Cut into 4 servings and carefully scoop out, keeping layers intact. Serve with a dollop of sour cream.