Home Cooked Saucy Chicken

In order to change our lifestyle, in such a way that we will be able to embrace the changes, it is important to fold in the changes. With an honest inventory of our daily food, drink and activities, we can identify the parts of our lifestyle that need tweaking, adjusting, major overhaul, maybe even professional support from a nutritionist or personal trainer. If you have a known or suspected health concern, please seek care and advice from a healthcare professional. Please remember that your health is very important!

Good, wholesome food preparation does not need to be fussy. The busy lives of working families with children, students studying for long hours, and single professionals who work twelve hour days limits the amount of time that is left in the day for shopping and food preparation. My suggestion is to cook home cooked meals as often as possible. Here is a simple, one dish recipe for saucy chicken.

Home Cooked Saucy Chicken

1 pound of good orecchiette pasta, cooked until al dente in lightly salted water, then drained

2 lbs. chicken breast cut into chunks

2 Tbsp. olive oil

salt, pepper, italian seasoning

1 cup of chicken broth

1 24-ounce jar of tomato pasta sauce (Sun-dried Tomato by Classico works well)

6 ounces of spinach, roughly chopped

Healthy handful of parsley, finely chopped

2 ounces of the best Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for your budget

red peppers flakes, freshly ground from red chili peppers when possible

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta while you are making the chicken and sauce. In a large, high-sided skillet, brown the chicken in the olive oil. Season in the pan with salt, pepper and italian seasoning to taste while the first side is browning. Once the chicken has browned on the first side, turn with tongs to brown the other side. Cook in two batches if necessary. When the chicken is nearly cooked through, place all chicken pieces in the pan, add 1 cup of chicken broth and the jar of tomato pasta sauce. Bring to a gentle, bubbly simmer and allow to cook for 5 more minutes. Add spinach and parsley, cook for 3 more minutes. Please note that chicken should be properly cooked, but lean pieces of chicken such as the breast get tough if overcooked. Drain the pasta and combine with the chicken and sauce. Serve in soup bowls with a sprinkling of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and red pepper flakes for your spicier family members and friends to enjoy. This makes about 6 portions for a dinner meal. Leftovers can easily serve as a lunch the next day. Invest in a decent thermos and pack lunch!

What's good for you in this recipe? Chicken breast provides lean protein. Tomato pasta sauce provides lycopene, a useful antioxidant. Spinach and parsley follow the green is good rule. Chopping the spinach helps disguise it somewhat for those households with greenophobia. This recipe limits fat, but allows for olive oil and delicious Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. The better tasting the cheese, theoretically the less cheese you will need to use.

Enjoy! For safe food handling information, check out the Food and Drug Administration link about food safety for seniors. The information is useful for all ages.

http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/Seniors/ucm182679.htm

Comments

[Healthy Foods Blog]

Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe. I love chickens. The recipe looks yummy and easy to follow. Thanks again!

[Suzanne Agarwal]

Your upbeat reply is greatly appreciated. Please let me know if you have any questions. I am working on some more recipes and healthy living ideas that are easy for everyone to follow. With the super busy schedules of today, healthy has to be easy, too!