This yummy recipe is from Our Best Bites. I made a few small changes. I just found a section in their recipe index for Healthy Meals. I plan to try some of their recipes every week and post the ones that I like here so I will remember to make them. Maybe I’ll even remember to take some photographs to post with the recipes.

Today, when I made this I didn’t feel like eating green beans and so I used asparagus instead. It turned out great!

Lemon Chicken Skillet Dinner
Adapted from Cooking Light January 2015

Ingredients

12 ounces baby red potatoes, halved
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
4 (6 ounce) chicken breast halves, pounded to 3/4-inch thickness*
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
4 ounces mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup whole milk
5 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves**
3/4 cup+ low-sodium chicken broth
6 very thin lemon slices
8 ounces trimmed fresh green beans or asparagus spears cut into 2 inch pieces

*If your chicken breasts are thick, consider slicing them in half instead of pounding.
** If you are using ground thyme, start with 1/2 teaspoon and add more to taste. I like using the Lighthouse brand that is dehydrated instead of dried. It tastes closer to fresh.

1. Preheat oven to 450°.

2. Place potatoes in a medium saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil, and simmer 12 minutes or until tender. Drain.

3. Line a baking pan with foil and spray with cooking spray, set aside.  Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil to pan. Sprinkle chicken lightly with salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan; cook 5 minutes or until chicken is browned. Turn chicken over and cook for 1 minute.  Transfer chicken to foil-lined pan and place in oven for 10 minutes or until chicken is done.

4. While chicken is cooking, add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to skillet. Add potatoes, cut sides down to one side of the skillet, and the mushrooms and garlic to the other. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until browned, stirring mushrooms and garlic. Be careful with the garlic, it can burn easily and then it tastes bitter. Remove vegetables from pan and set on a plate to the side.

5.  Combine milk and flour in a small bowl.  Add  flour mixture, 3/4 cup of the chicken broth, thyme and sprinkle of salt and pepper to the skillet and stir until smooth.  Bring sauce to a simmer, and add beans or asparagus.  Simmer 2-3 minutes or until sauce starts to thicken. Add lemon slices, potatoes and mushrooms, and chicken.  If sauce is too thick, add small amounts of chicken broth to thin.  Reduce heat and simmer 3-4 minutes or until beans or asparagus are crisp-tender. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Nutritional Information: 1 chicken breast and 3/4 cup potato and bean mixture: Cal: 342, Fat 8.6g, Protein: 46 g, Carb: 23g, Fiber 4g

1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon fine lemon zest
juice of one large lemon
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot finely chopped
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup water

In a large bowl combine all ingredients except the chicken and water. Whisk until well blended. Taste and adjust the seasonings.  Add the chicken and turn to coat evenly. cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-4 hours.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Remove the chicken from the marinade, reserving the marinade, and place on the rack of a roasting pan. pour the one cup of water into the pan. Roast basting occasionally with the reserved marinade up to the last 10 minutes of cooking,  until golden brown and juices run clear. about 35-45 minutes. An instant read thermometer should register 180 degrees F.