Lemon Chicken with Broccoli

We’re still picking fruit from our citrus trees to incorporate into these recipes.  Tonight we brought in fresh lemons to go with some Chicken Breasts and Broccoli we already had in the fridge.

What we created was a mouth watering dish with a sauce that is thick, bubbly and oh so lemony.  And, this dish comes with a big bonus, it has a PointsPlus® value so low that you can have a double serving with absolutely no guilt whatsoever.  Sound too good to be true?  Try it.

From our kitchen to yours.  Enjoy the adventure.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp Whole Wheat flour, or all purpose flour

½ tsp Kosher Salt

¼ tsp Black Pepper, freshly ground

12 oz. uncooked Chicken Breast, boneless and skinless, thinly sliced

2 tsp Olive Oil

1 ½  cups Chicken Broth, fat-free, low sodium, divided

2 tsp garlic, minced

2 ½ cups Broccoli, uncooked, small florets

2 tsp Lemon zest, or more to taste

2 Tbsp Parsley, fresh, chopped

2 Tbsp Lemon juice, freshly squeezed

Instructions

On a plate, combine 1 ½ Tablespoons of flour, ¼ tsp of Salt and Pepper; Add Chicken slices and turn to coat.

Heat Oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.

Add Chicken and cook, turning as needed, until slightly browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes.  Remove Chicken to a plate.

Put 1 cup of Chicken broth and Garlic in the same skillet; bring to a boil over high heat. Scrape browned bits from the skillet, add Broccoli; cover and cook about 1 minute.

In a small cup, stir together the remaining ½ cup of chicken broth, ½ Tbsp of flour and ¼ tsp of Salt.  Add to skillet and bring to a simmer over low heat.

Cover and cook until Broccoli is crisp/tender and the sauce has thickened, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the Chicken and Lemon zest and continue to cook until heated through.

Remove skillet for heat and incorporate Parsley and Lemon juice.  Toss to coat.

Yields 4 servings.  PointsPlus value per serving is 4.  Prep time is about 10 minutes.  Cooking time is about 10 minutes.  Level of difficulty is Easy.

Weight Watchers and PointsPlus are registered trademarks of Weight Watchers Intl. Inc.

Recipes shown may not be exactly the same as those found on any website. Judy and I tend to "tweak" each recipe we feature, to some degree, incorporating our own unique tastes and ideas. PointsPlus values, however, are accurate. 

Photo by Barry Baruh

Shrimp and Snow Pea Stir Fry in Orange Sauce

Judy and I have been living in Palm Desert, Ca. for about two months now and we are loving every minute.  We’ve been playing some golf, hiking the mountain trails, taking long walks, going to the gym and cooking.  After a year, we’re still maintaining our goal weight and we are still Weight Watchers Lifetime members.

We have several citrus trees just outside the kitchen door, so we have been enjoying a lot of fresh Tangelo and Lemon juice as well as some wonderful Pink grapefruit.

Here’s a recipe for a delicious stir fry with Shrimp and Snow Peas in a sauce we made utilizing our fresh citrus.  It’s crisp, fresh and fruity.

From our kitchen to yours.  Enjoy the adventure.

Ingredients

Shrimp and Snow Pea Stir Fry

1 spray Cooking spray

4 medium uncooked Scallions, thinly sliced

2 Tbsp Ginger root, freshly minced

2 Tbsp Orange zest.  We were able to use our fresh Tangelos for this.

5 medium cloves Garlic, freshly minced

3 cups Snow Peas, ends trimmed

8 oz uncooked Shrimp, peeled and deveined, 

25 count

2 cups uncooked Bean Sprouts

1 cup Orange juice, freshly squeezed recommended. Or Tangelos if you can get them

2 Tbsp low sodium Soy sauce

1 ½ Tsp Honey

1 ½ tsp cornstarch

1 ½ cups Rice Vinegar

1 tsp Sesame Oil

¼ tsp Red Pepper Flakes, or to taste

Instructions

Coat a large non-stick skillet or Wok with cooking spray; heat to smoking over high heat, about a minute or two.

Toss in Scallions, Ginger, Orange zest and Garlic.  Stir and toss constantly for about 30 seconds.

Add Snow Peas and continue tossing until crisp/tender, about 2 minutes.

Add Shrimp; continue cooking, and tossing, until the shrimp turn pink and are firm, about 2 minutes.

Add Sprouts, Orange Juice, Soy sauce and Honey. Toss until it bubbles, about a minute.

In the meantime, combine Cornstarch with Rice vinegar in a small bowl.

Stir in Cornstarch mixture and continue cooking until sauce has thickened somewhat, about 30 seconds.

Remove Wok or pan from heat and drizzle Sesame Oil over the dish.

Yields 4 servings. PointsPlus value per serving is 4. Prep time is 20 minutes. Cooking time is 9 minutes. Level of difficulty is Moderate.

Weight Watchers and PointsPlus are registered trademarks of Weight Watchers Intl. Inc.

Recipes shown may not be exactly the same as those found on any website. Judy and I tend to "tweak" each recipe we feature, to some degree, incorporating our own unique tastes and ideas. PointsPlus values, however, are accurate. 

Photo by Barry Baruh

Jambalaya with Chicken and Shrimp

Here’s an easy dish to prepare that is as much fun to make as it is to say. 

According to Zatarains, a New Orleans Tradition since 1889, ”Jambalaya is one of the most celebrated foods on Louisiana menus. The spicy concoction makes an appearance at virtually every festival in South Louisiana—especially the Jambalaya Festival in Gonzales, west of New Orleans, which calls itself the Jambalaya Capital of the World.

Similar to a Spanish paella, but feistier, jambalaya is made by cooking rice with almost any combination of meat, poultry, seafood, or game, along with peppers and other Creole seasonings. The name is believed to have come from the French word for ham, “jambon.” 

Jambalaya is great for entertaining since it’s easy to make in either small or large batches. Cajun and Creole cooks often prepare it outdoors in huge seafood boiling pots over propane burners.”

Our version is prepared in a Slow Cooker, and we promise you, this is one of the best dishes we’ve made.    

You are really going to love this.

From our kitchen to yours.  Enjoy the adventure.

Ingredients

Jambalaya

1 cup Celery, diced

1 large Onion, chopped

1     14 ½ oz can Tomatoes, low sodium, diced

1  14 ½ oz can Chicken broth, low sodium, reduced fat

3 oz Tomato paste

1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

1 ½ tsp Creole Seasoning

1 pound Chicken Breasts, boneless, skinless, cut into ¾ inch pieces

1 ½ cups Instant Rice

8 oz Shrimp, cooked, peeled and deveined

¾ cup Green Pepper, chopped

Instructions

In a 4 quart Crock Pot combine Celery, Onion, Un-drained Tomatoes, Broth, Tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and Creole seasoning.  Stir in chicken.

Cover and cook on low heat for 5 hours. 

Stir in Rice Shrimp and Green Pepper. 

Cover and let stand 15 minutes or until most of the liquid has been absorbed into the Rice, and the Rice is tender. 

Note; If you have any left-overs, this dish will taste even better the second night, as the liquids continue to be absorbed into the rice, and the flavors continue to marry.

Yields 6 servings. PointsPlus value per serving is 6. Prep time is 15 minutes. Cooking time is about 5 ¼ hours. Level of difficulty is Easy.

Weight Watchers and PointsPlus are registered trademarks of Weight Watchers Intl. Inc.

Recipes shown may not be exactly the same as those found on any website. Judy and I tend to "tweak" each recipe we feature, to some degree, incorporating our own unique tastes and ideas. PointsPlus values, however, are accurate. 

Photo by Barry Baruh