Tasty Chicken Dinner under 550 calories!

Morris and I have been monitoring the foods we are eating...specifically calories.

Last night I cooked chicken, veggies and a salad for only 541 calories and it was very tasty, filling and healthy!

Here goes...

Items you will need:

2 8oz chicken breasts

baby spinach

Green Giant Steamers

Peanuts-dry roasted with sea salt

Craisins

Brianna's Poppy Seed Dressing (a personal favorite!)

and Paula's House seasoning

First turn the oven on 350 and place a pan on the stove with a small amount of extra virgin olive oil on med-high heat. While that is heating prep your chicken. Remove as much fat as possible and cut out any areas that look less than desirable. Be sure to only use one hand to touch the chicken and leave the other to work the knife.

With your knife/clean hand sprinkle approximately 1 teaspoon on each side of each chicken. Using your Chicken/dirty hand rub the seasoning on, coating good. (don't wash your hands yet...but also don't touch anything)

Your pan should be hot now. Using your dirty hand place the chicken in the pan. You want to hear a strong sizzle. Now wash your hands.

When the chicken begins to look white around the edges check to see if you have a nice golden brown sear, if so, flip. Leave on the stove until both sides are golden brown (see pic). This should take about 3 minutes on each side. (if you use a fork to flip you will need to use one to check, one to flip and one to check again. The chicken is still raw on the inside)

Now that you have pan seared the chicken you are going to place in your 350 oven for about 15 minutes.
  

After seven minutes of being in the over start your steamers veggies in the microwave for 8 minutes.

At this point in time I checked my meat temp to see how we were doing. Using my trusty Taylor meat thermometer I pierced the thickest portion of the largest breast, it was only 119 degrees. It needs more time as I suspected. (now you much clean your thermometer so that you can use it at the end)

When the steamers finish, you need to allow one minute in the microwave to finish cooking. While you are doing this you can prep your plates with a baby spinach salad, peanuts and craisins. Since it has now been 15 minutes since you put your meat in the oven you will need to check the temp again. My temp was 169...Good to Go! (For chicken you want an internal temp of 165 to 175)

I chose to slice my chicken long ways and serve next to the salad in case Morris wanted to eat it as a chicken salad. Doesn't it look perfect on the inside...nice and white!

I plated the veggies...dividing the package between the 2 plates then served!

We used exactly 10 peanuts and about that amount of craisins..maybe a few more :). Dress the salad using 1 to 2 tablespoons of Brianna's Poppy seed dressing. (the calorie count allows for 2)
 

Then enjoy without the guilt!