Tuscan Garlic Chicken

I ran across this Olive Garden knock-off recipe the other day on-line. I've not had this dish at OG, but it sounded simple and tasty. And easy. It is, all of these. And I was able to significantly reduce the fat calories by using cooking spray instead of olive oil and used just a touch of cream with a mixture of skim milk and cornstarch (versus all cream). I cooked the fettucine earlier in the afternoon, keeping it in the frig in water, then just poured boiling water over it to reheat, saving the anxiety of trying to get everything timed to come out at the same time. Easy, right? I served this with a simple spinach salad dressed with Julia Child's Basic Vinaigrette (see earlier post) topped with red onions, mandarin orange slices, and goat cheese. This recipe served 2.

TUSCAN GARLIC CHICKEN

1/4 cup flour

S&P to taste

1/4 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp dried oregano

2 boneless chicken cutlets, 4-6 oz each

olive oil cooking spray

1/2 Tbsp minced garlic

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

1/4 cup chicken broth

3 oz fresh spinach

1/4 cup light cream

1 tsp cornstarch

1/2 cup lowfat milk

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

4-6 oz dried fettucine, cooked

Preheat oven to 350.

In a shallow plate or ziplock bag, combine flour, S&P, basil, and oregano. Dip the chicken piecesin the flour mixture until both sides are well coated.

Heat a large nonstick skillet, then spray liberally with cooking spray until hot. Cook each side of the cutlet about 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Don't move the chicken around until they are ready to turn or the coating could fall off.

Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Place the chicken on the foil and bake 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken (my cutlets were thin 4 oz'ers, it only took 10 minutes).

Either cook the fettucine or warm up water to reheat cooked noodles. Wipe out skillet with a paper towel and return to medium heat, respraying with cooking oil. When hot, add bell pepper and garlic, saute for 2-3 minutes.

Stir in 1/2 Tbsp flour and stir constantly while cooking for another minute. Add the chicken broth to the skillet and bring the mixture to a low simmer, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes. In a small liquid measure, whisk together the cornstarch and cream. Add the spinach, milk, and cream mixture to the skillet. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the spinach is wilted and the sauce is slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan.

Toss the cooked pasta with half of the cheese sauce. Place some of the coated pasted on each plate. Top with a breaded chicken breast and spoon some of the sauce over the top of the chicken and pasta. Serve immediately.