Chicken Breasts Arrabbiata

I am always in search of new ways to prepare boneless, skinless chicken breasts. This is my go to protein; it is cheap, healthy and extremely versatile. During a normal week at the Williams house I tend to cook about 5 dinners, out of those dinners you will find boneless, skinless chicken breasts in at least 4!

Thanksgiving weekend was SOOOO relaxing. Since meeting Terry and Kylie seven years ago, I usually spend my Thanksgiving break watching Kylie play in her softball turkey tournament. This year was different because the tournament that Kylie’s team participated in was the weekend before Thanksgiving. This left our entire break open for lying on the couch and watching football. While I do enjoy the occasional game, I took this opportunity to peruse through my cookbooks and see if there were any hidden gems that I had not tried.

Chicken Breasts Arrabbiata has the requirements that I look for in a recipe. It is chuck full of vegetables, has good flavor, is very low fat and low calorie, and it’s made with boneless, skinless chicken breasts!

Chicken Breasts Arrabbiata

Prevention’s Ultimate Quick & Healthy Cookbook

1 Tablespoon Extra -virgin olive oil

1 cup chopped red bell pepper

1 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup seeded, chopped peperoncini

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper

3 cups coarsely chopped plum tomatoes

1/4 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley

Preheat the broiler and broiler-pan rack

In a large skillet, warm the oil over medium-high heat. Add the bell peppers, onions, peperoncini, garlic, basil, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper, 1/8 teaspoon of the salt and the red pepper flakes and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium and saute for 3 to 4 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

Add the tomatoes, broth, and tomato paste, increase the heat to medium-high and saute for 1-3 minutes longer or until the tomatoes start to release their juices.

Reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally and mashing the tomatoes with a spoon, for 10 minutes, or until the tomatoes are reduced to sauce.

Meanwhile, season the chicken on both sides, with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Broil the chicken 4 to 5 inches from the heat for 5 minutes per side, or until browned and cooked through. Add the chicken to the tomato sauce, spoon the sauce over the chicken and bring to a simmer. Sprinkle with the parsley and remove from heat.

To serve, place a piece of chicken on each of 4 plates and top with the sauce.

220 cal

5.6 fat

4 servings

Chicken Breasts Arrabbiata has a nice heat without being spicy. I really enjoyed the fact that the flavorful sauce was produced from fresh vegetables and utilized the jar of peperoncinis that I have had lingering in the pantry. As always, I veered from the original recipe and had Terry grill the chicken outside for me. Let’s face it, when the weather is nice enough to be outside grilling at the end of November, you better take advantage of it! We served this with mashed potatoes and green beans and were pleased with the results. This was not Terry’s favorite dish, but he did appreciate the flavor in contrast to the low fat and calories. I brought my leftover Chicken Breasts Arrabbiata for lunch on Monday and the flavor seemed to be more impactful the next day.

Happy Cooking!

-Heather