donderdag 23 april 2009

CEiMB: Balsamic Chicken with Baby Spinach


Well, it's Thursday today and we all know what that means: Craving Ellie in My Belly. And I am especially exited about this weeks pick. Guess why.... Because I got to choose a recipe!!! It was really difficult to decide on one recipe, 'cause The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger is filled with wonderful dishes.


I eventually selected Balsamic Chicken with Baby Spinach and Couscous. Chicken is one of my favourite meats to cook with, simply because it's so versatile and I love both spinach and couscous allthough I would never have thought of putting them together in one dish.


Since I wasn't able to find baby spinach, I simply used normal spinached: it just needed a bit more time in the pan than indicated. It took about 15 minutes to cook and I really enjoyed it! I loved the combination of the tomatoes with the balsamic vinegar. This dish is perfect for one of those nights where you don't feel like cooking, but still want to eat a healthy and tasty meal and it will definetely be made again by me!
Check out what my fellow Ellie-istas thought of the chicken here!!


Balsamic Chicken with Baby Spinach and Couscous

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved
8 ounces baby spinach
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup low-sodium canned chopped tomatoes with juice
2 cups whole wheat couscous, cooked

Directions
Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken and cook about 4 minutes per side, or until cooked through and juices run clear. Remove the chicken and set aside.

To the same pan, add the spinach and cook just until wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Lower the heat to medium and add the balsamic vinegar and chicken broth to the pan and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any browned bits. Add the tomatoes, bring to a simmer and cook 3 to 5 minutes.

Place the couscous in a serving bowl. Top with the spinach, chicken and balsamic-tomato sauce.

16 opmerkingen:

Aggie zei

Great pick this week! Thank you!
It was delicious!

Peggy zei

Oh Marthe - I am your first comment on the balsamic chicken!!! Yea. It was a good choice. We really liked it. Easy to cook up too which is great for me on a busy night. Enjoyed cooking with you this week!!

Pamela zei

It was a delicious choice, Marthe! I really enjoyed it and we will definitely be having it again. Thanks!! Yours looks yummy, too.

Marie Rayner zei

Marthe, that looks totally scrumptious! Great pick!

Anoniem zei

It was a great pick. We enjoyed it and will most likely do it again with some modifications.

farah zei

This was delicious! Thank you so much for a great pick :)

Leslie zei

Yours looks perfect, Marthe! Thanks for choosing such a winner. We loved it!

Craving Ellie in My Belly zei

Great pick this week! I totally agree that this is something easy to make when you don't feel at all like cooking.

Jennifer zei

Great pick this week. While the dish lacked in flavor, its definitely a combination I will make again in the future.

Mary Ann zei

Great pick for the week! I loved how quick this dinner came together.

Lauren zei

great pick! A great way to start off with!

Cathy zei

Thanks for this pick, Marthe! I love the simplicity of this. I will probably add a few more spices next time to adjust for personal taste, but the basic recipe is perfect for those busy nights. Great pick! Yours looks delicious!

What's for Supper? zei

Marthe, this was such a good pick. We really liked it!

Anoniem zei

Loved the pick. It was easy and healthy and good. Doesn't get any better than that.

Unknown zei

Good choice this week. I have to admit it probably was somewhere low on the list of stuff for us to try (of what's left of the book) but I was pleasantly surprised by how yummy this quick and healthy dish came out.

Thank you for cooking with us!

--Nick

AJM zei

Thanks for the pick! I agree- a tasty, fast, healthy weeknight dinner, I'll definitely make it again. With a few tweaks of course:)