Roast Chicken with Balsamic Bell Peppers

This is not your everyday, boring chicken recipe... it may even become a regular around here!  There's not too much preparation involved and the results are a flavorful and healthy dinner.  The addition of fennel in the spice rub and the sweet red peppers give the dish an almost "sausage & peppers" taste.  As I said in my previous post, I am on a grocery budget, so it's not feasible (nor necessary) to follow the ingredients list exactly.  For example, yellow peppers were double the price of red, so I didn't use them.  Also, the fresh rosemary would have only lasted a week or so. I bought a jar of dried rosemary leaves instead so I could use them in future dishes.  And actually, they could have been omitted from the dish...I don't think it added a whole lot for me.  I had an onion at home, so I substituted that for the shallots.  The fennel and balsamic vinegar were stars in the dish, so don't leave those out!  So, try this chicken out this week! Pair it with some mashed potatoes!  If you try it, leave a comment on this post and tell me what you think!

Roast Chicken with Balsamic Bell Peppers
Source: Cooking Light Magazine Jan/Feb 2010

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 breast half and about 1/2 cup bell pepper mixture)

Ingredients

3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Cooking spray
2 cups thinly sliced red bell pepper
1 cup thinly sliced yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots (about 1 large)
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Combine 1/2 teaspoon salt, fennel seeds, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, garlic powder, and oregano. Brush chicken with 1 1/2 teaspoons oil; sprinkle spice rub over chicken. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to pan. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes or until browned. Turn chicken over; cook 1 minute. Arrange chicken in an 11 x 7–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes or until done.
3. Heat remaining olive oil over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers, shallots, and rosemary; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high. Stir in vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Serve bell pepper mixture over chicken.

Nutritional Information

Calories:282
Fat:11g (sat 2.1g,mono 6.4g,poly 1.7g)
Protein:35.9g
Carbohydrate:8.8g
Fiber:1.9g
Cholesterol:94mg
Iron:2mg
Sodium:644mg
Calcium:38mg

Ivy Manning, Cooking Light, JANUARY 2010