6 servings 1 Better Balance Bite/Blue Point
Calories 313 Fat 10.3g Sat. Fat 1.9g Protein 22g Carbs 38.8g Fiber 5.1g Sugars 5.8g
Ingredients
· 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
· 1 teaspoon salt
· 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
· Cooking spray
· 2 tsp olive oil, divided
· 1 medium onion, chopped (see notes)
· 1 medium red or green pepper, cut into short, thin strips (see notes)
· 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced (see notes)
· 1 Tbsp minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
· 3/4 cup chicken broth
· 1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
· 1/3 cup quartered Kalamata or green olives, about 16 olives
· 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
· 1 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
Directions
1. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper; set aside.
2. Coat a Dutch oven or other deep heavy pot with cooking spray and place it over Medium-High. Once hot, add 1 tsp of olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the chicken in a single layer and allow it to cook for 2-3 minutes without touching to get it browned. Flip the chicken and brown the other side, about 2 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate. The chicken does not need to be fully cooked at this point.
3. Coat the emptied pot with cooking spray and add the remaining 1 tsp of oil. Once hot, add the onion, pepper, and mushrooms. Cook until the vegetables soften and the mushrooms have lost a good bit of their moisture, 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook about 30 seconds, until the garlic is fragrant.
4. Add the chicken broth and deglaze the pan by scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add in tomatoes, olives, Italian seasoning, and balsamic vinegar, stirring to combine. Bring to a simmer.
5. Reduce the heat to Medium. Add the chicken pieces into the pot along with any drippings on the plate, submerging the chicken into the sauce. Partially cover the pot and let simmer 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened.
6. Taste and season the sauce with additional salt and pepper as desired. Serve over pasta, rice, cauliflower rice, veggie noodles, etc.
Notes
· You can use 1 cup frozen onions, 1 cup frozen peppers, and 8 oz. canned mushrooms.
· To get “short, thin slices” on the peppers, sliced thinly, then cut them into thirds.
· Refrigerator leftovers in an airtight container up to 4 days. Freeze leftovers in an airtight, freezer-safe container up to 3 months.
