Healthy Chicken Recipe:
Harvest Chicken
Harvest chicken is a healthy chicken recipe good at any time you want a meal that is light and refreshing. It's especially good for lunch, with its nuts, fruit and cheese that provide plenty of nutrients to keep you going throughout the afternoon.
Feta contains less fat and fewer calories than most cheeses. It is also high in protein and calcium and just a little bit adds a lot of flavor. Real feta cheese comes from Greece and is made from sheep's milk. The feta-type cheese made from conventionally raised cow's milk may contain gmo foods in the form of genetically modified growth hormones. So be sure your feta is 100% organic if you buy any containing cow's milk.
Nuts are an excellent source of protein, fiber and unsaturated fats. And studies have shown that those who eat nuts regularly reduce their risk of heart disease. Pears are high in fiber, and cranberries are high in vitamin C.
Adding this healthy chicken recipe to a salad of fresh, mixed greens will provide you with most of your day's requirement for servings of fruits and vegetables and will not make a big impact on your waistline.
Harvest Chicken
| Yield | 4 |
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| Prep Time | 30 minutes |
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| Cook Time | 15 minutes |
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Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 cup apple juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 sliced firm pears, quartered and cored
- 2 ounces crumbled feta cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans or cashews
- optional dried cranberries
Instructions
- Flatten chicken to 1/4 inch thick.
- In a small bowl, mix flour, salt and pepper. Dredge chicken to coat.
- Over medium heat, place butter and oil in a large frypan. Cook chicken about 6 minutes, browning on both sides. Remove and keep warm.
- Add apple juice, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes to the pan. Scrape up any brown bits, stirring. Add pear slices to pan and place the chicken on top. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove chicken to a serving platter. Remove pear slices with a slotted spoon and place on top of chicken. Increase heat to high, and boil the liquid for two minutes until it thickens slightly, and remove from heat. Add feta cheese and stir. When partially melted, pour over chicken and sprinkle with pecans and optional cranberries. This healthy chicken recipe is great served over lettuce as a healthy salad, or with a side of green beans.
