Thursday, April 23, 2009

CEiMB-Balsamic Chicken with Baby Spinach and Whole Wheat Pasta

If you are here looking for Barefoot Bloggers, sorry. I had to quit a couple of groups because I was in a little over my head and I am trying to organize my family for an across the country move in a little over a month. I have loved being a part of BB, but I had to let it go.
If you are here for Craving Ellie in my Belly- then keep on reading. I am going to keep it short. This week's recipe- Balsamic Chicken with Baby Spinach and Couscous was chosen by Marthe of Culinary Delights. I threw this meal together on a weekend when we needed dinner fast and I mean, it was fast. I served it with whole wheat pasta instead of couscous because that is what I had in my pantry and it worked. There wasn't anything super or amazing about this meal, but it was good and everyone ate it. It was quick and easy, so that was a plus.
To see what the other Ellies thought check out the Blogroll!


Balsamic Chicken with Baby Spinach Recipe courtesy Ellie Krieger
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.

Up Next- Hidden Rainbow Albondigas

16 comments:

Jaime and Jen DISH said...

Hmmm, looks fantastic. I love the colors of this dish.

Where ya moving to?

Jenifer

Marie Rayner said...

LOoks great as always Mary Ann. I understand completely how overwhelming things can get when you are trying to cope with a move etc.

Marthe said...

Yum, what a great idea to use pasta instead of couscous. Thanks for cooking with me this week!

Anonymous said...

We enjoyed it. The sauce carried this dish.
Good luck with your move.

Engineer Baker said...

Kudos for keeping up with as many as you already do - I can barely do TWD, DB, and BBB! That recipe looks wonderful, especially since I love the chewiness of ww pasta. Where are you moving?

Steph said...

The pasta looks delicious! I hope the move goes smoothly.

Aggie said...

I know what you mean about it being too much...

your dinner looks great as always!! The photos are beautiful! I liked this recipe a lot!

Leslie said...

Looks delicious, Mary Ann. We loved it and thought it would be a great, easy weeknight meal that could be changed up for variety. I don't have kids and I'm not moving cross country, and I can barely keep up with three groups!

Sara said...

Looks great! This is definitely a solid go to meal when you need something good in a pinch. Good luck with your move, hope it does not get too crazy for you.

Jennifer said...

wow, your photos look great! Granted, maybe if used something other than the camera on my cell phone mine would turn out better too!
As for the recipe, while it was quick and easy, I thought it was lacking in the flavor department.

Eliana said...

looks great. Sounds like a quick and easy go-to meal.

What's for Supper? said...

Good luck on the move. Your pasta with this dish looks great. I should try that one too.

nick said...

Your photos look great!

I was also pleased with how quickly this came together as it allowed for an early departure to the bar - you know, priorities and all...

Good luck with the move, sheesh, that's more than I'm up for. Your mention reminds me of a funny bumper sticker I saw: "Yes, this is my truck. NO! I will not help you move!

Anonymous said...

Whole wheat pasta would have been a wonderful choice. Looks great.

Anonymous said...

It looks delicious.Ilove the colors!

Nancy/n.o.e said...

Gotta love those quick, easy, and good meals even if they're not going to be your most memorable. Good luck with everything, and I understand about the overwhelmed part! I've only got 2 groups and some optional roundups, but I'm always reassessing how much time to give...
Nancy