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Sauteed chicken and vegetables

This meal is a staple at our house. The chicken we use is frozen breast because it’s less expensive but tastes just as good as fresh. Use never-frozen chicken or another part of the chicken if you prefer. Remember the sitcom “Everybody Loves Raymond”?  Lemon chicken was Debra’s signature meal. Now you can make it!

The ingredients here are for two servings. We buy a large bag of vegetables called “vegetable medley” that has equal parts broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots.

Ingredients:

• chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, frozen, 16 oz (450 g)
• commercial lemon pepper seasoning (choose one with low sodium and the fewest non-paleo ingredients like sugar)
• broccoli, fresh, raw, 4.5 oz (130 g)
• cauliflower, fresh, raw, 4.5 oz (130 g)
• carrots, fresh, raw, 4.5 oz (130 g), peeled and sliced
• commercial low-sodium vegetable seasoning (e.g., Weber Roasted Garlic and Herb. We tried Mrs. Dash Seasoning Blend Garlic and Herb—didn’t work well with this)
• lettuce, Romaine, 6 oz (170 g), bite-size chunks
• tomatoes, raw, 6 oz (170 g), bite-size chunks
• cucumber, raw, 4 oz (115 g), peeled and sliced
• celery, raw, 4 oz (115 g), sliced
• sunflower seeds kernels, dry roasted, w/o salt, 1 oz (30 g)
• bacon bits (aka crumbled bacon), 2 tbsp (15 g)
• olive oil, extra virgin, 5 tbsp (75 ml)
• vinegar, 1 tbsp (15 ml) (your choice of red wine, white wine, balsamic, or apple cider vinegar)
• garlic, raw, 1 clove, sliced very thinly
• salt and pepper to taste (not counted in the nutritional analysis below)
• lemon, fresh (optional)

Instructions:

Thick chicken breasts sliced down the middle and opened up like a clam (or butterfly) to reduce cooking time

Start on the chicken first. Sauté the breasts in a pan over medium heat. You don’t need to thaw it beforehand. While cooking, sprinkle with the lemon pepper seasoning. If the breasts are thick, you may want to “butterfly” them with a knife when half done, to speed up the cooking process. If you over-cook, the meat will be tougher. It should be done in roughly 10–15 minutes. While the chicken is cooking, get to work on your other items.

Cook the vegetables thusly. Put the broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots in a microwave-safe dish, add about four fl oz (120 ml) of water, and microwave (covered) on high for four minutes. If you don’t have a cover, just use a water-soaked paper towel. While they cook, heat 2 tbsp (30 ml) of the olive oil in a medium-sized pan over medium heat, with the garlic, for a couple minutes to release the garlic flavor. Drain the water off the microwaved vegetables, then sauté them in the olive oil pan for a couple minutes, stirring frequently. Add your commercial vegetable seasoning when you start sautéing or at any point thereafter, even at the table.

Only $3.50 (USD) for this whole bag of Vegetable Medley at Sam’s Club

Finally the salad. In a large bowl, place the lettuce, tomatoes, sunflower seeds, cucumber, celery, bacon bits, 3 tbsp (45 ml) olive oil, and vinegar. Mix thoroughly.

For a bit of zing, you might enjoy a few squirts of fresh lemon juice on the vegetables or salad just before eating.

Servings: 2

Nutritional Analysis Per Serving:

• 55% fat
• 12% carbohydrate
• 32% protein
• 800 calories
• 27 g carbohydrate
• 11 g fiber
• 16 g digestible carb
• 970 mg sodium (not counting any you add, such as in commercial seasonings)
• 1830 mg potassium
• Prominent features: rich in protein, A, B6, C, E, copper, iron, manganese, niacin, pantothenic acid, phosphorus, and selenium