Roast Chicken with Balsamic Bell Pepper

I think I speak for all Cooking Light subscribers when I say that this month's edition is awesome! So awesome in fact that my mom called me last night just so we could discuss this month's magazine, I'm not kiddin' when I say that we love our food. One of the first questions she asked me when she called was "have you tried the roasted chicken with balsamic peppers?" my answer, "heck yes I did!" This dish, while maybe not the most photogenic dish, far exceeded my expectations of how I thought it was going to turn out. The chicken is juicy from being roasted, the peppers are so tangy and bright from the balsamic vinegar, and the potatoes are smooth and mild and bring this whole dish together. I just made regular mashed potatoes, but CL suggests making mashed potatoes with Mascarpone cheese, which is what my mom did. She said that it really added to the potatoes and made them fantastic. I also really liked pouring the tangy balsamic sauce over the potatoes, an unlikely combination, but very addicting and hard to stop eating! I think you'll love this dish!

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

Ingredients

3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 fennel seeds, crushed (I just did this in my mini food processor)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
4 (6 oz) boneless, skinless, chicken breast
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
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 chicken broth
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Directions

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 11x7-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; loosen brown 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.

Serves 4: 1 breast half and 1/2 cup bell pepper mixture, potatoes not included

Per Serving: 282cal, 11g fat, 35.9g prot, 8.8g carb, 1.9g fiber, 94mg chol

Points per Serving: 6