How we made it lighter:
- CUT FAT Four boneless, skinless chicken breasts have 90% less saturated fat than a cut-up whole bird.
- DOUBLE FIBER Switch from standard white rice to brown.
- FAVOR FLAVOR Turmeric costs a lot less than traditional saffron and contains curcumin, a cancer-fighting compound.
- ADD VEGGIES Stir in peas near the end of cooking so they keep their bright green color and retain nutrients. Healthy Arroz con Pollo WORK TIME: 20 MINUTES / TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR / SERVINGS: 4 1¾ c canned whole tomatoes 1 Tbsp olive oil 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1½ lb total) ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp black pepper 1 red bell pepper, chopped ½ c chopped onion 2 sm cloves garlic, minced 1 c brown rice 1¾ c chicken stock ¼ tsp ground turmeric or paprika 1 bay leaf 1 c frozen baby peas, thawed ½ c chopped fresh basil
- PUT tomatoes (with juice) in food processor and process until coarsely chopped. Set aside.2. HEAT oil in large heavy frying pan over medium-high heat. Season chicken with ¼ teaspoon of the salt and ⅛ teaspoon of the black pepper. Brown chicken breasts about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to plate.3. ADD bell pepper, onion, and garlic to pan and cook until softened, 5 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring, about 1 minute. Stir in stock, chopped tomatoes, turmeric, bay leaf, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat.4. REDUCE heat to medium-low, cover pan, and simmer 25 minutes.5. RETURN chicken to pan and nestle into rice mixture. Cover and simmer 15 minutes longer.6. STIR in peas and cook until rice is done, 5 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Serve sprinkled with basil. NUTRITION (per serving) 475 cal, 45 g pro, 50 g carb, 5 g fiber, 9 g fat, 1.5 g sat fat, 908 mg sodium MORE: 20 Not-Boring Chicken Dinners
