Chicken with Apples and Cider

Okay, taking into consideration my current health kick, it should be obvious that I'm about to give you a HEALTHY recipe. This is a recipe that I first tried a couple of years ago and I love love LOVE it. It's from a Weight Watcher's cookbook, but don't worry, it doesn't taste like health food. Promise.

Ingredients:

3 tbsp reduced calorie margarine
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and sliced
1 tbsp packed dark brown sugar
Four 4-oz skinless boneless chicken breasts
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 medium onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
1/2 cup apple cider
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 cups hot cooked wide noodles

Directions:

1. In a large nonstick skillet, melt half of the margarine. Saute the apple until lightly browned, about 5 mins. Sprinkle with the brown sugar ; cook, stirring frequently, until tender, 3-5 mins longer. Transfer to a plate.

2. On a sheet of wax paper, sprinkle the chicken with the cinnamon, salt and pepper. In the skillet, melt the remaining margarine. Saute the chicken until until browned, 4-5 mins on each side. Transfer to another plate.

3. In the skillet, cook the onion, covered , until tender, 6-8 mins; stir in the cider and vinegar. Reduce the heat and simmer 2 mins. Return the chicken to the skillet; simmer, spooning the sauce over the chicken, until the chicken is cooked through and the liquid is reduced by half, 4-5 mins.

4. Return the apples to the skillet; cook until heated through, about 2 mins. Arrange the noodles on a platter; top with the chicken mixture pouring any remaining juices over the chicken.

I always sprinkled Parmesan Cheese on the top of mine but it's not necessary. Another yummy alteration you can make is to throw in a few tablespoons of raisins.


For those of you interested in nutrition facts, here you go!

Creates 4 servings.

Per serving:

287 Calories
6g Total Fat
1g Saturated Fat
76mg Cholesterol
237mg Sodium
34 g Total Carbohydrate
3 g Dietary Fiber
24 g Protein
34 mg Calcium

If you are counting Weight Watchers points, this dish is 6 points per serving.

Enjoy!