Tuesday, February 16, 2010

In-a-Flash Chicken-Broccoli-Peanut Pasta

Pasta is one of those foods which I have a difficult time controlling my portion sizes. But when chicken and broccoli bulk it up, 2 oz of pasta goes a long way. The peanut sauce was a little thinner than I normally prefer but was still very flavorful, and we bumped up the spiciness with some Sriracha. This came together very quickly and is a perfect, balanced weeknight meal.

In-a-Flash Chicken-Broccoli-Peanut Pasta
source: Cara's Cravings
Yields 2 servings

Ingredients
1 tsp olive oil
2 small or 1 large chicken breast, 8-10oz total
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1tsp ground ginger
4oz whole grain pasta
10oz package frozen chopped broccoli
pinch of crushed red pepper
1 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp natural creamy peanut butter
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp agave nectar or honey
fresh chopped cilantro, for garnish

Preparation

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions. When there are about 5 minutes remaining, add the frozen broccoli. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, blend together chicken broth, peanut butter, soy sauce, and agave until smooth.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cut the chicken breast into bite-size chunks and season with salt & pepper. Add the chicken to the pan and brown on all sides; remove from pan. Add scallions and garlic, cook one minute more. Add ginger and red pepper; cook for about 30 seconds more. Add the sauce and the chicken to the skillet with the onions, garlic, ginger and pepper. Simmer over medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes, until thickened. Toss with drained pasta and broccoli and heat through. Serve with fresh chopped cilantro.


Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 2
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 522.8
Total Fat: 13.4 g
Cholesterol: 74.0 mg
Sodium: 818.2 mg
Total Carbs: 64.0 g
Dietary Fiber: 11.7 g
Protein: 44.6 g