Balsamic Chicken

I visited my parents in January for some quality time at home. I was able to help my mom clean out / organize my bedroom, hang out with my grandparents, and go to a bridal shower for a high school friend. It was such a nice weekend. And one of the benefits of the weekend was bringing back this delicious recipe that I knew Patrick would love. Mom found this Balsamic Chicken recipe in a Parade paper and it was submitted by Joy Bauer, the nutritionist on the Today show. She claims that it is packed with eight super foods (and why) and I agreed with her. Here they are:

The Super 8

Chicken breast: low-fat protein

Tomatoes: cancer-fighting lycopene

Peppers: fiber, vitamin C

Onions, garlic: antioxidants

Vinegar: blood sugar regulator

Greens: vitamin C, iron and folic acid

Quinoa: protein, heart-healthy magnesium

Balsamic Chicken from Parade & Joy Bauer
   Prep time 20 min | Total time 55 min | Serves 4
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 large red bell peppers, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
¼ tsp coarse salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
1 (15-oz) can diced tomatoes, well drained

Directions
   Coat a large sauté pan with oil, and preheat the pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell pepper and sauté for 5 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Add chicken breasts to the pan and cook for 4 minutes on each side. Add vinegar and tomatoes, and bring liquids to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with quinoa and sautéed greens.

When I made our quinoa I added the spinach at the end to wilt it and so we served the balsamic chicken on a bed of the spinach quinoa.

Dupree using Nacho as a cat pillow