CHICKEN W/ PORTABELLA MUSHROOMS AND CREAMY POLENTA (WW)

Here's another yummy recipe from the WW files. Total points for this one: 7 (Chicken - 5; Polenta - 2) This had the most delicious flavor. Will definitely be making this one again. It called for skinless thighs, but all I had were bone in breasts (got them on clearance!) so that's what I used. To keep the points in tact, make sure you skin your chicken. I usually cook my chicken with the skin on, but then pull it off before I eat. I've never been a chicken skin lover - BLECH! Well, unless it's crispy fried chicken - that's a different story! LOL But then that's why we're having to eat light now! haha You simply MUST give this a try - you won't be sorry! This simple dish packs a ton of flavor! And be sure to try it w/ the polenta - it's new and different and goes REALLY well with the mushroom sauce!

CHICKEN W/ PORTABELLA MUSHROOMS (WW - 5 pts)
AND CREAMY POLENTA (WW - 2 pts)

Serve over creamy polenta or rice. Trim the woody stems from the shitake mushrooms before slicing the caps.

1 tsp olive oil
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
garlic powder
Lawry's seasoned salt
6 chicken pieces, skinned - breasts or thighs work well
1 1/2 cups sliced onion (1 med onion)
1 (6 oz) pkg baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
1 (3.2 oz) pkg fresh shitake mushrooms, sliced
2 Tblsp all purpose flour
2 cups fat free, low sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup white cooking wine or fat free, low sodium chicken broth
1 Tblsp chopped fresh parsley (or rosemary if you prefer)

Preheat oven to 350. Heat oil in a large ovenproof dutch oven over med-high heat. Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt, pepper, garlic powder and Lawry's seasoned salt. Add chicken to preheated pan. Cook 5 minutes on each side or until nicely browned. Remove from pan; set aside. Add onion and mushrooms to the pan, and saute 5 minutes or until liquid evaporates. Add flour and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually stir in 1/8 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, chicken broth, cooking wine, and parsley (or rosemary). Bring to a full boil, scraping pan as it deglazes. Return chicken to pan full of sauce. Cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Place pan over med-high heat; cook 5 or 6 min or until mushroom sauce is slightly thick, stirring occasionally. (I actually skipped this last step of heating the sauce after the chicken was done, and we still loved the taste of the sauce!)
Serving size: 2 thighs and 1 cup of sauce
points: 5
Cal: 258
fat: 7 g
pro: 32 g
carb: 15 g
fiber: 1.8 g

CREAMY POLENTA

A favorite in Northern Italy, this quick side dish takes the place of mashed potatoes, rice or noodles at the dinner table. I have to admit, hubby and I both commented how nice it was to try something different. We both enjoyed it, especially with the mushroom sauce drizzled over it! Soft polenta is best served immediately while it's still creamy. But leftover polenta can be chilled in a pan until firm and then cut into squares and pan-seared for a side dish at another meal.

1 1/2 cups low fat milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 (14 oz) can fat free, low sodium chicken broth
1 cup instant dry polenta
1/4 cup preshredded Parmesan, romano, asiago cheese blend (or just parmesan works too)
1 Tblsp butter


Bring first 4 ingredients to a boil in a med saucepan. Reduce heat to low and slowly add polenta, stirring constantly with a whisk, to prevent lumps. Cook 3 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and add parmesan cheese blend and butter, stirring until cheese melts. Serve immediately. Yield: 8 servings (1/2 cup).
WW Points value: 2