Apple Braised Chicken

This is a WW recipe that I tried a long time ago on my mom while I was doing WW in college (stupid skinny b that I was in college thought that I need WW...) Anyway, I wanted to revisit it because it's really delicious! It seems odd at first to use onions and apples with chicken, but it ends up being perfectly sweet and sour. It's only 5 points per serving, so paired with a good veggie, it's a very good, healthy dinner.

Apple Braised Chicken, adapted from Weight Watchers

2 tsp vegetable oil

1 pound(s) uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, four 4-oz pieces

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 large onion(s), sliced
2 medium apple(s), firm, cored and sliced
1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar (the original recipe called for just 1 c. apple cider, but I have a strange love for vinegar. This is what gave it a "sour" taste, and I loved it.)
1 cup(s) fat-free chicken broth
1/2 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp cornstarch

In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet, warm oil over high heat. Toss chicken with flour in a medium bowl, patting off excess. Place chicken in skillet and brown well on both sides. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

Reduce stove temperature to low and add onion to skillet. Sauté, stirring often, until onion is tender and lightly browned.

Stir in apples, cider vinegar, chicken broth, salt, ginger and chicken. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer chicken, onions and apples to a serving dish.
 In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and 2 to 3 tablespoons of pan juices. Combine cornstarch mixture with remaining pan juices, whisking constantly. Simmer for one minute. Pour sauce over chicken and serve. Yields 1 chicken breast and about 3/4 cup of apple-onion mixture per serving. 5 points per serving.

Dear Weight Watchers...

Things I love...cupcakes, cake, wine, steak, mashed potatoes, cheeseburgers and french fries, queso and chips, fajitas, cheese and crackers....Shouldd I keep going?

Sadly, it's because of my love for all things fatty that I have become, well, a fatty myself. Why are all the good things so bad for you?

So, I joined Weight Watchers last week. I am excited about it and am really motivated and can't wait to be thin (thinner) again. It's put a little bit of a damper on my baking and cooking, but I'm learning how to adapt things to fit into WW.

Weight Watchers has a plethora of recipes and, for some strange reason, of all of those recipes, I chose fish and chips. I don't know what made me think that WW fish and chips would be as delicious as the orginial, because it was worse than words can describe. It looked like (and I would assume tasted like) cat vomit. It led me to somewhat of an emotional breakdown. I though eating right and exercising was supposed to make you feel better? After some encouraging words from my sweet husband, I was motivated again and really hopeful in the WW program. I am going to really try to take things we normally eat and modify them to fit into my allowed points. I am a little skeptical to try more WW recipes, but there was one I just had to try after searching for potato dishes.

We had our normal weekend night steak dinner and instead of mashed potatoes or cheesy polenta, I made the WW Potatoes Au Gratin. It was pretty delicious! Aside from taking an hour and a half to cook, it was really easy and only 3 points per serving.

*unfortunately, my picture didn't turn out, but it was very pretty!
Au Gratin Potatoes, adapted from Weight Watchers
1 spray(s) cooking spray
1 Tbsp butter
1 medium onion(s), thinly sliced
1 Tbsp minced garlic (I added this to the original recipe)
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cup(s) fat-free skim milk
2 pound(s) Yukon Gold potato(es), thinly sliced
1 cup(s) fat free shredded cheddar cheese (I find that this cheese is pretty good. It's really stringy)
1 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
 
Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a 2-quart covered baking dish with cooking spray.
 
Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion  and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour; add milk slowly, stirring. Add potatoes and stir to mix. Bring to a boil. Stir in 3/4 cup of cheese, salt and pepper.

Pour mixture into prepared baking dish and level out surface. Bake for 1 hour, uncovered. Cover and bake until potatoes are fork-tender, about 20 minutes more.

Change oven temperature to broil. Sprinkle remaining cheese over potatoes. Broil 6 inches from the heating element until the cheese is golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before slicing into 8 pieces.