This week I’ve hit a plateau in my weight loss. Damn. Still watching what I eat, though. Tonight I tried an adaptation of a recipe I found on allrecipes.com that meets the criteria for the South Beach Diet: low fat, low carbs, and no sugar. So I created my own Phase One recipe that I call
Chicken with Garlic, Basil, and Cilantro
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (can use boneless skinless chicken thighs trimmed of fat)
4 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced
4 tablespoons fresh basil, minced
4-6 large cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
1 large tomato sliced into rings
Preheat oven 350˚F. Spray a 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons cilantro, 2 tablespoons basil, garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, if using. Set cilantro mixture aside.
Sprinkle 2 tablespoons cilantro and 2 tablespoons basil in the dish. Place the chicken on top.
Spoon the cilantro mixture over the chicken pieces. Lay the tomato rings on top of the chicken and cilantro. Cover loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil.
Bake covered 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking uncovered 10-15 minutes. Poke the chicken with a fork and the juices should run clear. This dish is delicious. The tomato rings help keep the chicken moist and tender.
