I can not believe it is already Thursday!

This week went fast! Monday was weigh in day!! Whoo Hoo. Of course I don’t always go in excited. Some times I go to WW with a feeling of dread and regret. But let us not dwell on the negative. Monday was a good day. I lost 5.8 pounds. Wow!!! I am already nervous for next week. Losing that much weight in one week is really exciting. It is also a little dangerous because I felt like maybe I deserved a reward, like maybe an apple cider donut? Ahhhh!!

So, in celebration of weigh in day, I’ve decided to share a recipe. This is one of my favorites and it is low in points and delicious. There are a couple of variations which I will explain below.

Chicken “Cacciatore”

Pam vegetable oil spray

1 large onion chopped

2 red peppers chopped

2 zucchini chopped

1 15 oz can diced tomatoes

6 Skinless Chicken thighs or 6 chicken breast

1 vegetable bouillon cube

salt and pepper to taste

1 oz Neufchatel Cheese (low fat cream cheese)

Sauté onion, peppers, and zucchini in large skillet (sprayed with Pam) until soft (about 15 minutes). Add tomatoes and bouillon cube and let simmer for another 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove vegetables from pan. Spray pan with more Pam and brown chicken on both sides. Add back vegetables to chicken and simmer until cooked through (about 30 - 45 minutes).

Just Vegetables.

Chicken simmering in vegetables.

You can stop right here and serve this with rice or pasta on the side (make sure you include the points for the rice or pasta). I consider it to serve 6 with one thigh and vegetables per serving. The points for this would be 4. Or, you can alter the dish as follows (this is how I make it).

Remove chicken from the skillet and transfer vegetable mixture into a sauce pan. With a hand blender (or you can use a food processor ), puree vegetables. Once pureed, add Neufchatel cheese and continue to puree to make a creamy sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve one piece of chicken with sauce over pasta or rice.

Using my hand blender to puree vegetables with cheese.

Creamy vegetable sauce.

Chicken thighs with sauce over the top.

The point value remains the same. The cheese is low enough in calories not to add any extra points to the dish. My kids absolutely love this recipe and I’m so happy that they are getting so many vegetables!

Give it a try over the weekend and if you get stuck, just email me or give me a call! Bon Appetite!