Chicken with Whole-Grain Mustard & Zucchini in Packets

From EatingWell: July/August 2009 — Subscribe Now!

Mustard and thyme flavor chicken and veggies in this easy dinner.

READER'S COMMENT:

"Easy to make, very little clean up, and the result is fantastic. Don't be afraid of making the packets - just follow the directions and keep parchment paper on hand! "

Chicken with Whole-Grain Mustard & Zucchini in Packets Recipe

4 servings

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, (1 1/4-1 1/2 pounds), trimmed and tenders removed (see Tip)
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
2 small zucchini, thinly sliced
2 sweet banana peppers, or cubanelle peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups halved grape or cherry tomatoes
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F (or see Grill Variation, below).
To prepare packets, start with four 20- to 24-inch-long pieces of parchment paper or foil. Fold in half crosswise. With the parchment or foil folded, draw half a heart shape on one side as you would if you were making a Valentine. Use scissors to cut out the heart shape. Open up the heart.
Place a chicken breast on one side of each open heart fairly close to the crease and leaving at least a 1-inch boarder around the edges for folding and spread with mustard.
Toss zucchini, peppers, shallots, tomatoes, oil, thyme, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Place about 1 1/4 cups of the vegetable mixture on top of each piece of chicken.
Close the packet to cover the ingredients. Starting at the top, seal the packet by folding the edges together in a series of small, tight folds. Twist the tip of the packet and tuck it underneath to help keep the packet closed. Place the packets on a large rimmed baking sheet (packets may overlap slightly). Bake until the vegetables are tender and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken registers 165°F, about 25 minutes. (Carefully open one package to check for doneness"be cautious of the steam.) Let the packets rest unopened for 5 minutes before serving.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Equipment: Parchment paper or foil

Tip: Chicken tenders are the virtually fat-free strips of rib meat typically found attached to the underside of chicken breasts. They can also be purchased separately. Four 1-ounce tenders will yield a 3-ounce cooked portion. Tenders are perfect for quick stir-fries, chicken satay or kid-friendly breaded “chicken fingers.”
Grill Variation: Cooking in packets is great for the grill, but it's not safe to put parchment paper over an open flame, so use foil. To prepare packets for grilling, start with eight 20- to 24-inch-long pieces of foil. Layer two sheets for each of four packets (the double layers will help protect the contents from burning). Arrange the ingredients on one half of each double layer. Fold the foil over the ingredients and tightly seal the packets by crimping and folding the edges together. Grill over medium heat for 14 to 16 minutes, rotating the packets to another spot on the grill about halfway through to ensure even cooking.

Nutrition

Per serving: 243 calories; 9 g fat (2 g sat, 5 g mono); 78 mg cholesterol; 7 g carbohydrates; 30 g protein; 2 g fiber; 522 mg sodium; 619 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (60% daily value), Potassium (18% dv), Vitamin A (15% dv).

1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 4 lean meat, 1 fat