Clean Eating: Roasted Chicken with Brown Rice & Broccoli

 

Nothing special, but it was yummy. 

I love roasted chicken. It's one of my favorite go-to proteins. I've become quite the master at making roasted chicken. And when you pair it with a grain and vegetable, what more could you need. Oh right, a yummy sauce to put on the grain. This recipe isn't rocket science, but it's the way I cooked my yummy dinner tonight.

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts (I used Perdue Perfect Portions)

1-2 bags of instant brown rice  (I used Success boil-in-bag rice)

1 (14 oz) package of frozen broccoli florets (I used Birdseye)

1 tbsp whole wheat flour

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

salt & pepper, to taste

cooking spray

Not a lot of ingredients needed for a lot of goodness.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 420 F.

Spray an ovenproof skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat. Season chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. Place in hot pan, and sear for 4 minutes. Flip chicken breasts and place pan in preheated oven. Bake for 18 minutes.

The brown means it's good.

 

Meanwhile, fill a large pot with water. Submerge 1-2 bags of instant rice (it depends on how much you need; I only needed 1 bag tonight). Bring to a boil, and boil for 8-10 minutes. Drain water, open bag and add back to cooking pot.

Just because it's easy doesn't mean it's cheating.

To make a gravy for the rice, heat extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add whole wheat flour and stir to combine and cook down the flour. Add unsweetened almond milk and bring to a simmer. Stir frequently until thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over rice and stir to combine. The rice will have a risotto-like texture. If you make 2 bags of rice, you may want to double the gravy recipe.

The southern girl in me loves some good gravy.

Finally, it's time to quickly make the broccoli. Add the frozen florets to a microwave safe bowl. Cover with a lid and microwave for 6 minutes. Stir the broccoli halfway through cook time. Serve seasoned simply with salt and pepper.

 I always find a way to get my greens.

And now your dinner is ready to enjoy. So, why blog something so obviously easy to make and not creative? Monday nights tend to be my take-out nights because I always feel just a tad more tired on Mondays after work. So, this is definitely a good Monday night go-to meal. It's easy and quick to make, it tastes great and there's no guilt.

Serves 4 

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size = 1 chicken breast, 1/2 cup rice & gravy,  1/2 cup broccoli

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Calories - 455

Calories from Fat - 122

Total Fat - 13.6g

Saturated Fat - 2.2g

Cholesterol - 96mg

Sodium - 1739mg

Total Carbohydrates - 43.0g

Dietary Fiber - 6.1g

Sugars - 1.2g

Protein - 42.2g

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Vitamin A - 29%

Vitamin C - 85%

Calcium - 24%

Iron - 17%