Paprika Chicken – 158

I’m back! It’s been a while since I’ve been able to post or even been able to do much cooking…New Year’s started out so nice, Eric and I had a great New Year’s Eve at home – just the two of us – a few drinks, some snacks, music, dancing – just perfect. The next morning we slept late, had a great brunch of Polenta, Sausage & Egg. It was after we cleaned up from brunch that disaster struck. After putting everything away and starting the dishwasher, we went to our respective offices and checked our email (yes, we are addicted). Upon returning to the kitchen, Eric yelled (something along the lines of “Oh Shit!!), and I came running. The kitchen floor was covered in water. At first we thought the sink as leaking – nope, under the sink – nope…..oh no, it’s the dishwasher. We opened the dishwasher and found it still full of water (just a tip, it’s a bad idea to open the dishwasher when it’s full of water). We began to panic, it’s New Year’s Day, are we actually going to be able to find (or afford) a plumber on a holiday? Fortunately, Eric has a guitar player friend who is also a plumber. So, as much as he hated to bother him, Eric gave him a call. It turned out that he’d already been called out once that morning and was more than happy to come over and help us 😀 A few hours later we got the bad news. The water pipe running from our kitchen to our septic was going to have to be replaced. Apparently when the house was originally built they decided that a 40 foot length of pipe didn’t need to have any angle on it. Our plumber couldn’t come back with all of the necessary parts until Friday. So after almost a week without running water in the kitchen, we are now back in business.

So after that very long explanation, I’m back to being able to cook and wash dishes in my kitchen and get back to posting recipes. This is a new variation on something I made quite a long time ago. This is, of course, a healthy version at barely 300 calories per serving – what a great way to kick start your New Year’s Resolution to get healthy!!

Paprika Chicken

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
3 Tablespoons whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
3 Tablespoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 –  15 oz. can diced tomatoes, no-salt added
1 cup low-sodium, fat-free chicken broth
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup plain, fat-free yogurt
1 – 12 oz. bag whole wheat noodles, cooked according to package directions (no salt)

In a plastic or paper bag combine the flour and black pepper. Place chicken in bag and shake well. In a skillet, over medium-high heat, add olive oil and coated chicken pieces. Cook until the chicken is lightly browned on each side. Add onion, garlic, and mushrooms; continue cooking until the onions are softened and the mushrooms begin to brown. Add paprika, pepper flakes, tomatoes, and broth (reserve about a Tablespoon of the broth in a small bowl). Bring mixture to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer for about 10 minutes (this is a good time to cook the noodles). Stir cornstarch into the reserved broth until smooth. Add to the chicken mixture and stir continuously for 2 -3 minutes or until mixture thickens. Turn off heat. Mix in the yogurt. Pour mixture over the cooked noodles; mix well. Done!