Chicken with Cremini Mushrooms and Asparagus

I prepped this dish, and D cooked it. He thought it was very bland. I liked it, but I would have rather had the asparagus as a side, rather than in the sauce. We probably won't have again, because he thought it reminded him of a dish that he doesn't like.

We had with angel hair pasta and Caesar Salad.

Chicken with Cremini Mushrooms and Asparagus

Serve over angel hair pasta.

1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups quartered cremini mushrooms
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic (I used 9 garlic cloves)
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
3/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon orange juice (we omitted)

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place 1 chicken breast half in a large heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag; pound to a 1/4-inch thickness. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken. Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan; keep warm.

Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, garlic, thyme, and asparagus; cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Combine broth and cornstarch, stirring with a whisk. Add broth mixture, vinegar, and juice to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until slightly thick. Serve over chicken.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half and 1/2 cup asparagus mixture)

CALORIES 275 (19% from fat); FAT 5.7g (sat 1g,mono 3g,poly 0.8g); IRON 2.4mg; CHOLESTEROL 99mg; CALCIUM 54mg; CARBOHYDRATE 9.9g; SODIUM 490mg; PROTEIN 43.5g; FIBER 3g

Cooking Light, JUNE 2004