Roast Chicken with Balsamic Bell Peppers

Neither D nor I thought this was anything great. We thought it was trying to be fancy and in fact really wasn't. The Balsamic was underwhelming. And nothing seemed to go with each other. It was like chicken that seemed to have peppers on it as an afterthought. We had with mashed potatoes.

Roast Chicken with Balsamic Bell Peppers

3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Cooking spray
2 cups thinly sliced red bell pepper
1 cup thinly sliced yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots (about 1 large)
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 450°.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Combine 1/2 teaspoon salt, fennel seeds, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, garlic powder, and oregano. Brush chicken with 1 1/2 teaspoons oil; sprinkle spice rub over chicken. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to pan. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes or until browned. Turn chicken over; cook 1 minute. Arrange chicken in an 11 x 7–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes or until done.

3. Heat remaining olive oil over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers, shallots, and rosemary; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high. Stir in vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Serve bell pepper mixture over chicken.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 breast half and about 1/2 cup bell pepper mixture)

CALORIES 282 ; FAT 11g (sat 2.1g,mono 6.4g,poly 1.7g); CHOLESTEROL 94mg; CALCIUM 38mg; CARBOHYDRATE 8.8g; SODIUM 644mg; PROTEIN 35.9g; FIBER 1.9g; IRON 2mg

Cooking Light, JANUARY 2010