I’m having fun playing around with healthy dinners that don’t taste very healthy.  Both today and Wednesday’s recipes feature prosciutto.  Prosciutto, salty, delicious meat that you eat, just knowing, it is clogging your arteries on the way down.  And loving every second of it.  Or at least, I am.  It’s a very rare treat that we get any type of deli meat in our house. 

If it has spicy in the title, I know John will whole-heartedly agree to it (little trick I have learned over the past 2.5 years!), so when I pulled out this recipe he not only enthusiastically agreed, but also offered to HELP!  Wonders never cease.  Adding a small amount of prosciutto on the end makes it taste decadent when in reality, the meal is pretty healthy.  I served it with sautéed spinach and over 1/4 cup of yellow (saffron) rice each. 

The sauce is what really makes this meal.    Try to wait out your hunger and the delicious smells until the sauce is reduced into a chunky delight.  It’s worth it, trust me.  I also think this is the one dinner that John and I didn’t say a single word over except:  Grunt, Good, Grunt, Yum!  I’ll let you infer who said what.  It’s the perfect weeknight meal; easy, filling, healthy, and yes, extremely delicious. 

Spicy Basque-Style Chicken (adapted from Cooking Light)
Serves:  2

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 skinless boneless chicken breasts (we used the thin sliced – about 2/3 of a pound)

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tablespoons sliced green olives

1 10-ounce can of petite diced tomatoes, undrained

1/4 cup finely chopped prosciutto

Combine paprika and pepper.  Season chicken with the mixture evenly.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes until well browned.  Add garlic to pan, cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).  Turn chicken over.  Add olives and tomatoes to pan; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat slightly and simmer 12-18 minutes, until sauce thickens.  Plate and sprinkle with prosciutto just before serving.

Nutrition Information per Serving based on 2 servings from MyFitnessPal:

Calories: 244

Carbohydrates:  13g

Fat:  10g

Protein:  28g

Sodium:  1405mg

Sugar:  6g

Until the next time my oven is on…