Chicken with Sundried Tomato, "Cream Sauce" and Quinoa

It doesn't take much to realize that I have not posted to this blog in about 4 years. That's a long time, right? Well, actually the past 4 years have gone by in a blink of an eye and these days my life looks pretty different. I have an almost 5 year old named Gracie and 6 month old Ruby. These little lovely's have my husband Jeff and me playing a balance act of family, work, and being an athlete.  I wouldn't change it for the world.

I wish I could share and let you know the exact recipe for success ( there isn't one) but I can telyl you that one of the biggest factors for us keeping up on life and still being able to train and compete is good nutrition!

Fall is officially here and the cooler temperatures tend to lend us to warming dishes that are also known as comfort food. Traditionally speaking, comfort food is high in calories and has not so healthy fats. However, there is another way. You can still have nutrient dense meals that also satisfy an active lifestyle and the soul!

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CREAMY SUN DRIED TOMATO 

PARMESAN CHICKEN (NO CREAM)

INGREDIENTS

• 2 large boneless and skinless chicken breasts, halved horizontally to make 4 fillets
• 2 T. Flour

• 2 T. finely grated fresh Parmesan cheese 

• 1 teaspoon salt

• ground pepper

For The Sauce:

• 2 T. avocado oil or olive oil 

• 2 T. minced garlic

•  7oz jarred sun dried tomato strips in oil, drained (reserve 2 tablespoons of oil for cooking)

• 1 cup sliced mushrooms 

• 1½ cups milk (reduced fat, skim or full fat milk) *SEE NOTES FOR DAIRY FREE OPTIONS

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch (cornflour) mixed with 2 tablespoons of water**

• ⅓ cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese (do not include for dairy free option)

• 2 tablespoons fresh shredded basil, to serve

1. In a shallow bowl, combine the flour and parmesan cheese. Season the chicken with salt and pepper; dredge in the flour mixture; shake off excess and set aside.Heat 1 tablespoon of the reserved oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Fry the chicken in batches until golden on each side, cooked through and no longer pink (about 3-4 minutes, depending on the thickness of your chicken). Transfer onto a warm plate.
2. Add the remaining Tablespoon of olive oil; sauté the garlic until fragrant (about 1 minute). Add the sun dried tomatoes and mushrooms; fry until the mushrooms are just soft.
3. Reduce heat to low-medium heat, add the milk and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to your taste.
4. Add the milk/cornstarch mixture to the centre of the pan, and continue to simmer while quickly stirring the mixture through until the sauce thickens.
5. Add in the parmesan cheese; allow sauce to simmer for a further minute until cheese melts trough the sauce. Add the chicken back into the pan; sprinkle with the fresh basil and a title extra pepper (optional), and serve over cooker quinoa 

NOTES
*Substitute milk with almond, rice, oat, or coconut milk. Alternatively, if using cream in place of milk, do not add the cornstarch mixture. You won't need it.
**For a gluten free option, find GLUTEN FREE Cornstarch where available

And there you have it! I love this dish for a lot of reasons. It feels like a comfort dish but is truly a super high protein and low glycemic meal thats great for keeping your blood sugar stable in between training when you don't really want a bunch of simple carbs in your meal. I served this dish with steamed broccoli but any green veggie would do or a nice nutrient dense salad. YUM!