Sauteed Chicken with Mushrooms & Asparagus

Photo courtesy of MarthaStewart.com

This has been a week of good eats in the Foster Household. I love branching out and trying new recipes. Some have been disgusting, some have been okay (but probably won't make again), and some have been fantastic finds. Like this little gem we tried last night. Best of all, this is a super lean meal that is incredibly healthy!!

***Disclaimer: I get weary of trying "super healthy" meals, because well, I'm from the South, and I like to eat Heavy Whipping Cream and Butter. To me, most "healthy" meals are uneventful and rather bland. Not a fan. Have no fear, this is one that you'll be sure to love. I fed it to my used-to-be-non-veggie-loving husband and the first words out of his mouth.... "Now this is delicious!". So enjoy! Not only am I providing you with a safe way to branch out from the typical meals you might tend to always make, but I'm also helping you with that not-so-new New Year's resolution of being healthy! You're welcome....

What You Need:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2-3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-2 inch bite size pieces
• Coarse Salt and ground pepper 
• **Spring for actual "Course Sea Salt" next time you're at the store if you already don't have some. I usually think that normal salt will do the trick, but I finally caved and made the purchase, and boy did it work wonders!
• Italian Seasoning (or really any kind of seasoning that would just add a little something extra to your chicken. Not a kitchen pro? Try lemon pepper, a table blend, etc.)
• 1 carton button mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1 bundle of asparagus, tough ends removed
• **Know how to effectively remove the tough ends? My friend Erin showed me a neat trick! All you have to do is bend the asparagus and it snaps off in the perfect place! Genius!
• **The original recipe says to cut these into 2-inch lengths. I missed this and just cooked them whole. Personal preference!
• 1 cup water
• Cooked noodles or Rice (optional)
• **I used a package of egg noodles and found it to be quite fitting.

What to Do: 

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper once cut and before placing in the skillet. If you have a lot of chicken, or a smaller skillet, cook in two batches, turning occasionally, until browned (6-8 minutes). Transfer the chicken to a plate.

Without turning the heat down, add the mushrooms, asparagus, and 1 cup water. Season with salt and pepper as you see fit (I also added some "Italian Seasoning" that I found on our Spice Rack. The original recipe didn't call for this, but again, I'm from the South and love my food to have flavor and was nervous that the salt and pepper wouldn't cut it). Cook, tossing once and scraping up browned bits, until vegetables are crisp-tender (or the mushrooms have browned and the asparagus is a good shade of Kelley Green). This should take about 4-6 minutes. Add the chicken back in with the veggies, cook, tossing, until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Serve on top of noodles or rice, if desired!

What We Paired it With:

Since this is an all-encompassing meal with your carbs, lean meats, and veggies, we just paired it with a massive delicious fruit salad filled with a banana, strawberries, blueberries, mandarin oranges and even some tiny marshmallows. (The marshmallows was how my mom tricked us into eating fruit salad when we were younger. Yes, I am an adult and still love eating it that way. Don't judge me.)