Heart Healthy Baked Chicken

*(Photo is suggested serving idea)


My Nephew Eric is trying to lose a few pounds, and asked for a chicken recipe he could eat, full of flavor. Just throwing chicken in the oven and baking it plain leaves it tasteless, and if you're trying to eat healthy, it does no good adding salt or eating the skin.

This recipe is for a baked chicken, using fresh herbs as flavor. The chicken is cooked with the skin on, to help with flavor and moister, but removed at the end.

This is real basic, and not too visually stunning. Something you would make for yourself, not as a main course to feed your company. Mainly strictly for people seriously watching what they eat.


Heart Healthy Baked Chicken
-----------------------------------

YIELD: 4 Servings

Ingredients:
-----------------

4 pieces Chicken Breast, bone and skin on.
(Alternate: use chicken thighs, or even a whole bird)
4 sprigs fresh Rosemary herbs
4 sprigs fresh Thyme herbs

-----------------------------------------

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels.

2. Using your finger, run your finger underneath the skin of the chicken, separating it from the meat, making a pocket inside.

3. Slide one sprig of fresh Rosemary and one sprig fresh Thyme in between the skin and the meat of each piece of chicken.

4. Place chicken on baking sheet, skin side up. Bake in oven on middle rack for about an hour, or until internal temperature reads 160 degrees (using an instant read thermometer).

5. Remove chicken from oven, let rest for about 5 minutes. Remove skin and herbs, discard. If you wish, you can sear the breasts in a skillet on high heat to give it some color at this time.

6. Serve, with steamed broccoli, or whatever vegetable you like.