Chicken in Roasted Garlic Cashew Cream Sauce

 

So today was a draining day...just a lot going on and it was mentally draining...but I still worked out with P90 and made a really good dinner.

Speaking of dinner, my recipe tonight was thanks to Clean Eating Magazine...Chicken in Roasted Cashew Cream Sauce.  Something great about a simple clean meal. You have to prepare for this one since you have to soak the cashews overnight to become soft.  This has been on my menu for a few weeks but never got cooked since I kept forgetting to soak them.

Chicken in Roasted Garlic Cashew Cream Sauce
Serves 5
21 Day Fix Containers: 1R, 1G, 1B

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup raw unsalted cashews (6B)

Olive oil cooking spray 

1 head garlic (whole) plus 2 cloves garlic, minced, divided 

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice 

1 1/2 tsp olive oil, divided (1 1/2 tsp)

5 5-oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts (5R)

Pinch sea salt 

1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper 

1 large shallot, finely chopped 

5 cups broccoli florets (5G)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Place cashews in a bowl and cover with cold water. Cover and refrigerate overnight. 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut a 10-inch square of foil and mist with cooking spray. Slice 1⁄4-inch from top of head of garlic. Place cut side up on foil and wrap tightly. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 1 hour. Set aside to cool. (Or there's my cheater way since I HATE peeling whole cloves of garlic, I buy them already done and put them in my foil).

When garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze cloves out of peel into a blender; discard peels (or dump them like I did since they were already peeled). Drain cashews and add to blender along with lemon juice and 1 cup cold water. Begin blending on low speed, gradually increasing to high, until mixture is smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.

In a large nonstick skillet on medium-high, heat 1 tsp oil. Season chicken evenly with salt and pepper. Cook, turning halfway, until browned on both sides and cooked through, 8 to 12 minutes. Remove from skillet to a plate and cover to keep warm.

Heat remaining 1/2 tsp oil in skillet. Add shallot and broccoli (I quickly steamed my broccoli 1st, man I love steamer bags) and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until shallot is browned and softened. Add remaining minced garlic and sauté for 1 more minute. Remove to plate with chicken.

Add cashew mixture to same skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until warmed through and slightly thickened, about 1 minute (mine thickened a lot and I had to add more water to it). Serve over chicken and broccoli. Season with additional pepper.

 

Nutritional info according to MFP:
Calories: 345
Fat: 18
Carbs: 11
Fiber: 2
Protein: 35

 

VERDICT: Well 1 of my 3 kids liked the sauce and hubby and I like it.  I will make it again...it really did do a nice job and add a good flavor.  I was concerned but it worked.  Make sure you have a good blender so it's not gritty, I have a vitamix and it worked perfect.