Chicken Cutlets with Mushroom Gravy

This past weekend was so busy that I rushed to the grocery store with no menu plan for the week.  I purchased a few of the usual staple products and some items that were on sale.  And of course, not thinking through each of the nightly meals, I did not purchase everything I needed to prepare my meals.  So just the other night, I came home from work not knowing how I would prepare the chicken cutlets I had thawed in the refrigerator that day.  I did have mushrooms, onions and Fage plain yogurt in the refrigerator, and a can of low-fat cream of mushroom soup in the pantry.   Suddenly the light came on...chicken in mushroom gravy. 

I must say, this came out tasting quite good.  With a little cooking experience, one can concoct just about anything with a few basic ingredients.

One final note, if you do not have whole wheat flour in your pantry, do buy it.  It makes a great coating for just about anything you would coat in regular flour, and when used to thicken gravy, it blends seamlessly.  The wheat flour imparts a slightly nutty flavor to whatever you use it in.  I purchase King Arthur Unbleached Organic Whole Wheat Flour in a 2 pound bag – one of my pantry staples. 

Enjoy!

Chicken Cutlets with Mushroom Gravy

 Serves 5 – 6

 

Coating Ingredients:

1/3 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 Tsp. Mrs. Dash Original Seasoning Blend
¼ Tsp. Sea Salt, fine grind
1/8 Tsp. Ground black pepper
1 Packet Herb ox Sodium Free Chicken Bouillon

Chicken and Gravy Ingredients:

2 Lbs. Chicken Breast Cutlets (a total of 10 cutlets)
¼ Tsp. Garlic powder
1/8 Tsp. Sea Salt, fine grind
1/8 Tsp. Ground black pepper
4 Tbls. Canola oil, divided use
2 Cups Sliced Sweet onion, thinly sliced
1  8-Ounce package White button mushrooms
1 Packet Herb ox Sodium Free Chicken Bouillon
2/3 Can (10.75 ounce size can) Cream of Mushroom Soup, reduced fat, lower-sodium variety
1/8 Tsp. Gravy Master, Browning and Seasoning Sauce
1 Cup Water
1/3 Cup Fage Total 0% Greek Yogurt (plain)

 In a zip top bag, mix together the flour, Mrs. Dash, salt, black pepper and chicken bouillon. 

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat.

Rince and pat dry the chicken cutlets.  Lay them on a flat surface, sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Transfer the cutlets to the zip top bag, in batches; shake to coat the chicken.

With a pair of cooking tongs, transfer the coated cutlets to the heated skillet; cook in batches of five.  Add additional 1 tablespoon of oil to skillet before adding the second batch of cutlets.  Fry the chicken on medium heat, turning once, until they are golden brown on each side; about 6 minutes per side.  Remove the chicken from the skillet and place on a plate, cover and set aside.

 
In the same skillet, add the last tablespoon of oil; add the mushrooms and sauté until lightly browned.  Add the onions and continue to cook for about 10 minutes, or until the onions are translucent.  To the skillet, add the chicken bouillon, mushroom soup, Gravy Master and water.  Stir to incorporate and bring to a slow boil.  Add the chicken to the gravy mixture, nestling each cutlet down into the gravy.  Simmer for 5 minutes, turn the chicken over and simmer for another 3 minutes.  Remove the skillet from the heat; remove only the chicken from the skillet, leaving the mushroom gravy in the skillet.  Add the yogurt to the gravy and stir to combine.
 
Serve the chicken on a plate with the gravy spooned over the top. 

I served this with a baked potato topped with Fage Total 0% plain Greek Yogurt, and a side of steamed broccoli.

Happy New Year! - Convert a Traditional Holiday Meal

The traditional meal on New Year's Day in our house is roast pork, sauerkraut and dumplings. This has been a tradition in my family for as long as I can remember. Today, I will prepare a healthier version of this meal. I will substitute what I perceive as not so healthy food items with healthier choices.  And of course, consume less than in years past!

My plan is to use the substitutions below. I have not tried this before, so I will not post the recipes today.  Rather I will try the recipes today, and if I achieve good results, I will post them at a later date.  The meal I will prepare today can be served and enjoyed at family meals throughout the year.

 Substitutions:

Pork Roast
Pork shoulder	Pork tenderloin
Dumplings (don’t be shocked by the amount of butter, this recipe can feed about 10 or more people)
All-purpose white flour	Equal parts all-purpose white flour and whole wheat flour, sifting three times to create a lighter consistency in the final product
Butter-3/4 stick	Smart Balance Buttery Sticks-OMEGA-3 – ½ stick
Sauerkraut
Diced onion, sautéed in butter	Diced onion, sautéed in extra virgin olive oil
Sauerkraut drained of its liquid	Sauerkraut, rinsed and drained (to remove excess salt from the brine)

Now I must get cooking!  Wish me luck!