Doing It Myself: Skinny Broccoli and Chicken Alfredo

I have kind of felt bad for not posting like I did during school.

I don’t have 5 minutes between this lecture, 15 before this next lab starts….instead I’m usually chasing my little munchkin around…which is definitely more fun, no offense.

It’s also a very interesting paradox—I get so much more done when there is so much to do. But when I don’t have very much to do—I get nothing done.

That’s not completely true. I did nothing for probably 2 days. And then I was bored.

So, to remedy my boredom, I got a Pinterest. And then I found myself just “pinning” all these awesome things to do…instead of doing them. One of my pins was this quote.

“’Well done is better than well said.’ –Benjamin Franklin”

Really?! Come on, Steph.

So, I decided that I was going to go against the flow and actually DO some of the things that I saw.

I apologize to those of you who followed this blog with totally different expectations. I’m sure that it will return to “normal” when classes start again. But, I think this is a part of the “Having your Cake and Eating it , Too”. I’m in a very special season in life that doesn’t involve medicine 28 hours a day. (It’s true.) And, so, maybe this will inspire you. Maybe you will get bored. Either way, it is my wonderful life, and I will be sharing it with you.

I’m always on the lookout for good recipes—especially easy, fast, and healthy ones. That combo is definitely hard to come by. This “Skinny Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo” had me a little worried at first…probably because it said “skinny”.

BUT I was actually really impressed—and so was the hubby which is really what matters!

Without Further Ado:

Skinny Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo

(Original Recipe by Courtney Horan)

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, grilled and cut into chunks (about 2 cups)
2 cups roasted broccoli florets
8 ounces fettuccine
 (I think I will be trying rice at one point.)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup fat-free, low sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
1/4 cup skim milk (or the 2% that I had in my fridge)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 pinch ground nutmeg
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

First, look at how awesome I am at cooking noodles.

I know that you are now inspired. There’s no way you couldn’t be. But, really. I didn’t know you could roast broccoli. And I didn’t know how to do it. So I got some inspiration from Google- which is how I found Megan. Basically, I cooked them on 400 for 10-15 minutes…until I liked how brown they were, which isn’t too much. And, can I tell you, they were really yummy. I will be doing this more often.

Now, the good stuff.

“In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat.
Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic is golden, 1 to 2 minutes.

Whisk in the flour until smooth, about 2 minutes.
Gradually whisk in the chicken broth, Greek yogurt, milk, pepper and nutmeg.

Bring to a low boil, stirring constantly.
Lower the heat and simmer, stirring gently, until the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes.

Stir in 3/4 cup Parmesan.”

I even had help…

Confession: I totally and completely forgot the chicken broth, and it was still good. That’s how awesome this recipe is. The sauce was just really thick, so I added some extra milk. Oops!

Stir in cooked broccoli and chicken. I was ready to eat it at this point.

Or maybe next time I will add rice. (That is probably my Cajun talking.)

Add your noodles and voila! You’re done!

I will say that we like to have lots of leftovers with our busy life. If I make it during school I would probably double everything.

Hope you guys try it- and remember your chicken broth. 🙂 Cheers!