What we've been eating: Easy Chicken Florentine

I have become bored with our regulars in the kitchen, and while I love The Pioneer Woman and all of her recipes, my waistline can't handle all the butter and whole milk and heavy cream of her recipes. After salivating over this dish that she prepared on her show a few weeks ago, I went on a search to find a lighter version of this and then added my own variations. I even set aside some to make an Ansley-friendly dish.

This iphone picture doesn't do it justice, but at least it gives a visual.

Ingredients:
2 large chicken breasts (I used some from my freezer)
1 8oz desired pasta (I used bow-tie.)
3/4 tsp salt, divided
3/4 tsp black pepper, divided
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp minced garlic
1 cup milk of choice (I used soy milk)
1 cup chicken broth
3 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 3/4 cup)
4 cups fresh spinach leaves
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

Directions:

• Prepare chicken however you choose. (I baked mine drizzled in olive oil and sprinkled with 1/4 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of pepper.) Shred or cube.
• Cook pasta until tender. Drain well, and keep warm.
• Heat skillet on med-high heat. Add oil to pan, and swirl to coat. Add flour and garlic, and cook for about 2 minutes while you keep stirring.
• Add milk and broth and stir with a whisk for about two minutes (or until it thickens). 
• Add half a cup of cheese, remaining 1/2 tsp of salt and pepper.
• Once cheese melts, add spinach and tomatoes, and cook until spinach wilts.
• Add chicken and pasta. Toss to combine.
• Top each bowl with remaining parmesan cheese.

(Before I added cheese, I separated some of the sauce and used Ansley's tapioca cheese for hers. It wasn't a big hit with her, but it least it didn't exclude her from our dinner plans.)

I have become bored with our regulars in the kitchen, and while I love The Pioneer Woman and all of her recipes, my waistline can't handle all the butter and whole milk and heavy cream of her recipes. After salivating over this dish that she prepared on her show a few weeks ago, I went on a search to find a lighter version of this and then added my own variations. I even set aside some to make an Ansley-friendly dish.

This iphone picture doesn't do it justice, but at least it gives a visual.

Ingredients:
2 large chicken breasts (I used some from my freezer)
1 8oz desired pasta (I used bow-tie.)
3/4 tsp salt, divided
3/4 tsp black pepper, divided
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp minced garlic
1 cup milk of choice (I used soy milk)
1 cup chicken broth
3 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 3/4 cup)
4 cups fresh spinach leaves
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

Directions:

• Prepare chicken however you choose. (I baked mine drizzled in olive oil and sprinkled with 1/4 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of pepper.) Shred or cube.
• Cook pasta until tender. Drain well, and keep warm.
• Heat skillet on med-high heat. Add oil to pan, and swirl to coat. Add flour and garlic, and cook for about 2 minutes while you keep stirring.
• Add milk and broth and stir with a whisk for about two minutes (or until it thickens). 
• Add half a cup of cheese, remaining 1/2 tsp of salt and pepper.
• Once cheese melts, add spinach and tomatoes, and cook until spinach wilts.
• Add chicken and pasta. Toss to combine.
• Top each bowl with remaining parmesan cheese.

(Before I added cheese, I separated some of the sauce and used Ansley's tapioca cheese for hers. It wasn't a big hit with her, but it least it didn't exclude her from our dinner plans.)