Sauteed Chicken Thighs with Lemon and Capers

Serves 4

cooking spray
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp black pepper
1&1/4 pounds skinless chicken thighs, about 8
1 cup canned chicken broth
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 Tbsp capers

1. Coat a nonstick skillet with cooking spray; set over medium-high heat.

2. In a small bowl, combine flour with pepper; sprinkle over chicken. Brown chicken in a single layer in prepared skillet until golden on bottom, about 6 minutes; flip and brown on second side, about 4 minutes more. Remove chicken from skillet; set aside. (If necessary, brown chicken in two batches.)

3. Pour broth into skillet and scrape up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Return chicken to skillet, cover and reduce heat to low; simmer until heated through, about 3 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and capers; heat for 30 seconds.

4. Drizzle sauce over chicken thighs to serve.

Served with rice and green beans.

Results: This was very easy to make and very delicious. Very similar to chicken piccata. I'll definitely make this one again.

Recipe from Weight Watchers

Lemony Salmon with Yogurt-Dill Sauce

Serves 4

1 medium lemon
1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1 pound salmon, cut into 4 fillets
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

1. Spray grill rack with cooking spray. Preheat grill.

2. Grate 1⁄4 teaspoon zest from the lemon. Cut the lemon in half, juice one of the halves to get 2 teaspoons of fresh juice, and set the remaining half aside.

3. Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, yogurt, dill, and 1⁄4 teaspoon of the salt in a small bowl. Squeeze the reserved lemon half over the salmon and sprinkle with the remaining 1⁄4 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Add the salmon to the grill and cook until just opaque in the center, about 4 minutes on each side. Serve with the
sauce. Yields 1 salmon steak with 2 tablespoons sauce per serving.

Served with fusilli pasta (with Parmesan cheese) and sugar snap peas.

Results: Seriously yum! The sauce was great. I normally make a similar sauce with sour cream and dill, but this was a great improvement (and lower fat!) on that flavor. We did have way too much sauce though. I think 1 tablespoon per serving is more than enough, so next time I'll halve the sauce recipe.

Grilled Salmon with Garlic, Lemon, and Basil

Serves 4

Sauce:
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 garlic cloves, minced

Salmon:
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. To prepare sauce, combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.

2. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Sprinkle fish evenly with salt and pepper; add fish to grill, skin side up. Tent loosely with tin foil. Grill four minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve with sauce.

Served with mashed potatoes and peas.

Results: This sauce was super easy to make, and would also taste great on chicken. I didn't think this made enough sauce for four people, but it worked for Chris and I, because the kids didn't want any of the sauce. So tangy and fresh tasting...a keeper!

Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce, Asparagus and Peas

Serves 4

8 ounces uncooked long fusilli (twisted spaghetti)
1 3/4 cups (1 1/2-inch) slices asparagus (about 1/2 pound)
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
1 tablespoon butter
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup organic vegetable broth (such as Swanson Certified Organic)
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/3 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Dash of ground red pepper
Coarsely ground black pepper (optional)
Lemon slices (optional)

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Add asparagus during last minute of cooking time. Place peas in a colander. Drain pasta mixture over peas; set aside.

2. Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic to pan; sauté 1 minute. Combine broth and cornstarch in a small bowl; stir until well blended. Add broth mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in cream, juice, salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and red pepper. Add pasta mixture to broth mixture; toss gently to coat. Garnish with coarsely ground black pepper and lemon slices, if desired. Serve immediately.

Served with garlic bread

Results: I love this pasta. It's easy to make and has a great, fresh flavor. Despite picking the asparagus out of the boys' pasta, Steven wouldn't even try it. Henry ate some of the pasta, but not much.