MEDITERRANEAN CHICKEN BAKE

Featuring some of the freshest and most flavorful ingredients found in the Mediterranean diet, this chicken bake is sure to become a regular in your repertoire.

Serves 6

3 large fresh heirloom tomatoes,

diced (or 2 cans, mostly drained)

1 6-oz. bag baby spinach

1 can or jar artichoke hearts in water, drained and coarsely chopped

(about 6 oz., drained weight)

½ cup pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped

½ cup unsulfured sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

¼ cup tomato paste

2–3 Tbs. olive oil (use chicken broth

or water to reduce calories)

2 large shallots, chopped

5 cloves garlic, chopped

1½ Tbs. dried oregano

½ tsp. salt, or to taste

½ tsp. fresh ground pepper, or to taste

6 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts*

½ cup crumbled feta cheese, optional

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 9- x 13-inch baking dish lightly with olive oil cooking spray, and set aside.

2. Combine fresh tomatoes, spinach, artichoke hearts, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste, olive oil, shallots, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper in bowl. Mix well, until spinach is slightly broken down. Transfer to baking dish.

3. Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper to taste, and nestle into mix. Bake 35–45 minutes (start checking at 35 minutes for chicken doneness), remove from oven, and sprinkle with feta, if using.

PER SERVING: 318 cal; 34 g pro; 12g total fat (2g sat fat); 18 g carb; 91 mg chol; 925mg sod; 5 g fiber; 6 g sugars

Try this!

If you want, you can try a few different kinds of protein in this dish. It works equally well with 4 or 6 bone-in chicken breasts, as long as they aren’t overly large. You can also choose to substitute 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs for the breasts, if you want a richer flavor. Thighs cook more quickly than breasts, so check the dish at 20 minutes for chicken doneness and plan for about 30 minutes total baking time. For a leaner option, you can also use 4–6 white fish fillets—cook using the same time guidelines as for the thighs.