Porcini-Portobello Braised Chicken

Oh my goodness, did my husband ever like last night’s dinner creation.  If the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, I locked it up last night.  This recipe is a little on the carb-y side as I added 1½ cups  AlDente brand “Carba Nada” low-carb fettucini noodles to the pan.  They soaked up the the rich broth flavors quite nicely.  Clearly that makes this recipe unsuitable for Atkins Induction.  But you could certainly cook some zucchini noodles on the side for a lower-carb option and enjoy this dish once you get to Phase 2 (due to the wine, which is not allowed until Phase 2).  You could even go a step farther and substitute more chicken broth for the wine and enjoy this during Induction Phase!  Won’t be quite as good, but doable early in the diet.  🙂  This dish has stellar flavor and I hope my readers will try it sometime.  We both have always enjoyed the flavor affinity of wine and thyme on chicken and beef dishes.  And this is yet another wine + thyme success.  🙂

INGREDIENTS:

5-6 dried Porcini mushrooms, rehydrated in very hot water

2 large chicken breasts (or choice of chicken pieces for 4 portions)

¼ tsp. each coarse black pepper, salt, Spanish paprika and onion powder

2 T. unsalted butter

1 T. olive oil

3 oz. onion, slivered or chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 oz. can sliced mushrooms, drained of liquid

1 c. chicken broth (-preferably homemade)

½ c. dry white wine (I used Chardonay)

1 tsp. dried thyme leaves (1 T. fresh, chopped)

¼ tsp. xanthan gum (or your favorite thickener)

1½ c. raw AlDente “Carba Nada” egg fettuccini noodles”  (about 1/3 of bag) [or use 4 c. zucchini noodles]

DIRECTIONS:  Soak the Porcini mushrooms in a small bowl of very hot water for about 30 minutes or until soft.  When soft, slice them, cutting away any tough stems.  Boil the Carba Nada noodles in a medium saucepan until tender but not quite done.  Drain water off noodles and set aside while you prepare the main dish.  Butterfly the chicken breasts so they will cook faster and to create 4 portions of meat.

Mix the black pepper, paprika and onion powder on a paper plate.  Sprinkle the chicken pieces on all sides with the spice mixture.  Heat a large skillet over high heat, melting the butter and oil together.  Sear the chicken pieces on all sides until golden (it will not be done yet).  Remove chicken temporarily to a plate.  Add the onion slices to the skillet and allow it to caramelize in the hot oil.  When the onion is softening and browning, next add the drained canned mushrooms, garlic, chicken broth, wine and thyme to the pan.

Bring to a boil and immediately lower heat to lowest setting so the contents of the pan are just simmering.    Whisk in the xanthan gum and let it begin to thicken for a couple minutes.  Gently stir in the partially cooked, drained noodles (if using), replace the chicken on top, cover pan with a lid and simmer for about 30 minutes on lowest heat possible or until chicken is done and noodles have absorbed most of the liquid (internal temp of 170º).   Remove lid and let dish breathe and moisture to evaporate from atop the chicken.  If substituting zucchini noodles, prepare those while the main skillet is in this final stage of cooking and add their value to the lower nutritional numbers below.   Serve with a nice green salad and enjoy!

NUTRITIONAL INFO:    Makes 4 servings, each contains (calculated using chicken breasts):

With Noodles:  412 calories, 19g fat, 13.75 g carbs, 4.27g fiber, 9.38g NET CARBS, 39.8 g protein and 714 mg sodium

Without Noodles:  377 calories, 18.5 g fat, 7.75 g carbs, 2.87 g fiber, 4.88 g NET CARBS, 36.8 g protein, 709 mg sodium