Pan-Seared Chicken with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. fresh tomatillos
• 3 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
• 1 small jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 4 (6 oz.) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Makes 4 Servings

1. Remove and discard papery skin from tomatillos; rinse and pat dry.
2. Heat the broiler. Place tomatillos on a foil-lined broiler pan; broil for 8-10 minutes, turing halfway through, until softened and blackened on al sides. Transfer tomatillos and their juices to a blender or food processor.
3. In a medium nonstick skillet, heat 2 tsp of the oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to blender or food processor with the tomatillos and add cilantro, jalapeno and lime juice. Pulse for 1 minute, until ingredients form a rough puree.
4. Lightly pound each chicken breast to an even 1/2-inch thickness, season lightly with salt and black pepper.
5. In a large heavy skillet, heat remaining 1 tsp oil over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add chicken breasts, reduce the heat to medium-high and cook until lightly browned and cooked through, 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a cutting board.
6. Transfer tomatillo salsa to the hot skillet and cook on medium-high heat, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute, until salsa has a darker, thicker color and texture. Remove from the heat.
7. Slice the chicken breasts on the diagonal into 1/2-inch thick slices. place 1/4 cup of the salsa on each of the 4 plates, arrange chicken slices on top and top with additional salsa. Serve warm.

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook. This is a tasty and filling dish to kick-start your diet. It's got protien from the chicken and lots of vegetables in the salsa. This salsa is not your typical salsa. The main ingredients are tomatillos which are tangy and spicy that add a little extra heat and can be found in the Latin section of the grocery store. I enjoyed this dish because it added heat and comfort to the chicken. Chicken pan-seared is also delicous when it's done right because it's so tender and juicy it melts in your mouth. The salsa can be used with pork, beef, fish and even as a dip for chips and veggies.