Balsamic Glazed Chicken & Veggies

6. Beat the heat this summer by avoiding long hours in front of your stove. With our reader’s slow cooker chicken recipe, you can set it and forget it! Did we mention it’s a mere 144 calories?

Calories: 144

Beat the heat this summer by avoiding long hours in front of your stove. With our reader's slow-cooker chicken recipe, you can set it and forget it! Did we mention it's a mere 144 calories?

Photo: Gregory James, Food Styling: Jessica Colley

By Meagan Olson

Serves: 8
Hands-on time: 20 to 30 minutes
Total time: 4 1/2 to 8 1/2 hours, depending on slow-cooker setting

INGREDIENTS:

• Olive oil cooking spray
• 6 4-oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp dried rosemary
• 2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp Sucanat
• 2 medium zucchini, sliced
• 2 medium yellow squash, sliced
• 6 oz sliced white mushrooms
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into chunks
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into chunks
• 1 red onion, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 head garlic, peeled and separated into cloves
• 2 cups finely chopped kale

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Remove lid from slow cooker, mist interior with cooking spray and place chicken inside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk vinegar, rosemary, soy sauce and Sucanat. Add remaining ingredients, except for kale, and stir well to coat.
3. Pour vegetable-sauce mixture into slow cooker, over top of chicken. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high for 4 to 5. One hour before serving, stir in kale and replace cover. Before plating, use a fork to lightly shred chicken in the slow cooker. Serve over brown rice, quinoa or whole-wheat angel hair pasta.

Nutrients per 1-cup serving: Calories: 144, Total Fat: 5 g, Sat. Fat: 1 g, Carbs: 13 g, Fiber: 3 g, Sugars: 4 g, Protein: 14 g, Sodium: 93 mg, Cholesterol: 37 mg

READER RECIPE TESTER
Briony Allan
Pensacola, Florida
“I live in Florida and as it gets hotter outside I have less and less desire to stand over the stove. At this time of year, my slow cooker is really helpful for clean eating. This dish has loads of seasonal veggies that lend ample flavor. It’s so simple to throw together but tastes divine.”

FREEZE IT:
Spoon individual 1-cup portions of cooked mixture into freezer-safe containers and add to freezer. Once frozen, pop individual portions out of their containers (as you would an ice cube) and store all of them together in a gallon-sized freezer bag. These 1-cup servings are ideal for a quick lunch or dinner when you don’t have time to cook. Transfer frozen portions to the refrigerator overnight and reheat on stove top as needed
.