Chicken with Mint Raita from Weight Watchers

Yes, Men Are Allowed to Buy Weight Watchers the Magazine
Over the weekend I picked up the January issue of Weight Watchers magazine. The cover reads: Budget Dinners and Do-Ahead Meals and 42 Brand-New Recipes. Budget, Do-Ahead and Lose Weight all sounded like good options to this new parent.


















Chicken with Mint Raita, cooked on 1/28/09, Pictured Above
I opened the magazine this morning and picked out a recipe from the superfast recipe section. Chicken with Mint Raita. Total prep and cook time, 15 minutes. On my way home tonight I picked up the required mint leaves, romaine lettuce, chicken breasts and fat-free Greek yogurt. I came home to take over Rosie duties and Annie began to cook. 20 minutes later, dinner was ready.























Santa Julia, Torrontes Organica, 2008.

Pairing Weight Watchers Recipe with Wine
To up the ante, I wanted to pair our diet food with a wine. I popped into Bottlerocket, my favorite local wine store, and asked their wine expert for an affordable wine to drink with our planned meal. She pointed me to a $12.00 bottle of Argentinian wine named Santa Julia, Organica. When you buy a wine at Bottlerocket the clerk prints out tasting notes. Our notes read: The highly aromatic Torrontes grape resembles a blend of Reisling, Viognier, Albarino and Gewurztraminer. A huge taste sensation with intense aromas of jasmine rose petals, orange blossoms and peaches. Amen!

It was the perfect wine for a perfect pre-Lost dinner. Now, if only watching TV burned calories.

Chicken with Mint Raita Recipe
1 garlic clove
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup fat free Greek Yogurt
1/2 small chopped cucumber
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound of chicken
1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of curry powder or garam masala
12 hearts of romaine lettuce

1. To make the raita, chop the garlic and salt until a paste forms. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the yogurt, cucumber, mint, vinegar and pepper.

2. To make the chicken, heat the oil in a non stick skillet over high heat. Add the chicken, garam masala or curry powder and salt. Cook for about 5 minutes or until chicken is ready, stirring constantly.

3. Divide the lettuce up evenly among the 4 plates. Top evenly with the chicken and serve with a small serving of the raita.

Nutrition: 3-4 chicken pieces with 3 lettuce leaves and 1/2 cup of Raita = 197 calories, 5 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat. 70 mg of cholesterol, 702 mg of sodium, 7 carb, 1 gram of fiber, 29 grams of protein. Points Value: 4