Bella Braised Chicken

The slow cooking keeps the vegetables firm and the chicken unbelievably moist.

Make it for a Sunday supper, and pack any leftovers for lunch the next day.

1 tablespoon unsalted stick margarine
2 onions, chopped
2 celery stalks, diced
1 carrot, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Six 4-ounce skinless bone­less chicken breasts
1 tablespoon olive oil
One 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes (no salt added)
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons minced pars­ley, plus more for garnish
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

Preheat the oven to 325º F.

In a large nonstick skillet, melt the margarine. Add the onions, celery, carrot and garlic; cook, stirring as needed, until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a 3-quart Dutch oven or casserole.

In a gallon-size sealable plastic bag, combine the flour and pepper. Add the chicken; shake to coat.

In the same skillet, heat the oil. Add the chicken and brown 2 minutes on each side. Arrange the chicken on top of the vegetables. Return the skillet to the heat; add the tomatoes, broth, wine, parsley and thyme. Cook, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet, until the liquid comes to a boil; pour over the chicken. Bake, covered, until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender, about 1 hour. Serve, sprinkled with additional minced parsley.

PER SERVING: 232 Calories, 6 g Total Fat, 1 g Saturated Fat, 66 mg Cholesterol, 121 mg Sodium, 12 g Total Carbohydrate, 2 g Dietary Fiber, 29 g Protein, 61 mg Calcium.

SERVING PROVIDES: 1 Fruit/Vegetable, 3 Protein/Milks, 1 Fat.

POINTS PER SERVING: 5.

MAKES 6 SERVINGS