Have you seen the USDA's new food suggestions? They center around a plate, with a back-to-basics portion suggestion.

The USDA now suggests that half of every meal be made up of fruits and vegetables. One quarter should be protein and one quarter should be grains, preferably whole grains. And the meal should be accompanied by a low fat milk or soy milk beverage. Isn't that simple? I love this concept.

The Recipe

Country Crock challenged me to overhaul one of my family's favorite meals to fit the new My Plate guidelines. Our Balsamic Chicken with Mushrooms recipe is definitely one of our favorites; we eat it several times every month. Here's how we updated it:

Balsamic Chicken with Mushrooms & Cabbage

5 from 1 vote

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Ingredients

  

• ¼ cup butter
• 6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Dijon or spicy mustard we used Beer N Brat brand horseradish mustard
• 3-4 cloves garlic crushed
• 1 pound chicken breast (4 4-ounce pieces, pressed thin*), uncooked
• 2 cup mushrooms halved or sliced
• 1 cup onion chopped
• 2 green peppers membranes and seeds removed, chopped
• 1 small hot pepper membranes and seeds removed, chopped (optional)
• 1 medium head of cabbage
• ⅓ cup canned chicken broth
• ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 pound whole wheat linguine

Instructions

 

• Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet.
• In a medium bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of vinegar, mustard, and garlic.
• Add chicken and turn to coat.
• Transfer chicken and marinade to skillet.
• Saute chicken until cooked through, about 3 minutes on each side.
• Transfer chicken to a platter and keep warm.
• Prepare linguine according to package directions.
• Melt remaining teaspoon of butter in the same skillet.
• Saute onions and peppers for a few minutes, until they begin to soften.
• Add the cabbage and saute for one minute.
• Add mushrooms and saute for an additional minute.
• Add broth, thyme, and remaining 4 tablespoons of vinegar.
• Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are deep brown, about 2 minutes.
• To serve, place a small chicken breast (or a half of a breast) on the plate. Add an equal amount of whole wheat linguine. Top the linguine with veggies, and spoon some of the balsamic sauce (now called a reduction because you cooked some of the water out of it) over the chicken, noodles, and vegetables.

Notes

*If your chicken breasts are very thick, cut them in half lengthwise. They cook quicker and turn out much juicier if they are thinner.

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Our Thoughts

I think this version of Balsamic Chicken with Mushrooms is even better than the original. Joe thought so, too. Allie will eat anything that's on my plate, so she agrees, too. Grace, on the other hand, is not enthused. She announced - before she saw her plate - that she didn't like it. I'm not sure when she became so picky. Alas, she doesn't like mushrooms. She doesn't like onions. She doesn't like cabbage or green peppers. We're working on that. She does like linguine, especially if it's topped with a little butter. She also enjoyed the glass of milk that accompanied the meal. On the other hand, a glass of milk accompanies every single meal Grace eats, so that was not unusual.