A tasty treat for a healthy family lunch

May 29, 2008 19:23 GMT  ·  By

White beans get their name from their light color, are rich in cancer-fighting nutrients (such as iron, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium) and the calorie count easily fits within most diets. You can use any variety of beans for this recipe, navy beans, marrow beans and Great Northern beans included. Here is a tasty, easy to make recipe that will provide you a healthy serving of vegetables and which can easily be taken at the office and eaten at lunchtime.

What you need:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (around 4 ounces each) 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese 1 cup white beans, cooked 1 cup sliced mushrooms 1/2 cup chopped white onion 2 tablespoons chopped garlic 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil 1 tablespoon olive oil 12 ounces uncooked pasta

How you do it:

Heat up a charcoal gas grill or broiler. Coat a grill rack or the broiler pan with olive oil or cooking spray and place about 6 inches away from the source of heat. Grill the chicken until it's cooked through and turns slightly brown, allow it to cool and cut it into strips then set aside.

Heat up a dash of olive oil in a nonstick pan and saut? the mushrooms and the onions until they're tender, and then gradually stir in the garlic, basil and beans, finally adding the chicken. Keep the mixture warm.

Add the pasta to a pot of boiling water and cook according to the package instructions until the pasta is tender. Drain the pasta thoroughly, then return it to the pot and add the mushroom and chicken mixture, stirring gently. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

Nutritional Information (for one serving):

Calories - 408 Cholesterol - 37 mg Protein - 28 Carbohydrate - 58 g Fiber - 5 g Total fat - 7 g Saturated fat - 2 g Monounsaturated fat - 3 g