A Healthy Weight Watchers Recipe
Plus a Giveaway for:
Wooden Stand with Nine Holy Lama Spice Drops
Welcome to my second Weight Watchers recipe of the New Year, as well as a fabulous giveaway. Today’s recipe for Baked Lemon Chicken with Saffron is low in calories, healthy and very exotic with the amazing taste of saffron, lemon and pomegranate. It’s only 7 smart points, for those counting points in the latest Weight Watchers diet and is 350 calories for those of you who are following the 5:2 diet, meaning that you can have this as a main meal on a fast day. It’s also a wonderful dinner party dish, and who would know it was a healthy option if served as part of an Asian inspired meal with naan bread, sambals and chutney…….and, the colour of the saffron makes it look very regal. You CAN use saffron threads in this recipe, but I used some amazing Holy Lama Spice Drops, which are VERY easy to use – the oil being extracted from fresh spices (and herbs).
As well as sharing the recipe for Baked Lemon Chicken with Saffron today, you can also chance your luck and enter the giveaway to win the following prize, kindly donated by Spice Drops:
– 6 Great Taste Award Winners –
Concentrated extracts of herbs & spices
to enliven food and drink
Cardamom
Cinnamon
Rose
Saffron
Lemongrass
Mulled wine
And:
Tea masala
Lovage
Mint
Why Spice Drops?
Simple – no preparation or messy powders
Versatile – a huge range of uses in food and drink
Long life – all products have a 3 year shelf life
Economical – average price just £3.49 per bottle
Consistent flavouring – better cooking with more reliable results
Flexible – can be used at any stage of the cooking process
Accessible – spices at your fingertips – minimum storage 20cm
Sensory – spray in atomiser for delicious food aromas
Health benefits – add a ‘wow’ taste factor to healthy food
Ethically sourced – clear provenance of ingredients
Ethically produced – Holy Lama makes a lasting difference to the lives of disadvantaged women in Kerala, India
I have been using Spice Drops for over a year now and my favourites are saffron, as used in today’s recipe, lovage (of course!) and mulled wine, which I used extensively over Christmas. Apart from the fact that they are easy to use, and last longer than conventional ground spices (up to three years shelf life), I am very keen to support a company that ethically sources and ethically produces their products, which Holy Lama Spice Drops does. They are also very economical, one drop equals one teaspoon and the flavours are authentic and subtle. For the prize today, I am pleased to include SIX of the Great Taste Award winners, including two of my favourites, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Rose, Saffron, Lemongrass and Mulled Wine. The spice drops come in a handy wooden stand, and the prize is worth £39:50.
The saffron drops that I added to my recipe for Baked Lemon Chicken with Saffron made the dish shine – the colour was vibrant and yet not garish, and the taste was exotic and yet subtle, with the saffron adding an extra layer to the flavours. I served the chicken dish with a scattering of jewel-like pomegranate seeds and some freshly chopped parsley for an elegant and dazzlingly delicious tasty mid-week meal. The recipe is shared below, as well as the giveaway – DO have a go at making this recipe and DO try some of these easy to use spice drops too, you can get them via Ocado.com and these outlets here: Stockists. Karen
Baked Lemon Chicken with Saffron & Pomegranate
Print recipe
| Serves | 2 |
| Prep time | 10 minutes |
| Cook time | 40 minutes |
| Total time | 50 minutes |
| Meal type | Lunch, Main Dish |
| Misc | Serve Hot |
| Occasion | Casual Party, Formal Party |
| Region | Moroccan |
| By author | Karen Burns-Booth |
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 2 medium chicken breasts, skinless and boneless (about 165g each)
- 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 tablespoons dry white wine
- 300mls chicken stock made with chicken stock cube
- juice and zest of 1 lemon
- 2 drops of saffron Spice Drops (Or, large pinch of saffron threads, soaked in 2 tablespoons warm water)
- 115g Basmati rice
- 1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley or coriander
- seeds from half a pomegranate
- salt and black pepper, to taste
Note
This exotic recipe for "Baked Lemon Chicken with Saffron & Pomegranate", is packed with flavour, and is perfect for 5:2 diet fast days and for anyone following the Weight Watchers diet. (I used the excellent "Spice Drops" Saffron oil drops in this recipe, but you can use saffron strands if you cannot source the drops)
Directions
| Step 1 | Pre-heat oven to 180C/350F/Gas mark 4. Heat an oven and flame proof casserole dish (which has a lid), and add the oil, heat gently for a minute or two on the hob top until the oil is hot. |
| Step 2 | Add the chicken breasts and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, turning them over, until they are golden brown. Add the onion and garlic and continue to cook for a further 4 to 5 minutes, or until the onions are soft. |
| Step 3 | Add the remaining ingredients, EXCEPT the rice, parsley and pomegranate and stir to mix, then put the lid on the casserole dish and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. |
| Step 4 | Remove the casserole dish from the oven and add the rice, stir and return the dish to the oven for a further 15 minutes. |
| Step 5 | Take the dish out of the oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes with the lid on. (do not remove the lid) |
| Step 6 | Stir, adjust the seasoning and add the parsley and pomegranate seeds before serving in warm bowls. |
To enter this Giveaway, all you have to do is the following:
1. Complete the Rafflecopter widget below to verify your entries – THREE mandatory questions will appear, which you need to answer by leaving an answer to the question shown above at the bottom of the post, following Holy Lama Naturals and me on Twitter, before going back to the Rafflecopter form and hitting “Enter”. (After this, you can complete the bonus entries as explained on the form to increase your odds of winning – you can also return daily to tweet this for more bonus entries)
2. Entries are by blog comment, Twitter, Facebook etc
3. Closing Date: 15th February 2016
(For more information on how to enter blog giveaways using Rafflecopter please see this short video
You can win more bonus entries by tweeting on a daily basis.
It’s EASY! Rafflecopter will tweet, like and follow on your behalf. For information on finding the URL of your tweet please see this
GOOD LUCK!
Karen
All my other current giveaways are here:
I love pesto and often make Focaccia with pesto and mozzarella to eat with some soup for lunch or to enjoy with an italian dish for dinner!
I like using paprika and favourite is Goulash
I adore cardamon and adore it in Butter Chicken- I like to eat whole pods!!
i like garam masala in my curries
Turmeric – love it’s earthy taste and fantastic colour!
My favourite is Ground Coriander with my homemade Rogan Josh curry recipe.
I actually don’t use any spice in my recipe’s I’m a little scared of what to put with what & how much
My favourite herb is basil and I love making chicken lasagna with a nice fresh tomato & basil sauce
cumin in my curries
Cinnamon – in an apple pie!
I absolutely love Cinnamon, I use it in ginger cakes.
I love mint … and my favourite recipe is for a luscious homemade mint chocolate chip ice cream!
paprika in chicken
Paprika in Hungarian Goulash
Turmeric in chicken biryani.
Chinese five spice in a stir fry
My favorite spice is nutmeg and my new favorite recipe is “Comfort Chicken Casserole”, from the Lavender and Lovage web site!
Thanks Stephanie! Karen
I often use Rosemary on my Potatoes and Mild Chilli powder in most dishes I make to give them a kick xx
Paprika and goulash
peri peri chicken 😀 x
Paprika,i love to make my own tomato and paprika pesto
Gorgeous dish, Karen. I make something similar, but have never thought to add pomegranate. Might just have to do that next time. 🙂 My favourite spice, gosh, that’s practically like asking me to choose my favourite child (or my favourite wine for that matter!) Hmmm…I’m going to say paprika in my Spanish-style Chicken Traybake. Eb x
Thanks Eb! I DO love Paprika too, especially Pimenton the smoky paprika! Karen
Ginger and I love using it when I make orange & ginger chicken. The kids love it too – bonus!
Cumin in a lovely chicken curry .
Paprika esp in chillie
I love smoked paprika, particularly in a eastern european white bean stew recipe I learnt as part of World Food Night for Refugee Action – white beans cooked in stock, red pepper, garlic and grated carrot cooked in smoked paprika , mix together – delicious.
I love cinnamon in biscuits and yogurt
Just starting to explore turmeric i added it to homemade potato wedges las night delicious
Going to make baked lemon chicken with saffron looks divine
Curry in chicken noodle(homemade) soup.
cinnamon in sweat rools
My favorite is Chilli to make Chilli Con Carne, I like it very spicy x
I love so many spices, like oregano and basil in my lasagne. I also love rosemary and thyme which I use in many dishes to add extra flavor.
Cinnamon!
Can I include Garlic, because it’s about all I use at the moment! My favourite recipe is a savoury bread and butter ‘pudding made with bacon sandwiches with a cheesy garlic sauce, yummy!
Cumin because it is so versatile and works in so many different cuisines. Jeera Chicken is a wonderfully fragrant way to use it
Jane
Choosing a favourite spice is so hard. I love cardamom as it reminds me of my Scandi heritage. Coriander for its versatility but I think it will have to be saffron for that pure blast of sunshine and wonderful earthy flavour. GG
Cumin because I put it in loads of different dishes.
Cardamom! I put it in everything, porridge, cake, smoothies, curry. My favourite is probably a tomato, chickpea and paneer curry with lots of cardamom!
I like Lemongrass with chicken
I love lemongrass but also cinnamon. I love spicy food!
I have so many favourites I really could not pick one but I do enjoy nutmeg in butter when I cook cabbage
Cinnamon in lamb tagine 🙂
I like Saffron and I add it to Chicken tagine x
Lemongrass in chicken or prawn curry 😛
I can see these making some great flavoured marshmallows.
Turmeric in a lamb curry
Coriander in Creamy Aubergine curry.
Definitely Cinnamon – love it in biscuits and cakes!
I love using nutmeg in my carrot cake recipe
Chilli I like it hot
I love paprika in chilli con carne
I love rosemary
Cumin is my favourite spice. My favourite recipe is chicken in tomato and peanut sauce served with rice
Cinnamon in Everything pretzels bagels fruit pies rice etc
smoked paprika, pretty much used in everything! My favourite recipe is using it is to sprinkle some in a sauce with gorgonzola and sage and served with pasta
Nutmeg in mashed potatoes; paprika with chicken and tomatoes; Garlic is a staple in most of our savoury dishes – but not clear if it is a spice or a vegetable!
Love anything with cardamom – have a recipe for a cake I’d love to try
Not a spice, but pomegrantate seeds make everything look pretty
garam masala in my curries is fab
i love paprika pork chops
Cumin in curry
I get through so much cumin – goes into all my curries, dals & my chilli. What really gives my chilli a lift though is a little waft of cinnamon- makes a huge difference. Unfortunately can’t win the comp as I’m not on twitter. Oh well, never mind.
Paprika in chicken casseroles.
I love paprika in with my lentil soup
I love apple compote with raisins, cinnamon & nutmeg
I love Ground Coriander in my lentil soup
I love cinamon…I love it in biscuits my mum makes…I’ve. Tried to follow her recipe but they r never as good!
I love paprika, I use it ALL the time. My favourite recipe with it is mediterranean seafood stew, yummy!
Coriander in fish curries
Paprika on chicken xXQ
Cinnamon is my favourite spice & my favourite recipe is Raisin & cinnamon loaf tin cake
garam masala in curry
The combination of spices my Sri Lankan mother in-law uses when making her curries – that lady is a genious in the kitchen!
Cinnamon I use it with a range of other spices to make homemade chai tea which I then use to make spicy tea bread.
these do look great ways to flavour food.
turmeric xx
I like cinnamon and my my favourite recipe is Coffee Cake
I love making Chicken Tagine with a pinch of Saffron among other ingredients. Gives it a lovely flavour.
Paprika on chicken breasts is delicious.
I love Basil in my vegetarian Lasagne