I love pesto, but unfortunately, it’s typically made with a shocking amount of oil and is thus very fattening. Luckily, I’ve discovered other ways to enjoy the flavor of pesto without the fat and calories. Using herbs from a tube or frozen herbs works really well on this chicken to give it that classic pesto flavor without the fat . . . and without a lot of work. Please note that if you buy frozen herbs, you should measure them out yourself before using them in recipes. I’ve found that a 1-teaspoon block of herbs is rarely an actual teaspoon.

　　

Ingredients

makes 1 serving

　　1/2 teaspoon Gourmet Garden Garlic Blend or frozen herbs (look for Gourmet Garden in tubes in the produce section or frozen herbs at Trader Joe’s)

　　1 teaspoon Gourmet Garden Basil Herb Blend (look for Gourmet Garden in tubes in the produce section or frozen herbs at Trader Joe’s)

　　1 (4-ounce) Basic Grilled Chicken breast (see page 219) or lean, store-bought grilled chicken breast

　　1 heaping tablespoon (about 1/4 ounce) finely shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese (no more than 3 g of fat per ounce; I used Lucerne, found at Safeway chains)

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

　　

Step 2

In a small bowl, stir the garlic and basil blends and 1/4 teaspoon water until well combined. Place the chicken in the center of a large piece of foil. Spread the garlic mixture evenly over the top of the chicken breast. Create a pouch by folding the foil loosely over the chicken and then folding the ends together to seal them tightly (be sure the foil is not touching the top of the chicken, so as not to disturb the sauce).

　　

Step 3

Place the foil directly on an oven rack and bake for 3 minutes. Carefully unwrap the foil and sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top of the chicken, and then rewrap the pouch. Continue baking an additional 5 to 6 minutes, or until the chicken is warmed through and the cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

　　

nutrition information

Step 4

Calories: 168

　　

Step 5

Protein: 28g

　　

Step 6

Carbohydrates: 2g

　　

Step 7

Fat: 3g

　　

Step 8

Saturated Fat: <1g

　　

Step 9

Cholesterol: 68mg

　　

Step 10

Trace Fiber

　　

Step 11

Sodium: 350mg

　　Reprinted with permission from I Can't Believe It's Not Fattening! by Devin Alexander. Copyright © 2010 Devin Alexander. Published by Clarkson Potter Publishers, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.Devin Alexander is the author of The Most Decadent Diet Ever, Fast Food Fix, and coauthor of The New York Times bestsellers The Biggest Loser Cookbook and The Biggest Loser Family Cookbook. She was a chef on NBC's The Biggest Loser and the host of Healthy Decadence on Discover Health and FitTV.