Baked Lemon Chicken & Brussels - South Beach Day 3

I suggest doing South Beach with a friend or a significant other.  That way you can torture yourself each day when you get on the scale to find that your partner is losing more weight and losing it much faster than you.  My fiance steps on the scale every morning first thing every to find that somehow, somewhere the day before a pound of fat has lost it's way.  Then it's my turn to step on the scale. Grrrrr.... that's the sound I've been making while my fiance just stands there grinning.  Men!  They always lose weight faster than women.  

I must disclose that I lost 25 lbs. on South Beach in three months.  Now I'm trying to lose 10 more pounds.  This is the last 10 pounds that will put me back at the weight I maintained all through my twenties.  You know back when we really didn't appreciate how skinny we actually were.  So obviously this is going to take some patience on my part, and I'm willing to do it.  

So far my fiance has lost 3 lbs.  That's a pound a day!  Me? The scale says I've lost 1 pound!  Nine more to go!  

Even if you're not on South Beach, you have to whip up this recipe!  It packs lots of lean protein and tons of flavor! 

Baked Lemon Chicken & Brussels

1 lb. chicken breasts
1/2 onion
3 cloves garlic
1 cup chicken stock 
1 lemon
1 lb. brussel sprouts
2 tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

In large cast iron skillet (or oven proof skillet) heat 2 tbsp. olive oil on medium-high.  Salt and pepper the chicken breasts and add to the skillet.  Once you add them, don't touch them.  Let them brown 3 to 4 minutes per side.  Then flip once and let them brown the same amount of time on the other side. Then remove from skillet.  You will continue cooking them in the oven. 

Turn the heat down to medium, and add chopped onions to the skillet.  Let saute a few minutes then add the garlic.  Add brussel sprouts (I like to chop them in half) and let saute and begin to get nice color on them.  Add 1 cup chicken stock and zest and juice of one lemon.  Stir to combine.  

Add chicken breast back to the pan moving them around until they are sunk into the bottom of the pan.  

Place entire skillet in oven and bake 12-15 minutes depending on how large of a chicken breast.  Once the juices run clear the chicken is done.  

It's the lemon that makes this dish sing, plus the way the brussel sprouts get all yummy soaking up the chicken bits from the bottom of the pan while they bake!  Serve this up with a glass of sparkling water and feel the pounds melt away!  YUM!