Italian Chicken &Veggie Skillet {Heart-healthy}

So, this past month was Heart Month, and coincidentally, my mother was actually hospitalized due to some pretty serious heart issues. The doctors told her she would have to drastically change her eating habits and start eating more heart-friendly meals. I took it upon myself to do a little research and figure out which foods are good for your heart, what you should and shouldn't do when you're cooking and what kind of changes she would need to make in this area of her life. 

I decided that because my mom isn't really a "healthy cook" and, honestly, neither am I, that I would start creating recipes that pull most of their flavor from a lot of fresh vegetables and herbs instead of salt. My mom's a big salt user and I know it's going to be a challenge for her to remove it from her diet... but, I figure if I can show her some alternative options and ways to infuse flavor into her dishes, she won't even notice!

I'm going to let you in on my secret weapon for heart-healthy cooking... Are you ready? The start to all of these meals is Mazola Corn Oil. It contains 0g Trans Fat, is Cholesterol free and has a wonderful neutral flavor! I love that it lets the flavors of the ingredients shine. Plus, it has a higher smoke point than Olive Oil and is perfect for recipes like this one i'm sharing with you today for the Italian Chicken & Veggie Skillet! 

I love easy meals like this one because you cook everything in just one skillet and there's very little clean-up afterward! Since I despise doing the dishes, these types of meals are my favorite! 

I'm going to be whipping this Italian chicken & Veggie Skillet again later this week and taking it over to my mom for lunch. I'm pretty sure she'll approve and I know you will, too!

Do you know someone who needs heart-healthy meals? 

Italian Chicken & Veggie Skillet:

Ingredients:

• 2 zucchini, sliced into 1/4" thick slices
• 1/2 a yellow onion, sliced thinly
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced into 1/4" thick slices, 
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" chunks
• 1/4 cup basil chiffonade
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• 1/2 cup diced tomato
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• 2 tablespoons Mazola Corn Oil

Directions:

Place 1 tablespoon Mazola Corn Oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink. Remove and set aside. 

Place 1 more tablespoon Mazola Corn Oil into the skillet, along with the zucchini, garlic, onion, bell pepper and mushrooms. Cook for 4-5 minutes, add in diced tomato and cook additional 4-5 minutes, or until veggies are tender. Add chicken back to skillet along with spinach and sauté for 2 minutes.

Top with freshly cracked black pepper  and serve.

Makes 4 servings