Family Meals Matter: Fall for quick and easy recipes

With school, work and sports schedules in full gear, take-out might sound more appealing than cooking. However, healthy meals don't have to be time consuming.

This week, fall for quick-and-easy recipes that take just around 30 minutes to prepare. Food preparation goes even faster when there's an extra set of hands in the kitchen. When supervised, children as young as 3 can help prepare meals.

Click here for a chart of age-appropriate kitchen tasks: www.mealsmatter.org/CookingForFamily/Planning/Articles/Cooking-w ith-kids.aspx

For just a few minutes of effort, your whole family will enjoy this week's family meal of Chicken Breasts in Dijon Yogurt Sauce, Zesty Vegetable Salad and Lazy Day Bars for dessert. Other recipes this week are just as fast and nutritious as the family meal. Fall for other quick-and-easy recipes like Apple Salad, Low-Fat Cha Cha Chalupas, Tangy Barbecue Pizza and Blues Buster Smoothies throughout the week.

"Family Meals Matter" features recipes selected by registered dietitians from the thousands of user-contributed recipes available at our free online nutrition and meal-planning Web site, Meals Matter (www.mealsmatter.org), sponsored by Dairy Council of California.

Family Meal

Chicken Breasts in Dijon Yogurt Sauce

4 4-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

2 medium onions, finely chopped to make1 cup

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 cup plain low-fat yogurt

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Salt and pepper

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add chicken breasts and cook over medium-high heat, turning once, until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.

Add onion and garlic to skillet. Reduce heat. If necessary, add 1 to 2 tablespoons chicken broth. (If the pan appears too dry.) Cook until onion is translucent, about 3 minutes.

Add the remaining chicken broth and bring to a boil. Stir in mustard until blended.

Return chicken along with any juices on plate to skillet. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 12 to 15 minutes, turning chicken once or twice until white throughout but still moist.