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The Versatile Chicken ~ Plain Or Fancy
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Rustic Cajun Chicken & Sausage Rice
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Chicken is
good for your diet and your wallet. Whether you count carbs, fat grams, calories, points,
or pennies, chicken is a smart choice. It has less fat than red meat, is low in calories
and high in protein. Chicken is also versatile. It can be sautéed, microwaved, broiled, baked, or grilled. It goes in salad, soup and sandwiches. One of the easiest ways to use chicken is in a one-pot meal - an updated casserole. Casseroles used to be a way to clean out the refrigerator - just add a can of condensed soup. Today's updated casserole can save just as much time and energy, but can also offer as much flavor and complexity as a sophisticated dinner party entrée. Jambalaya is a standard of Creole cookery. It combines chicken and rice with onions, peppers, tomatoes and a diverse range of spices. One theory about the name is that it comes from the French word jambon, meaning ham, which is often an ingredient of the classic jambalaya. The Spaniards governing New Orleans in the 18th century called all residents of European heritage criollo, which later became creole and implied a refined cultural background. Creole cooking reflects the French, Spanish and African cuisines that were stirred together in early New Orleans pots. It is considered more sophisticated than Cajun cooking. Creole foods use more tomatoes, and Cajun more spices. Both make liberal use of chopped green peppers and onions. The following chicken jambalaya is an updated, more healthful version than the traditional dish. But it is full of flavor, without a lot of fat and cholesterol. With some advance planning, it's an easy dish to put together. AICR Ed. Note: September is National
Chicken Month. Set your taste buds for some serious chicken chow with the
deliciously
CHICKEN
JAMBALAYA 1 Tbsp. olive oil In a 3-quart Dutch oven,
heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic. Sauté, stirring frequently, until
onion is tender but not brown, about 4 minutes. Add chicken and cook, stirring, until
pieces are white on all sides.
CHICKEN
VERMICELLI 6 pounds skinless chicken breasts Preheat the oven to 300°F. Place the chicken in a large pot; add water to cover. Add the salt and pepper, celery stalks, and halved onion; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is done. Reserve the broth, discarding the celery and onion. Cool slightly; then debone the chicken and cut into bite-size pieces. Meanwhile, cook the vermicelli according to the package directions, omitting any oil and salt. Drain and set aside. In a large pot, melt the margarine over medium heat, and sauté the chopped onion, green pepper, celery, and garlic until tender. Add the mushrooms. Gradually stir in the flour, mixing for 30 seconds. Gradually add the chicken broth, stirring. Add the tomatoes and green chilies, cayenne pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Add the chicken and vermicelli, mixing well. Divide the mixture into two 2-quart shallow casseroles coated with nonstick cooking spray. Top each casserole with half the Parmesan cheese, parsley, and green onion, and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until thoroughly heated. Serve immediately. Makes 16 Servings. Per Serving: 329 Cal; 9 g Total Fat (3 g Sat Fat); 30 g Carb; 74 mg Cholesterol; 291 mg Sodium; 30 g Protein; 2 g Dietary Fiber. Exchanges: 3 Lean Meat; 2 Starch; 1 Fat.
OVEN-FRIED
CHICKEN 4 (about 2-1/4 pounds) boneless, skinless
chicken breasts
CHICKEN
CREOLE 2 cups fat-free, low-sodium, or
regular chicken broth* *Nutritional analysis is based
on using low-sodium chicken broth In a 2-1/2-quart or larger slow cooker, combine the chicken broth and tomato sauce. Add onion-pepper stir-fry, cabbage, garlic, bay leaf, paprika, marjoram, thyme, optional salt, and black pepper, if desired. Stir to mix well. Add chicken and rice. Cover and cook on HIGH 1 hour. Stir the chicken and vegetables down into the sauce. Reduce the heat to LOW, and cook an additional 5 or 6 hours. Or, cook at HIGH heat an additional 2 or 3 hours. Remove the bay leaf. Remove the chicken. When cool enough to handle, cut into slices and discard bones. Return chicken to pot. Makes 5 Servings. Per (1-Cup) Serving: 201 Cal; 1 g Total Fat; 27 g Carb; 38 mg Cholesterol; 277 mg Sodium (w/o optional salt); 19 g Protein; 3 g Dietary Fiber. Exchanges: 1 Starch; 2 Very Lean Meat; 2 Veg.
RUSTIC
CAJUN CHICKEN AND SAUSAGE RICE 6 ounces 50% less fat pork sausage Place a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium high heat until hot. Add sausage and cook until no longer pink, breaking up larger pieces while stirring. Remove from skillet and set aside. Add pepper stir-fry, onion, celery, and thyme to pan residue and cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Increase heat to high, add water and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Add rice and paprika and return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover tightly, and simmer 15 minutes. Add chicken and cook 5 more minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center. Remove skillet from heat and stir in sausage and hot pepper sauce. Cover and let stand 5 minutes to absorb flavors. Makes 4 Servings (1-1/4 Cups each). Per (1-1/4 Cups Entrée Only) Serving: 284 Cal; 10 g Total Fat (3 g Sat Fat); 27 g Carb; 61 mg Cholesterol; 327 mg Sodium; 23 g Protein; 2 g Dietary Fiber. Exchanges: 1-1/2 Starch; 2 Lean Meat; 1 Veg; 2 Fat.
ALMOND
CHICKEN 6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
(4 ounces each), Preheat the oven to 325°F. Place the chicken pieces in a 9- x 13-inch baking dish and sprinkle with black pepper and paprika. Place the almonds on a shallow-sided baking dish or jelly-roll pan and bake for 6 minutes (an aluminum pie tin works nicely here). Stir, watch carefully and bake another 4 minutes until brown. Remove from the oven and set aside. Increase the oven temperature to 350°F. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and sauté the onion and mushrooms for 3 minutes. Add the lemon juice, sherry and almonds, stirring well. Spoon the mixture over the chicken pieces. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove from the oven. Serve with rice, garnish with parsley if desired, and serve. Makes 6 Servings. Per Serving (with rice): 346 Cal; 8 g Total Fat (1.5 g Sat Fat); 33 g Carb; 73 mg Cholesterol; 68 g Sodium; 31 g Protein; 2 g Fiber. Exchanges: 4 Lean Meat; 2 Starch
SMOTHERED
CHICKEN nonstick cooking spray Thoroughly mix the flour with about four (4) tablespoons of water to make a thin sauce. In a nonstick skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray, heat the flour mixture over medium-low heat, stirring continuously for about 10 minutes or until a smooth sauce is formed (add more water if necessary). Stir in the onion, garlic, celery seeds, Soul Food Seasoning, black pepper, and two cups of water. Add the chicken. Cover and simmer for about 45 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked all the way through. Makes 6 Servings. Per Serving: 160 Cal; 3 g Total Fat; 7 g Carb; 81 mg Cholesterol; 40 mg Sodium; 26 g Protein. Exchanges: 4 Very Lean Meat; 1/2 Fat.
TERIYAKI
CHICKEN BITES 3 Tbsp lite soy sauce In a large bowl or ceramic casserole, mix together the soy sauce, oil, vinegar, Splenda, ginger and garlic. With a sharp knife, cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Put the chicken into the bowl with the marinade. Stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours or up to 12 hours, stirring occasionally. If broiling, transfer the chicken and marinade to a 9-1/2- x 13-inch baking pan. Broil about 4 inches from the heat, turning chicken and basting occasionally with the sauce, for 17 to 20 minutes, until the chicken pieces are cooked through and begin to brown. If using a George Foreman grill, grill about 5 to 6 minutes. Serve warm with toothpicks. Makes 6 Servings, 4 pieces per serving. Tip: Chicken can be cooked ahead and reheated in the broiler or microwave. Per (4-Piece) Serving: 119 Cal; 5 g Total Fat (1 g Sat Fat); 1 g Carb; 46 mg Cholesterol; 242 mg Sodium; 17 g Protein. Exchanges: 2 Lean Meat.
CHICKEN
CASSEROLE (FOR TWO) 1 Tbsp margarine, divided Melt 1/2 Tbsp margarine over medium heat in large skillet. Add chicken and mushrooms and brown on all sides. Remove from skillet. Melt remaining 1/2 Tsbp margaine in skillet. Sprinkle flour into skillet and slowly add milk, stirring constantly. Stir until slightly thickened. Stir in onion powder, pepper, thyme, rice, peas, raisins, and chicken mixture. Cook 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley to serve. Makes 2 Servings. Caution: Be sure to make allowances in your daily meal plan for the higher than usual Carb count in this recipe. Per Serving: 430 Cal; 10 g Total Fat; (2 g Sat Fat); 54 g Carb; 54 mg Cholesterol; 220 mg Sodium; 31 g Protein; 6 g Dietary Fiber. Exchanges: 3-1/2 Starch; 3 Lean Meat; 2 Fat.
CHICKEN
TORTILLA ROLL-UPS 1 cup frozen broccoli, corn, and
red pepper (frozen veggie mix) Cook the vegetables according to package directions. Drain in a colander and set aside. Meanwhile, for each roll-up, lay a tortilla on a plate or nonstick spray-coated baking sheet. With the back of a tablespoon, spread each tortilla with refried beans, dividing evenly, leaving a half-inch rim around the edge of the tortilla. In a small bowl, mix the salsa with chili powder. Spread the salsa mixture over beans, dividing evenly. Arrange meat in the center of the tortilla, dividing evenly. Top with vegetables, dividing evenly. Sprinkle with cheese, dividing evenly. Fold in the right and left ends of each tortilla to cover the interior mixture. Roll along the end clostest to you until the mixture is completely covered, ending with rounded edge down. To heat individually, put each tortilla on a plate, cover with wax paper, and microwave 2 minutes at high powder. Or, bake all 4 tortillas in 350°F oven for 15 minutes until the cheese is melted. Garnish with sour cream, if desired. Makes 4 Servings. Sodium Alert! This recipe is NOT suitable for those on low salt meal plans. Per Serving (1 Tortilla with filling, w/o optional sour cream): 324 Cal; 9 g Total Fat (4 g Sat Fat); 41 g Carb; 33 mg Cholesterol; 743 mg Sodium; 20 g Protein; 5 g Dietary Fiber. Exchanges: 2-1/2 Starch; 1 Lean Meat; 1 Veg; 2 Fat.
CHICKEN
MINESTRONE 1-1/2 Tbsp olive oil *Optional salt is NOT included in nutritional analysis for sodium In a very large saucepan or soup pot, combine the oil and chicken pieces over high heat. Lightly brown the chicken on all sides. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and bell pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes longer. Add the broth, 1 cup hot water, the potatoes, and oregano. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat; cook for 15 minutes. Remove the chicken; set aside to cool. Raise the heat to high and bring the mixture to a full bil. Stir in the macaroni and zucchini; boil, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the beans; reduce the heat slightly and simmer 5 minutes longer, or until the pasta is just cooked through. Meanwhile, remove the chicken meat from the bones. Cut into bite-sized pieces, then return to the pot, along with the tomatoes. Cook until heated through. Add optional salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Makes 12 Servings. Per (1-Cup) Serving: 128 Cal; 3
g Total Fat (1 g Sat Fat); 15 g Carb; 18 mg Cholesterol; 399 mg Sodium (w/o optional
salt);
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