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Fast & Fresh: A choice of chicken recipes(Los Angeles Times Syndicate) -- I have heard it said that "One can never be too thin or too rich." May I add, "or have too many recipes for chicken breast." Chicken breast is the savior for the busy cook. If frozen, they thaw quickly. Once they are in the pan or on the grill, they cook in just a few minutes. Plus almost everyone seems to eat chicken, even those souls who lean towards being vegetarian. Furthermore, chicken is the perfect canvas for the summer cook. It can be poached and served warm or cold with a sauce or salsa, or shredded into a salad. For grilling, chicken lends itself to any number of marinades or seasonings, and once grilled, can be served plain, sliced or even in a sandwich. Chicken breasts come in a variety of cuts. Select from bone-in and skin-on, boneless skin-on, boneless and skinless, cutlets (boneless and skinless pounded until thin) and chicken tenders (the long, narrow strip of meat removed from the underside of the breast before it is pounded into cutlets). The two recipes below are made from boneless and skinless chicken breasts. Both are favorite recipes, and I have a hard time deciding which to make. So I will let you decide. Either one goes nicely with the proposed menu, so take your pick. Serve either chicken recipe with a tasty fresh green bean salad and for dessert serve a compote of watermelon and fresh blueberries splashed with a little chilled white wine for the adults, or for a nonalcoholic version, add a splash of fresh lime juice.
Menu
Preparation
Shopping
Pantry
Poached Chicken with Sauce ProvencalChicken:
Sauce Provencal:
To prepare Chicken, place bird in deep skillet or saute pan. Add water to cover along with salt to taste, onion, basil and/or parsley. Heat to gentle boil. Turn chicken over. Cover and simmer 10 to 12 minutes or until cooked through. Lift chicken from poaching liquid. (Save as broth for another recipe or freeze for later use.) Cool chicken.
To prepare Sauce Provencal, in small bowl, combine red bell pepper, tomato, olives, capers, olive oil, vinegar, garlic and fennel seeds. Stir to blend. Add salt and pepper to taste.
To serve, cut each piece of chicken into thin diagonal slices. Arrange overlapping on dinner plates. Top with spoonful of sauce. Serve extra sauce on side. Makes 4 servings. Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 10 to 12 minutes
Grilled Chicken with Tomato and Mint SalsaSalsa:
To prepare Salsa, in small bowl combine tomato, onion, mint, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon lime juice, chile, salt and pepper to taste. Stir to blend. Set aside at room temperature. Coat chicken breast lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Grill just until golden on both sides, turning once, 4 to 5 minutes per side, depending on grill. Sprinkle ground cumin in small skillet and warm over low heat, about 10 seconds. Remove from heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk to blend. Place salad greens in large bowl. Add dressing and toss to coat. Divide salad among 4 dinner plates. Place 1 chicken breast in center of each. Top with salsa, dividing equally. Garnish with avocado wedges and mint sprigs. Makes 4 servings. Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 10 minutes
Green Bean SaladIf available, use half yellow wax beans and half green beans. To save time, trim only the stem ends, leaving the gracefully pointed blossom ends intact.
Bring large pot of water to boil. Add beans and salt and cook, uncovered, over high heat until tender, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain. While still hot, transfer to large bowl. Add olive oil, onion, basil and salt to taste. Toss. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 4 servings. Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 6 to 8 minutes
Watermelon and Blueberries with White Wine or Fresh Lime Juice
Combine watermelon and blueberries in large bowl. Pour wine over top and toss to combine. If preferred, omit wine and drizzle with lime juice. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve well chilled. Makes 4 servings. Preparation time: 10 minutes
(c) 2000, Marie Simmons. Distributed by the Los Angeles Times Syndicate. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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