January 11, 2012: Pomegranate Mustard Glazed Chicken Recipe

I bought the latest issue of Cooking Light magazine because I was intrigued by the front cover, which promised dozens of new chicken recipes. We eat a lot of chicken and finding new ways to make it in a calorie-conscious manner is always appealing to me. I ended up combining a couple different recipes to come up with this delicious combination. Be forewarned, however, the cooked chicken turns a deep purple color (from the pomegranate juice) which some might find off-putting.

Pomegranate Mustard Glazed Chicken

2 t. olive oil, divided

4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken (breasts and/or thighs)

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ t. salt

2 T. minced shallots

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup pomegranate juice

1 t. Truvia or other sugar substitute

½ t. dried sage

1 t. cider vinegar

1 t. Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Sprinkle both sides of chicken pieces with salt and pepper. In a heavy, oven-proof skillet, heat one teaspoon of olive oil to medium. Quickly sear the chicken pieces on both sides (about 1 – 2 minutes per side). Transfer to a plate to rest.

Reduce heat to medium low. Add remaining olive oil, shallots, and garlic. Sauté for about one minutes, until softened. Add pomegranate juice and cook, stirring frequently, until reduced by half. Add Truvia, sage, vinegar and mustard and heat through.

Place chicken pieces in pan and turn over to coat both sides with sauce. Place in oven and cook for an additional 10 – 15 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink in the middle. Serve with sauce spooned over the top.

Serves 4 with approximately 287 calories per serving.

January 5, 2012: Low Fat Oriental Chicken Salad

I wanted to use a bit of leftover chicken I had in the freezer for dinner. My first thought was to make this chicken casserole that my husband so loves but, unfortunately, it’s filled with tons of calories. I decided, instead, to turn it into a lovely Oriental Chicken Salad. I used several different recipes to come up with this combination; the salad dressing is fat free and virtually calorie free so feel free to use as much as necessary to flavor your salad.

Low Fat Oriental Chicken Salad

Dressing

2 cups water

2 T. Truvia

3 t. dry pectin

1 T. rice wine vinegar

1 t. soy sauce

1 t. minced garlic

1 t. kosher salt

¼ t. black pepper

¼ t. paprika

1 package ramen noodles

1 cup water

½ t. chicken bouillon

3 cups torn green leaf lettuce

1 cup shredded Napa cabbage

2 green onions, white and green parts sliced on the diagonal

2 mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 rib celery, thinly sliced

½ cup cooked, shredded chicken

3 baby carrots, cut into matchsticks

1 T. roasted sunflower seeds

Combine dressing ingredients in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat to boiling, whisking frequently. Cook at a low boil for about 10 minutes, until slightly reduced. Remove from heat, cool, and refrigerate.

Bring cup of water to boiling in saucepot. Add ramen noodles and boillon. Boil for 3 minutes then turn off heat and allow to cool (noodles will absorb excess liquid).

Combine lettuce, cabbage, onions, mushrooms and celery. Toss with 1/3 to ½ cup of dressing. Place in serving bowl and top with chicken, ramen noodles, carrots and sunflower seeds.

Serves one with approximately 525 calories – but this is a BIG salad and has enough protein to satisfy.