Sweet and spicy chicken, deconstructed!

Sometimes, you just need a quick and easy recipe to get your family fed!  Sweet and spicy chicken is one of those meals. You can prepare the ingredients the night before, and simply fire up the skillet when you’re ready to eat.  Within 20 minutes, you’ll have a healthy and satisfying meal on the table. 

This recipe can be adjusted for sweetness, as well as spice. More importantly, with a few substitutions, it can be address almost any dietary concern.  But I particularly like this recipe because you can make healthy additions--vegetables,fruits, nuts (for protein) and healthy grains! Your family will be pulled in with the delicious sauce, and not even notice the additional healthy ingredients!

Sweet and spicy chicken

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips

½ c. corn starch

¼ c. soy sauce

2 TB. honey

1 TB. brown sugar

2 tsp. chopped ginger root

2 tsp. minced garlic

½ tsp. red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp.  cayenne pepper

Salt and pepper to taste

Vegetable oil

Optional:  peas, pea pods, corn, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, walnuts, pineapple, apples, pears, green beans, pepper strips, green onions, broccoli, and or cauliflower.

In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, honey, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, pepper flakes and cayenne pepper.  Let sit about 15 minutes and taste.  Adjust for seasoning.

Lightly season the chicken with salt and pepper, and toss in the corn starch.  Heat the oil in a skillet.  Add the chicken strips and brown on both sides, approximately two minutes per side.  Add any vegetables desired, and pour the sauce over the ingredients.  Simmer uncovered until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Serve on rice or any grain of your choice, such as quinoa or lentils. If desired, garnish with sesame seeds or chopped green onions.

Sweet and spicy chicken, deconstructed

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips

>Fat alert:  Any meat contains fat.  Fortunately, chicken is one of the leanest meats available.  However, the fat in this recipe can be further reduced but cutting down on the amount of chicken used, and increasing the vegetables.

>Health alert:  If meat is a dietary concern, try cubed tofu or other vegan meat substitutes.  Tofu crisps up nicely and absorbs the flavors of the sauce well 

½ c. corn starch

>Health alert:  If corn starch or other corn products are restricted on your diet, try using and variety of flour instead.  In the alternative, this ingredient can be eliminated. 

>Ingredient alert:  The corn starch serves two purposes in this recipe.  It is used to give the chicken a crispy coating, and thickens the sauce.  If eliminated, it may be necessary to use another thickener, such as Agar Agar, or cook the sauce for a longer period of time. 

¼ c. soy sauce

>Health alert:  Soy sauce may contain high amounts of salt and MSG.  Check the ingredient label carefully.  Low-sodium and MSG-free varieties are available.

2 TB. honey

1 TB. brown sugar

>Health alert:  Both honey and brown sugar are high in sugar.  If sugar is restricted in your diet, natural pineapple juice or any sugar substitute may be used.  For better flavor, combine two tablespoons of pineapple juice with one tablespoon of sugar.

>Ingredient alert:  Honey aids in thickening  the sauce in this recipe.   It may be necessary to use more corn starch or other thickening agent, or cook the sauce for a longer period of time.

2 tsp. chopped ginger root 

>Ingredient alert:  If fresh ginger is not available, any dry ginger product may be used.  Merely reduce the amount used to ¾ tsp. 

2 tsp. minced garlic

½ tsp. red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp.  cayenne pepper

Salt and pepper to taste

Vegetable oil 

>Fat alert:  Vegetable oil is a fat.  If fat is a dietary concern, use a cooking spray, or in the alternative, bake or grill the chicken before adding it to the sauce. 

Optional:  peas, pea pods, corn, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, walnuts, pineapple, apples, pears, green beans, pepper strips, green onions, broccoli, and or cauliflower.

(Follow the instructions above,)

Happy Easter!

I will be back next week with more delicious recipes!

Fish and chips, deconstructed!

Fish and chips are a staple during Lent.  But I avoid the traditional version.  I can no longer tolerate the taste of fried foods.  So now I either bake, sauté, or poach fish, and bake the fries.  The result is a light, tasty meal, without the fat!

This recipe is quick and easy to prepare.  It usually takes me less than an hour to bring it to the table!

Fish and chips

4 tilapia fillets

½ c. white wine

¼ c. lemon juice

2 TB. butter

4 cloves smashed garlic

1 tsp. dry parsley

½ tsp. crush red pepper flakes

Optional:  4 large broccoli florets

Olive oil

2 large red potatoes

½ tsp. Bouquet Garni  (parsley, rosemary, thyme, tarragon, savory, bay leaf)

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly dust with cooking spray.  Slice the red potatoes into chips approximately 1/8 inch thick.  Place in a bowl, and add enough olive oil to cover the chips.  Add the Bouquet Garni and toss well.  Pour the potatoes onto the cooking sheet and spread in one layer.  If desired, sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake for 30 minutes, or until the chips are golden brown.

In a large skillet, melt the butter.  Add the wine, lemon juice, garlic, parsley, and crushed red pepper flakes, and stir.  Let simmer about 10 minutes.  Taste, and add salt and pepper as desired. 

Gently place the fish in the pan and cover.  (If desired, add the broccoli around the fish.)  Saute the fish on each side for approximately four minutes, until the fish is white and flaky.  Remove from the heat, spoon the sauce over the fish and sprinkle lightly with parsley.  Serve with the broccoli and chips, and garnish with lemon slices.

Fish and chips, deconstructed

4 tilapia fillets

½ c. white wine

>Health alert:  White wine can be high in sugar.  If this is a dietary concern, it may be substituted with chicken stock or water.

>Ingredient alert:  The wine adds flavor to the sauté.  Eliminating it may require that more spices be added.

¼ c. lemon juice

2 TB. butter

>Fat  alert:  Butter is fat.  It may be substituted with olive oil or eliminated.

>Ingredient alert:  If the butter is eliminated from this recipe, it may be necessary to increase the salt to maintain a savory flavor.

4 cloves smashed garlic

1 tsp. dry parsley

½ tsp. crush red pepper flakes

Optional:  4 large broccoli florets

2 large red potatoes

>Health alert:  If dietary restrictions prevent the consumption of white  potatoes, they may be substituted with sweet potatoes or cauliflower slices.

½ tsp. Bouquet Garni  (parsley, rosemary, thyme, tarragon, savory, bay leaf)

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

(Follow the instructions above.)

Cream of tomato soup with meatballs, deconstructed!

When winter hangs on and it seems spring will never come, there is nothing better than a hearty soup to warm the soul.  One of my favorites is cream of tomato soup with meatballs. 

At the base of this soup is a simple meatball made solely from ground Italian sausage.  While the meatballs can be fried, I have found it easier to simply bake them in the oven.  Traditional Italian sausage is made with pork and high in fat.  Fortunately, there are not many low-fat versions available, all made with chicken or turkey.

This recipe can be made with a sweet, spicy, or hot Italian sausage.  The spice level solely depends on your preference.   If you can’t decide, mix it up!  Make half of the meatballs with a sweet sausage and half with a spicy or hot sausage.

Cream of tomato soup with meatballs

2 lbs. ground Italian sausage

2 large cans whole peeled tomatoes

3 c. chicken broth

¾ c. heavy cream

2 TB. red wine

1 c. chopped red onion

1 c. chopped carrots

4 cloves minced garlic

4 tsp. dry basil

2 TB. sugar

1 TB. salt

2 tsp. pepper

Optional:  2 TB. sugar

Olive oil

Form the Italian sausage into meatballs, approximately the size of walnuts.   Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 20 minutes, until golden brown.  Set aside.

In a large pot, heat two  tablespoons of olive oil.  Add the onions and carrots.  Lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper, and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook the mixture for two more minutes.  Mix in the canned tomatoes and chicken stock.  Cover the pot and let the mixture simmer for approximately two hours.  Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.  Using an immersion or regular blender, puree the mixture until it is the consistency of soup.   

Add the basil and cream, and bring the soup to a boil.  Let it simmer until the mixture thickens slightly.  (If the mixture is too thick, add more chicken broth or water.) Taste and adjust the seasonings as desired.  Add the meatballs and stir.  Let the soup simmer for an additional 10 minutes and serve.

Cream of tomato soup with meatballs, deconstructed

2 lbs. ground Italian sausage

>Fat alert:  Italian sausage is high in fat.  If fat is a dietary concern, replace it with a lower fat sausage made with chicken or turkey.  However, check the product label carefully!  Not all chicken or turkey sausages are low in fat!

>Ingredient alert:  The cooked meatballs will be covered in fat after they are baked.  This fat will add flavor to the soup.  However, if fat is a dietary concern, drain the meatballs on a paper towel after baking.

>Health alert:  If you do not eat meat, there are many different types of vegetable-based sausages available.  Simply remove the "sausage" from the casing, roll it into balls, and bake.

 2 large cans whole peeled tomatoes

>Health alert:  Some canned tomatoes contain high levels of salt or sugar.  Check the product labels carefully. 

3 c. chicken stock

>Fat alert: Commercial chicken broth may be high in fat.  Low or no-fat versions are available.  In the alternative, make your own and skim off the fat.

>Health alert: Commercial chicken broth may also be high in salt.  Low-sodium versions are available. In the alternative, make your own and eliminate the salt.

>Health alert:  Commercial chicken broth may contain MSG.  If this is a dietary concern, check the product label carefully.  In the alternative, make your own to control all ingredients.

>Health alert: If meat is not in your diet, vegetable stock may be used. 

 ¾ c. heavy cream 

>Fat alert:  Heavy cream is packed with fat, that’s why it tastes so good!  It may be replaced with low or no-fat varieties, Half and Half, or milk.  

>Health alert:  Cream is a dairy product.  If this is a dietary concern, try a non-dairy cream substitute.

>Ingredient alert:  Cream is a thickening agent in the soup. If the cream must be eliminated, boil half of a head of chopped cauliflower, two potatoes, or four chopped parsnips (about four cups) in low-fat milk or low-fat chicken stock until tender, and puree. Cream alternatives may also be thickened with corn starch, gelatin, Agar Agar, lemon juice, or cream cheese. 

2 TB. red wine

>Health alert:  Some red wines are high in sugar.  If this is a dietary concern, a reduced sugar wine may be used.  In the alternative, the wine may be thinned with water, or replaced with balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, or eliminated.

>Health alert:  Red wine contains alcohol.  If this a dietary concern, it may be replaced with diluted balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, or eliminated. 

1 c. chopped red onion

1 c. chopped carrots

4 cloves minced garlic

4 tsp. dry basil

2 TB. sugar

>Health alert:  If sugar is a dietary concern, the amount may be reduced or eliminated. 

1 TB. salt

2 tsp. pepper

Olive oil

>Fat alert:  Olive is oil is a “good fat,” but a fat nonetheless.  If fat is a dietary concern, the onions and carrots may be roasted in the oven on a cookie sheet lightly dusted with cooking spray or lined with foil.

(Follow the instructions above.)