of the recipes are complete meals based on ingredients you can easily find in your local supermarket. Look at the Shop Smart section of this book for help choosing the right ingredients.
For ease and speed, all of these recipes use chicken parts rather than whole chickens.
Helpful Hints and Countdown
Each recipe contains tips on shopping and cooking and a game plan (countdown), so you can get the whole meal on the table at the same time.
Shopping
Many staple ingredients are used throughout this book. If you keep these staple items on hand, you’ll only need to pick up the fresh ingredients to make delicious meals in minutes.
• Oils: olive oil, olive oil cooking spray, vegetable oil cooking spray, canola oil
• Frozen ingredients: frozen diced onion, frozen diced green bell pepper, frozen corn kernels
• Condiments: reduced-fat oil and vinegar dressing, reduced-fat mayonnaise, balsamic vinegar
• Sauces: low-sodium tomato sauce, low-sodium pasta sauce, hot pepper sauce
• Fat-free, low-sodium chicken stock
• Vegetables: minced garlic, whole garlic, carrots, onion
• Spices and herbs (less than 6 months old): ground cumin, dried oregano, dried thyme
• Grains: microwave brown, white, and long-grain white rice
Chicken Cooking and Storing Tips
Cooking Temperatures
• Boneless white meat should reach 165°F.
• Boneless dark meat should reach 170°F.
• Juices should be clear, not pink, when pierced by a fork.
• Chicken should never be served medium or rare.
Storing Chicken
Refrigerate raw chicken immediately. It should not be stored at room temperature.
Freeze uncooked chicken if it is not used within 2 days.
Thawing Frozen Chicken
Always thaw chicken in the refrigerator. Cut-up parts will take about 3–9 hours to thaw.
For quick thawing, place the chicken (wrapped well) in cold water and change the water often.
Safety
Wash hands, countertops, cutting boards, knives, and other utensils used in preparing raw chicken with soapy hot water.
To help make these dinners in minutes, I have used ingredients you can find in your local supermarket. This guide isn’t a specific recommendation of any particular brand. You can choose from the many options available. The key is to shop smart by looking at the nutrition information provided in this section. I have listed the items for which I have found a range of products with variations in calorie, fat, carbohydrate, or sodium content to guide you toward healthy options. You may not find the exact values. Use this information as a guideline for what you choose. Once you find ingredients you like, keep them on hand so that you only have to shop for a few fresh ingredients.
Look for the following:
• Fat-free, low-sodium chicken stock or broth with 20 calories per cup and about 150 mg sodium per cup.
• Low-sodium pasta sauce with 130 calories, less than 4.0 g fat, and 80 mg sodium per cup.
• Low-sodium tomato sauce with 70 calories, 0.5 g fat, and 27 mg sodium per cup.
• Low-sodium, no-sugar-added, diced tomatoes with 41 calories, 0.3 g fat, 0.04 g saturated fat, and 24 mg sodium per cup.
• Light coconut milk with 150 calories, 12.0 g fat, and 45 mg sodium per cup.
• Light tortillas, 8–9 inches in diameter, weighing 39 g (or 1 1/2 ounces), with 80 calories, 2.0 g fat, and 250 mg sodium per tortilla.
• Corn tortillas, 6 inches in diameter, weighing 26 g (a little under 1 ounce), with 58 calories, 7.0 g fat, and 3 mg sodium per tortilla.
• Whole-wheat tortillas, 8 inches in diameter, weighing 48 g (a little under 2 ounces), with 130 calories, 2 g fat, and 330 mg sodium per tortilla.
• Whole-wheat pita breads, about 6 inches in diameter, weighing 64 g (a little over 2 ounces), with 170 calories, 1.7 g fat, and 284 mg sodium each.
• Canned fat-free refried beans with 182 calories, 1.0 g fat, and 1012 mg sodium per cup.
• Chimichurri sauce with 90 calories, 9.5 g fat, and 33 mg sodium per tablespoon (Example: Badia Chimichurri Steak Sauce).
• Ground chicken made from chicken breast meat only. If the label just says “ground chicken,” then skin, fat, and dark meat may have been added.
• Low-sodium ketchup with 16 calories and 3 mg sodium per tablespoon.
Almond-Maple Chicken with Hot Pepper Succotash
Cajun Chicken with Caramelized Onion Rice
Chicken in Sherry-Mushroom Sauce with Herbed Quinoa
Chicken in Red Wine with Parsley Noodles
Creole Chicken with Brown Rice
Devil’s Chicken with Sautéed Garlic Potatoes
Dilled Chicken Parcels with Parsley Rice
Fresh Herbed Chicken with Red Potatoes and Green Beans
Horseradish-Encrusted Chicken with Garlic Sweet Potatoes and Sugar Snap Peas
