The High-Protein Cookbook - Linda West Eckhardt [33]
Add the butter to the skillet, then cook the sliced leeks until crisp-tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the half-and-half, tarragon, and hot pepper flakes and boil until slightly thickened. Crumble the bacon into the sauce, then stir in the tomatoes. Return the chicken to the pan with any juices that have accumulated on the plate. Heat a couple of minutes, then season with salt and pepper and divide between two warmed dinner plates.
Nutritional Analysis: 447 calories, FAT 27 g, PROTEIN 38 g, CARB 9 g, FIBER 2 g, CHOL 143 mg, IRON 2 mg, SODIUM 892 mg, CALC 100 mg
Cooking Lesson
Combining bacon fat with butter will create a subtle, satisfying taste you’ve had before—in fine restaurants, where chefs often employ this technique. It lifts the humble chicken breast to new heights.
Stir-Fried Chicken on Bitter Greens
Think of this as a Thai-style entrée. Finish your meal with fresh melon or berries.
MAKES 2 SERVINGS
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
4 cups bitter salad greens (any mixture of watercress, arugula, Belgian endive, bok choy, spinach), rinsed and spun dry
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
SAUCE
1 garlic clove, pressed
¼ teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons dry sherry
2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce (nom pla)
½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (10 ounces total), split and pounded to ¼-inch thickness
1 tablespoon peanut oil
½ onion, quartered and separated into single layers
Compose the greens on two dinner plates and drizzle with vinegar, then set them aside. Whisk together the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl.
Cut the pounded chicken across the grain into 1-inch-wide strips.
Heat a skillet or wok over high heat, then add the oil and the onion. Stir-fry until the onion edges begin to brown. Scoop the onion into a bowl and reserve.
Add the chicken and stir-fry until it begins to brown on the edges and is thoroughly opaque and cooked through, about 2 minutes. Scoop the chicken into the bowl with the onions.
Add the sauce mixture to the wok and stir to free any browned bits. Return the chicken and onions to the pan and stir until the sauce cooks down, about 3 minutes more. Spoon over greens and serve immediately.
Nutritional Analysis: 395 calories; FAT 18 g, PROTEIN 47 g, CARB 7 g, FIBER 1 g, CHOL 130 mg, IRON 2 mg, SODIUM 1,464 mg, CALC 67 mg
Cooking Lesson
Use the Asian technique of cooking everything in the same pan—just not at once—and you’ll get that crisp-tender, flavorful result you love when you eat out. It takes practice and a lot of attention. Do all your cutting ahead, get the necessary bowls and props around you (mise en place, as they say in culinary school). You’ll soon love this technique.
Garlic Lime Chicken
Infusing chicken breast with the flavor of garlic and lime creates a puckery, smoky, mouthwatering effect. When cooked on an outdoor or indoor grill, the charred grill marks, which are the caramelized sugars in the meat, add an excellent contrast to the sour lime. Serve atop one of our vegetable purées.
MAKES 2 SERVINGS
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Marinating time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
grated zest and juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
½ teaspoon dry mustard
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (10 ounces total), split and pounded to ¼-inch thickness
½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
Combine the soy sauce, lime juice and zest, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and mustard in a glass dish or resealable plastic bag. Add the chicken and turn to coat with the mixture. Cover the chicken and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the marinade and pepper it thoroughly. Discard the marinade.
Preheat a grill or skillet over medium-high heat. Film it with olive oil. Cook the chicken until golden on both sides and opaque