The High-Protein Cookbook - Linda West Eckhardt [39]
1 teaspoon harissa, hot sauce, or Chinese chili paste to taste (see note)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly milled black pepper
Place the sausage in a skillet and cook over medium-high heat, adding the oil as needed to prevent sticking. Turn frequently until browned on all sides.
Stir in the onion and garlic and cook until golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, chicken broth, almonds, raisins, ginger, paprika, cinnamon, and saffron and bring to a boil. Add the beans. Simmer for about 10 minutes, then add the peppers and cook an additional 5 to 7 minutes. Just before serving, stir in the lemon juice and harissa, and season with salt and pepper.
NOTE: Harissa is a North African (Tunisian) condiment you can buy in specialty markets. Not only does this condiment zip up soup, it also makes fried eggs sing a desert lament.
Nutritional Analysis: 330 calories, FAT 22 g, PROTEIN 22 g, CARB 14 g, FIBER 3 g, CHOL 90 mg, IRON 4 mg, SODIUM 2,350 mg, CALC 70 mg
Ball Park Mustard Chicken on a Bed of Baby Spinach
A jar of hot and spicy ball park mustard is a good thing to keep on hand. Slather mustard over chicken breasts, and even the lamest-tasting chicken develops character.
MAKES 2 SERVINGS
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
¼ cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon ball park (or other spicy) mustard
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (10 ounces total), split and pounded to ¼-inch thickness
One 12-ounce package baby spinach
1 teaspoon olive oil
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Stir the yogurt, mustard, salt, and cayenne in a bowl. Rub the chicken breast cutlets with the yogurt mixture and place on a greased baking sheet. Roast about 20 minutes, or until cooked through.
Meanwhile, wash the spinach leaves but do not dry. Heat a large skillet, then film it with oil. Add the spinach by the handful. Cook and stir until the spinach is limp. Transfer to two warmed dinner plates. Top with chicken breasts and serve.
Nutritional Analysis: 286 calories, FAT 12 g, PROTEIN 37 g, CARB 9 g, FIBER 5 g, CHOL 87 mg, IRON 6 mg, SODIUM 908 mg, CALC 249 mg
Cooking Lesson
Take care, when cooking chicken breasts, not to overcook. And do try to replace their natural skin coating with something that tastes good, like ball park mustard, which we lay in by the case.
Chicken with a Vinegar Sauce on a Bed of Braised Collard Greens
Talk about an amazing dinner. Picture bright greens nestled under crisp, golden chicken thighs and bathed in a rosy sauce that will make you salute. It’s a dinner that combines all those great flavor notes: sweet-and-sour sauce over rich chicken and lovely, bitter greens.
MAKES 2 SERVINGS
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (10 ounces total)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly milled black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives plus additional for garnish
2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley plus additional for garnish
¼ cup red wine vinegar
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons heavy cream
4 cups collard (or other) greens, washed, stemmed, and torn into bite-size pieces
Dry the chicken pieces, then rub with salt and pepper. Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat and add the chicken, smooth side down. Brown to a golden color on all sides, about 10 minutes, turning as needed. Add the garlic and brown (don’t let it burn) for a minute or two, then add the chives and parsley. Cover the pan, turn the heat to low, and simmer the chicken until cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a warmed dinner plate.
Raise the heat under the skillet to medium-high. Pour all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the skillet into a medium saucepan (in which you’ll cook the greens). Warm the sauce pan over mediumhigh heat.
Add the vinegar to the skillet, scraping and deglazing it for about 1 minute. Add the broth and tomato paste. Cook and stir until thick, about 5