Here we are in the middle of February with weeks of winter doldrums still to wade through before spring and many of us, me included, are still battling winter colds and flu.
Now that Winter Carnival and Valentine’s Day are behind us, perhaps it’s time to get back to healthier eating patterns.
Today’s chicken recipe is extra low in fat, sodium, and sugar but is a delicious change from plain ol’ chicken. The tuna pot pie is a wonderful change from any tuna casserole, again very low in fats, sugar and sodium. And if we can muster a little energy and add some exercise to the mix, things will improve a lot by spring (I hope).
Give these a try and see what you think.
Caribbean Lime Chicken
1 medium-sized lime
2 tbsp. dark rum or orange juice
3 cloves garlic, sliced thin
2 tbsp. minced fresh ginger or 1/2 tsp. ground
1 tbsp. hot red pepper sauce
2 whole chicken breasts (about 2 lbs.), halved and skinned
Nonstick cooking spray
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 can (1 lb.) low sodium tomatoes, with their juice
2 tbsp. molasses
1 cinnamon stick
1 banana, sliced and dipped in lime or lemon juice to prevent darkening (optional)
Using a swivel-bladed vegetable peeler, remove peel from half of the lime and set aside. Juice the lime in a shallow glass bowl. Add the lime peel to the lime juice, along with the rum (orange juice), garlic, ginger and red pepper sauce. Add the chicken, tossing to coat well. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight, turning the chicken in the marinade several times.
Lightly coat a 12-inch skillet with cooking spray and set over moderate heat for 30 seconds. Add the chicken, reserving the marinade, and cook about 2-1/2 minutes on each side. Transfer to a platter.
In the same skillet, cook the onion, uncovered, over moderate heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Purée the tomatoes in an electric blender or food processor and add to the skillet, along with the molasses, cinnamon stick, reserved marinade and chicken. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a platter. Raise the heat under the skillet to high and boil the sauce, uncovered, until slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Return the chicken to the skillet and heat through for 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove the cinnamon stick, arrange the chicken and sauce in a serving dish, and garnish with the banana slices, if you like. Serve with a tossed green salad. Serves 4.
Deviled Tuna Pot Pie
1 tbsp. unsalted margarine
1 medium-size yellow onion, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large stalk celery, sliced thin
1 cup fresh or frozen whole-kernel corn
1 jar (4 oz.) pimientos, drained and chopped fine
1/4 tsp. black pepper
4 tsp. flour
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup skim milk
2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. Dijon or spicy brown mustard
2 tsp. lemon juice
2 cans (6-1/2 oz. each) water-packed light tuna, drained and flaked
4 refrigerator buttermilk biscuits, halved horizontally and slightly flattened
1/8 tsp. paprika
Preheat oven to 450 F. In a medium-size heavy saucepan, melt margarine over moderate heat; add the onion, garlic, celery, corn, pimientos and black pepper, and cook, covered, for 5 minutes or until the onion is soft.
Blend in the flour, then the chicken broth and milk and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thickened, about 3 minutes. Add the cheese, mustard and lemon juice. Remove from heat; fold in tuna.
Transfer all to an ungreased shallow 5-6 cup casserole. Arrange the biscuits on top, sprinkle with paprika, and bake, uncovered, about 10 minutes or until the biscuits are golden. Serves 4.
