When I know I don't have a lot of time to cook, or I'm just tired at the end of the day, I reach for the skillet and a package of boneless, skinless chicken. I can cut it up and cook it in a flash, and dress it up with almost any flavors and other ingredients I have in the pantry or fridge. It can be Mexican one night, and Thai the next with not much thought or work. Let your imagination go wild! Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Creamy Apple Bacon Chicken:
Why do apple and bacon seem to go so well together? I think the sweet/salty combination makes it work, and helps it work nicely with chicken. If you don't have to be super-strict with carbs, you can add more apple.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, either whole or cut into pieces (see below)
- 1 small apple, cut into ¼ inch slices
- ¼ cup apple juice (see below for alternatives)
- ¼ cup dry white wine (or chicken broth)
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 2 Tablespoons oil plus one more of oil, butter, or bacon grease
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme -- or use tarragon or a mix of "French-type" herbs, or fresh if you have it -- 2-3 teaspoons
- 2 strips bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
- salt and pepper
Preparation:
One-quarter cup apple juice has 7 grams of sugar, spread over 3 servings. This is less apple juice than any container you can buy, so I will sometimes just add water or chicken broth and zero-carb sweetener to the sauce, or even apple-flavored herb tea. The chicken breasts can be either left whole, cut in half, or cut into bite-sized pieces. I like the bite-sized pieces for taste, but use the larger pieces when looks are more important. Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides.
1) Heat 1 to 2 Tablespoons fat in pan. I don't like to use more than half bacon grease, as it burns. Lightly brown apple slices in pan. You don't want them to be too soft, just to the point where you can start to easily put a fork in them. Remove apples.
2) Add another Tablespoon of oil, and brown chicken on both sides. The chicken probably won't be cooked through at this point, which is OK. Push chicken to one side or to the edges. Add the wine, which should deglaze the pan. Add the rest of the liquids and herbs and simmer until reduced and chicken is cooked through.
3) Serve with bacon bits sprinkled over the top.
Makes three servings (or four less-hearty servings).
Nutritional Information with apple juice: Each of 3 servings has 7.5 grams effective carbohydrate plus 1 gram fiber, 37 grams protein, and 403 calories (actually a little less, because most of the wine's alcohol will cook out).
Nutritional Information without apple juice: Each serving has 5 grams effective carbohydrate plus 1 gram fiber, 37 grams protein, and 393 calories (actually a little less, because most of the wine's alcohol will cook out).
Creamy Southwest Chicken:
This skillet chicken dish is one you can have on the table in 20 minutes, start to finish, using canned green chiles and shredded cheese. The chiles are mild, so this isn't a spicy dish, but is a tasty one. Serve with refried beans and/or a salad and sliced avocado.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1/4 C minced onion
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 6-8 oz canned chopped green chiles (depending on can size)
- Optional: small amt of chicken stock or Better than Boullion
- 1/4 C cream
- 1/3 C shredded cheddar or jack cheese
- Olive oil
- Salt, pepper
Preparation:
1) Heat large skillet with oil.2) Cut chicken into bite sized pieces and season with salt and pepper. Saute' till brown on both sides, adding onions about half way through.
3) Add garlic and cook for another minute.
4) If needed, deglaze the pan with a little water or chicken stock. Add 1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon if desired.
5) Add green chiles and cream, and simmer until chicken is done and sauce is thickened.
6) Top with cheese, and serve when cheese melts.
Optional garnish: avocado slices; cilantro
Makes 3-4 servings
Nutritional Analysis for each of 3 servings: 4.5 grams of effective carbohydrate plus 1.5 grams fiber, 38 grams protein, 18 grams of fat, 347 calories.
Chicken Fajitas:
Before you ask, yes, there is soy sauce in this recipe (I consider it the "secret ingredient") I got the idea years ago when I asked the cook in a Mexican restaurant about his great fajitas, so I feel I'm on safe ground. Skirt steak is traditional, but you can really use whatever beef you like, or boneless skinless chicken breast. I usually use green onions for grilling (you can get more for the same carbs, and more fiber) but regular onions if I'm making them in a skillet.
Ingredients:
- 1.5-2 lbs skirt steak or other beef or chicken easily cut into strips
- 1 medium onion, sliced, or 15 medium scallions (green onions) - same amount of carb!
- 2 large Bell peppers, sliced - two different colors is nice
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 Tablespoons oil
Preparation:
1. Combine soy sauce, lime juice, chili powder, and oil. If grilling, save a couple of Tablespoons aside to toss with the vegetables.
2. Slice the meat into about 1/2 inch slices. If using skirt steak, flank steak, or other meat with an obvious grain (lines through the meat), be sure to cut perpendicular to the grain, or you will be chewing a very long time. (Think about it - you want to create a lot of short fibers, not a few long ones.) How to Cut Meat Against the Grain
3. If cooking in a skillet, marinate everything together in a bowl or plastic bag (a zip-type works well). If grilling, marinate the meat and veggies separately. Even a few minutes helps, up to 2 hours is great.
4. If grilling, remove from marinade and grill.
5. For cooking in a skillet (preferably regular, not nonstick), cook the meat first (it will probably take two batches, depending upon your pan). Add a little oil to the skillet and get it very hot (the oil will shimmer). If you don't get it hot enough (or crowd too much meat in), the meat will steam instead of browning. When the meat is browned, remove and add veggies. When they begin to soften, return meat to skillet to heat through.
6. Serve with salsa, sour cream, cilantro (if desired) and guacamole. If low-carb tortillas are available, that is a nice addition, but a fork works fine.
Serves 5
Nutritional Information:Meat and vegetables, with 1.5 pound skirt steak and green onions, have 4.5 grams of effective carbohydrate and 2 grams of fiber, 28 grams of protein, and 307 calories per serving. The marinade could add as much as 1 gram of carb (the whole recipe has 5 grams), but obviously not all of it makes it to the table.
2. Slice the meat into about 1/2 inch slices. If using skirt steak, flank steak, or other meat with an obvious grain (lines through the meat), be sure to cut perpendicular to the grain, or you will be chewing a very long time. (Think about it - you want to create a lot of short fibers, not a few long ones.) How to Cut Meat Against the Grain
3. If cooking in a skillet, marinate everything together in a bowl or plastic bag (a zip-type works well). If grilling, marinate the meat and veggies separately. Even a few minutes helps, up to 2 hours is great.
4. If grilling, remove from marinade and grill.
5. For cooking in a skillet (preferably regular, not nonstick), cook the meat first (it will probably take two batches, depending upon your pan). Add a little oil to the skillet and get it very hot (the oil will shimmer). If you don't get it hot enough (or crowd too much meat in), the meat will steam instead of browning. When the meat is browned, remove and add veggies. When they begin to soften, return meat to skillet to heat through.
6. Serve with salsa, sour cream, cilantro (if desired) and guacamole. If low-carb tortillas are available, that is a nice addition, but a fork works fine.
Serves 5
Nutritional Information:Meat and vegetables, with 1.5 pound skirt steak and green onions, have 4.5 grams of effective carbohydrate and 2 grams of fiber, 28 grams of protein, and 307 calories per serving. The marinade could add as much as 1 gram of carb (the whole recipe has 5 grams), but obviously not all of it makes it to the table.
No comments:
Post a Comment