Part 28 (1/2)

Pizza Chicken This recipe is basically a skillet cacciatore, except for the mozzarella-that's what makes it Pizza Chicken.

3 chicken quarters, either legs or thighs 1 to 2 tablespoons (15 to 30 ml) olive oil 1 can (8 ounces, or 225 g) plain tomato sauce 1 can (4 ounces, or 115 g) mushrooms, drained cup (120 ml) dry red wine 1 green pepper, chopped 1 small onion, chopped 1 or 2 cloves garlic, crushed, or 1 to 2 teaspoons jarred chopped garlic in oil 1 to 1 teaspoons dried oregano 3 ounces (85 g) shredded mozzarella cheese Parmesan cheese (optional) Strip the skin off the chicken and cut the leg and thigh quarters in two at the leg joint.

Warm the olive oil in a big, heavy skillet and brown the chicken in it over medium heat.

Pour in the tomato sauce, mushrooms, and wine. Add the green pepper, onion, garlic, and oregano. Cover the whole thing, turn the heat to its lowest setting, and forget about it for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

When the chicken is cooked through, remove the pieces from the skillet and put them on the serving plates. If the sauce isn't good and thick by now, turn up the heat to medium-high and let the sauce boil down for a few minutes.

While the sauce is thickening, sprinkle the shredded mozzarella over the chicken and warm each plate in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds on 50 percent power to melt the cheese. (Your microwave may take a little more or a little less time.) Spoon the sauce over each piece of chicken and serve. Sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese over your Pizza Chicken, if you like.

Yield: 3 servings 3 servings Each with 16 grams of carbohydrates and 4 grams of fiber, for a total of 12 grams of usable carbs and 49 grams of protein.

Chicken Tenders These are good for when you're having fast-food cravings or the kids are nagging for ”normal” food. You really can make these in 15 minutes- because the pieces are small, they cook very quickly.

1 pound (455 g) boneless, skinless chicken breast 1 egg 1 tablespoon (15 ml) water cup (85 g) low-carb bake mix teaspoon salt teaspoon pepper [image]cup (80 ml) oil Cut the chicken b.r.e.a.s.t.s into pieces about 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide and 2 inches (5 cm) long. Beat the egg with the water in a bowl. On a plate, combine the bake mix with the salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat.

Dip each chicken piece in the egg wash, roll it in the seasoned bake mix, and drop it in the hot oil. Fry these until golden all over and serve with one of the dipping sauces in the Sauces and Seasonings chapter (page 462).

Yield: 4 servings 4 servings Each with 5 grams of carbohydrates and 2 grams of fiber, for a total of 3 grams of usable carbs (exclusive of the dipping sauces) and 40 grams of protein.

Chicken Sancocho This delicious, fresh-tasting Caribbean chicken stew/soup is not a quick recipe, but it's not terribly complicated, either. It's great to make over the weekend when you're getting other things done; you'll just check in with your food every so often. And it reheats like a dream! Sadly, the fresh pumpkin needed to make it is only available for a few months in autumn, but then this makes a great chilly-evening supper anyway!

1 whole chicken, about 5 to 5 pounds (2.3 to 2.5 kg) FOR THE MARINADE:.

4 tablespoons (60 ml) lime juice 1 cups (180 g) diced celery 1 large ripe tomato 1 medium onion 1 medium green pepper tablespoon (2.3 g) poultry seasoning teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 tablespoon ground c.u.min FOR THE STEW:.

1 quart (960 ml) chicken broth 1 large carrot, sliced 1 cups (210 g) cubed rutabaga 1 cups (175 g) cubed fresh pumpkin 1 small turnip, cubed 1 cup (150 g) cauliflower florets and stems, cut in small chunks 3 cups (225 g) shredded cabbage-Prepared coleslaw mix works nicely 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce, or to taste-Use Caribbean Scotch bonnet sauce if you can get it!

Remove any giblets from the chicken's body cavity and place the chicken in a soup pot.

To make the marinade: Put all the marinade ingredients in a food processor with the S-blade in place (you'll want to cut everything in big chunks first and peel the onion and core the pepper and all) and pulse until you have a coa.r.s.e slurry. Pour this mixture over the chicken and use clean hands to rub it all over, including into the body cavity. Stick the whole pot in the fridge and let the whole thing sit overnight, turning the chicken over once or twice in that time if you think of it.

To make the stew: The next day, pull the pot with the chicken out of the refrigerator, put it on the stove, and pour the chicken broth over the chicken. Cover it, put the whole thing over medium heat, bring it to a simmer, turn it down to low, and let it simmer for an hour. Turn it off and let the pot sit on the stovetop and cool.

When cooled, remove the chicken from the broth (big tongs work well for this), put it on a platter, and set it aside. Skim the excess fat from the broth and skim out the vegetables that were in the marinade-I used a Chinese skimmer for this, but you could just pour it through a sieve if you like. Be sure to press any broth out of the vegetables and back into the pot before you discard them!

Put the pot of skimmed broth back on the stove and turn the heat beneath it to medium-high. Stir in the carrot, rutabaga, pumpkin, and turnip and let the whole thing simmer for a half an hour. While that's cooking, remove the skin from the chicken and discard it. Then remove the meat from the bones, discard the bones, and cut the meat into bite-sized pieces. About 20 minutes before serving time, stir the chicken, the cauliflower, and the cabbage into the pot, along with the hot pepper sauce. Add water if needed, so that the broth is level with the top of the meat and vegetables. Simmer for 20 minutes and serve.

Yield: 8 servings 8 servings Each with 41 g protein; 13 g carbohydrate; 3 g dietary fiber; 10 g usable carbs-but that figure is actually a tad high, since you discard some of the vegetables. I'd call it 8 g per serving. There's lots of beta carotene and calcium, too.

Spicy Peanut Chicken This takes 10 minutes to put together and only another 15 to cook. It's hot and spicy-quasi-Thai.

2 or 3 boneless, skinless chicken b.r.e.a.s.t.s 1 teaspoon ground c.u.min teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 to 3 tablespoons (30 to 45 ml) olive or peanut oil for sauteing (I think peanut is better here.) smallish onion, thinly sliced 1 can (14 ounces, 410 g) diced tomatoes, undrained 2 tablespoons (32 g) natural peanut b.u.t.ter 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice 2 cloves garlic, crushed Fresh jalapeno, cut in half and seeded On a saucer or plate, stir the c.u.min and cinnamon together and then rub into both sides of chicken b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

Put the oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat and add the chicken and sliced onion. Brown the chicken a bit on both sides.

While that's happening, put all the liquid and half the tomatoes from the can of tomatoes in a blender or food processor along with the peanut b.u.t.ter, lemon juice, garlic, and jalapeno. (Wash your hands after handling that hot pepper or you'll be sorry the next time you touch your eyes!) Blend or process until smooth.

Pour this rather thick sauce over the chicken (which you've turned at least once by now, right?), add the rest of the canned tomatoes, cover, turn the heat to low, and let it cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Yield: About 3 servings About 3 servings Each with 14 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 13 grams of usable carbs and 26 grams of protein.

Some like it hot, and some like it a little bit less so. So when you're buying your ingredients, choose a little jalapeno or a big one, depending on how hot you like your food. I use a big one, and it definitely makes this dish hot. And don't forget, there's no law against using only half a jalapeno.

Cashew-Crusted Chicken Since cashews are a relatively high-carb nut, this is just a light coating-but it's very flavorful. You can find raw cashews at most natural food stores.

pounds (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken breast [image]cup (90 g) raw cashew pieces teaspoon salt teaspoon pepper teaspoon paprika 1 egg 2 to 3 tablespoons (28 to 42 g) b.u.t.ter First, put the cashew pieces in a food processor with the S-blade in place and grind them to a fine texture. Dump them out onto a plate and add the salt, pepper, and paprika, mixing the whole thing well. Set aside.

Pound the chicken b.r.e.a.s.t.s until they're inch (1.3 cm) thick all over. Cut into 4 servings if necessary.

Break the egg into another plate with a rim around it. (A pie plate would work well.) Now, dip each chicken breast piece into the egg and then into the cashew mixture, coating both sides.

Melt the b.u.t.ter in a heavy skillet over medium to medium-high heat and add the chicken. Saute until it's golden on both sides and cooked through about 5 minutes per side.

Yield: 4 servings 4 servings Each with 6 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 5 grams of usable carbs and 33 grams of protein.

Slow Cooker Chicken Mole Chicken mole is the national dish of Mexico, and I'm crazy about it. On my honeymoon in Mexico, I bought a container of chicken mole at the deli at the local grocery store and kept it in the hotel room fridge to heat up in the microwave! Here's a slow cooker version.

3 pounds (1.4 kg) skinless chicken thighs 1 can (14 ounces, or 411 g) tomatoes with green chiles cup (80 g) chopped onion cup (30 g) slivered almonds, toasted 3 cloves garlic, crushed 3 tablespoons (17 g) unsweetened cocoa powder 2 tablespoons (18 g) raisins 1 tablespoon (9 g) sesame seeds 1 tablespoon (1.5 g) Splenda teaspoon ground cinnamon teaspoon ground nutmeg teaspoon ground coriander teaspoon salt Guar or xanthan 2 tablespoons (15 g) slivered almonds, toasted Put the tomatoes, onion, cup (30 g) almonds, garlic, cocoa powder, raisins, sesame seeds, Splenda, cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander, and salt in a blender or food processor and puree coa.r.s.ely.

Place the chicken in a slow cooker. Pour the sauce over it. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 9 to 10 hours.

Remove the chicken from the slow cooker with tongs. Thicken the sauce to taste with guar or xanthan. Serve the sauce over the chicken. Top with the 2 tablespoons (15 g) almonds.

Yield: 8 servings 8 servings Each with 37 g protein, 8 g carbohydrate, 2 g dietary fiber, 6 g usable carbs.

Easy Mexicali Chicken How simple is this? Yet you know the whole family will like it. Just remember to read the labels to get the lowest-carb salsa.

1 pounds (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken breast 2 tablespoons (30 ml) oil 4 ounces (115 g) Monterey Jack, pepper Jack, or shredded Mexican cheese blend cup (130 g) mild, medium, or hot salsa, as you prefer Pound the chicken b.r.e.a.s.t.s to inch (1.3 cm) thick and divide into portions, if needed.

Place a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil, and saute the chicken b.r.e.a.s.t.s for about 5 minutes or until the bottom is golden. Turn and saute for another 3 to 4 minutes. Top the chicken with the cheese, turn the heat down to medium-low, cover the skillet, and let the whole thing cook for another 3 to 4 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

While the cheese is melting, put the salsa in a microwaveable dish and cook it for a minute at 50 percent power.

Remove the chicken to serving plates, top with the salsa, and serve. You could add a dollop of sour cream if you like or maybe some chopped fresh cilantro, but it's not really necessary.

Yield: 4 or 5 servings 4 or 5 servings a.s.suming 4 servings, each will have 2 grams of carbohydrates and 1 gram of fiber, for a total of 1 gram of usable carbs and 45 grams of protein. a.n.a.lysis does not include sour cream.

Chicken with Raspberry-Chipotle Sauce Oh my-this is wonderful. My only regret about this recipe is that the Raspberry-Chipotle Sauce loses its brilliant ruby color during the long, slow cooking. But the flavor definitely remains.

Consider using this simple sauce uncooked as a condiment on roasted poultry or pork. If you can't find raspberry syrup at a local coffee shop, you can order it online.

3 pounds (1.4 kg) chicken 6 teaspoons adobo seasoning 2 tablespoons (30 ml) oil 1 cup (110 g) raspberries cup (60 ml) raspberry-flavored sugar-free coffee flavoring syrup (I used Atkins brand, but Da Vinci would be fine, too.) 1 chipotle chile canned in adobo sauce 1 tablespoon (15 ml) white wine vinegar cup (16 g) chopped fresh cilantro (optional) Sprinkle the chicken all over with the adobo seasoning.

In a big, heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat and then brown the chicken all over. Transfer the chicken to a slow cooker.

In a blender or food processor with the S-blade in place, combine the raspberries, raspberry-flavored coffee syrup, chipotle, and vinegar. Process until smooth. Pour the mixture evenly over the chicken. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 6 hours.

Stir the sauce before serving it over the chicken. Sprinkle a little cilantro over each piece of chicken, if desired.