COOKING WITH DIABETES Meal is quick, light with chicken, leeks

We are a month into the school year, and suddenly, we’re swamped.

You too?

Six o’clock sneaks up on my family, and we have a million balls in the air — soccer practice, dance class, algebra homework, jobs — and none of them is magically making dinner.

Still, my family needs to eat. So, I have a slew of super simple under-30-minute dinners that I can pull together in less time than it takes to get a pizza delivered. The trick is to keep the number of ingredients to a minimum and select a fast-cooking protein, such as boneless skinless chicken breast.

Quick Skillet Chicken with Leeks earns high marks on both fronts, making it an excellent addition to the weeknight dinner rotation. Just a few carefully selected ingredients work together to get a ton of flavor without a lot of fuss. Leeks are the star. If you aren’t familiar with them, leeks may feel a little exotic. Used frequently in French cooking, they look like an oversize scallion, and taste like a mellow, slightly grassy onion (but better — I hesitated to use the word grassy, but then opted for accuracy over enticement).

Almost any place you use onions, you could swap in leeks for a flavor tweak. Find them in the produce aisle, or with frozen vegetables. And, you can even freeze your own fresh leek slices if you want to stock up for a future recipe.

Today’s recipe couldn’t be easier: pan-sear chicken, and spoon over it sliced leeks mixed with a little melted butter, dry mustard, Worcestershire sauce and chicken stock, and then finish the whole thing in the oven for 15 minutes. By the time you set out the plates, dinner will be on the table.

Quick Weeknight Skillet Chicken With Leeks

2 pounds small chicken breasts or cutlets Salt and ground black pepper

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 cup thinly sliced leek (fresh or frozen), white and light green only, about 1 leek

2 tablespoons butter, melted

½ cup chicken stock

1 teaspoon dry mustard

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown the chicken in olive oil in oven-safe skillet over medium high heat just until the first side is golden, about 3 minutes.

In a medium bowl, mix together the sliced leeks, melted butter, chicken stock, dry mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Flip the chicken over in the skillet. Spoon the leek mixture on top of the chicken and place skillet in the oven to finish cooking, about 15 minutes, or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees and the leeks are tender. (If leeks appear to get too dry, place a sheet of aluminum foil lightly on top of the pan.) Serve the chicken with some sauce spooned on top.

Makes 6 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 220 calories, 35 g protein, 8 g fat, 2 g carbohydrate (1 g sugar), 97 mg cholesterol; 456 mg sodium and no fiber.

Carbohydrate choices: 0.