Quick Fix: Mediterranean Chicken with Sautéed Fresh Corn

Tender chicken coated with French herbes de Provence and served over a bed of baby spinach salad makes a quick dish.

Herbes de Provence is a mixture of dried herbs that are grown in the South of France. The assortment usually contains marjoram, rosemary, sage, summer savory, thyme and lavender. It can be found in some supermarkets. If difficult to find, use equal amounts of dried sage and thyme for the recipe.

Helpful hints:

■ Regular spinach can be used if baby leaves are unavailable.

■ Balsamic vinegar can be used instead of red wine vinegar.

■ To save time, use a reduced-fat vinaigrette instead of making a dressing.

■ Frozen corn can be substituted for fresh.

■ Make sure your bottle of dried herb is less than 6 months old.

Shopping List:

3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, 1 bottle herbes de Provence, 1 bottle red wine vinegar, 1 jar Dijon mustard, 1 bag washed, ready-to-eat baby spinach leaves, 4 ears fresh corn on the cob Staples: olive oil, salt and black peppercorns.

Mediterranean Chicken

3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast

4 tablespoons herbes de Provence 2 teaspoons olive oil

For dressing

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon olive oil

2 tablespoons water

4 cups ready-to-eat baby spinach leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Remove visible fat from chicken breasts and rub with herbes de Provence making sure to coat both sides. Heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Saute 2 minutes. Turn and saute 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover with a lid and let sit 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk vinegar and mustard together in a salad bowl. Add olive oil and water and whisk until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add spinach and toss well. Divide spinach between two dinner plates.

Slice chicken into strips and arrange them in the center of the salad. Spoon pan juices over chicken. Makes 2 servings.

Per serving: 300 calories, 12 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 6 g monounsaturated fat, 125 mg cholesterol, 41 g protein, 6 g carbohydrates, 4 g dietary fiber, < 1 g sugars, 260 mg sodium, 970 mg potassium, 410 mg phosphorus.

Exchanges/food choices: 1 vegetable,

5 1/2 lean protein, 1 fat

Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer

Sauteed Fresh Corn

4 ears fresh corn on the cob (or 3 cups corn kernels)

1 teaspoon olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper Remove husk and silk from corn. Slice the kernels off the cob. Heat the olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add the corn. Cover and saute for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove lid and cook for one to two minutes, shaking the pan until the mixture is practically dry and some of the kernels are starting to brown. Add salt and pepper to taste. Makes 2 servings.

Per serving: 200 calories, 4 g fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 2 g monounsaturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 6.2 g protein, 42 g carbohydrates, 4 g dietary fiber, 5 g sugars, 5 mg sodium, 440 mg potassium, 145 mg phosphorus

Exchanges/food choices: 2 1/2 starch, 1/2 fat

(From “Delicious One-Pot Dishes” by Linda Gassenheimer, published by the American Diabetes Association. Reprinted with permission from The American Diabetes Association.