Use sauce as glaze for Hawaiian Chicken and Pineapple Salad

Chicken with a pineapplelaced barbecue sauce served with a tropical salad are an attractive combination in this easy-to-serve dinner.

A barbecue sauce that contains sugar can burn and blacken the food. The secret is to use the sauce as a glaze, painting the food during the last few minutes of cooking.

Helpful hints:

Fresh pineapple cubes can be found in the produce section of most supermarkets. Use the juice from the pineapple cubes to flavor the barbecue sauce.

If thin chicken cutlets are not available, use boneless, skinless chicken breasts and cut them in half horizontally to measure 1/4-inch thick.

Walnuts or pecans can be used instead of macadamia nuts.

Countdown: Prepare chicken. Make salad.

Shopping list:

To buy: 2 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken cutlets (thin sliced chicken), 1 small bottle low-fat, low-salt pasta sauce, 1 small container macadamia nuts, 2 whole wheat rolls (2 ounces each), 1 container fresh pineapple cubes, 1 package washed, ready-toeat Romaine lettuce

Staples: olive oil spray, Dijon mustard, sugar, reduced-fat oil and vinegar dressing, salt, black peppercorns

HAWAIIAN CHICKEN 1/4 cup low-fat, low-salt

pasta sauce 2 tablespoons pineapple juice (from pineapple cubes container) 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 2 teaspoons sugar Olive oil spray

2 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken cutlets (thin sliced chicken) Salt and freshly ground

black pepper

2 whole wheat rolls (2

ounces each)

Mix pasta sauce, pineapple juice, mustard and sugar together to make a sauce. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and spray with olive oil spray. Sear chicken 3 minutes. Turn and sear second side 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste to the cooked side. A meat thermometer should read 165 degrees. Remove from heat and spoon sauce over chicken. Divide between 2 dinner plates. Cut rolls open and spray with olive oil spray and toast. Serve rolls on the side. Yield 2 servings

Nutritional analysis per serving: 410 calories, 85 calories from fat, 9.5 g total fat, 1.9 g saturated fat, 3.3 g monounsaturated fat, 109 mg cholesterol, 535 mg sodium, 39.3 g carbohydrate, 5.3 g dietary fiber, 11.8 g sugars, 41.8 g protein

Exchanges: 2 1/2 starch, 5 lean meat

PINEAPPLE SALAD 1 cup fresh pineapple

cubes, if large cut in half 4 cups washed, ready-toeat Romaine lettuce 2 tablespoons bottled reduced-fat oil and vinegar dressing

8 or 9 kernels macadamia

nuts

Place pineapple cubes and lettuce in a salad bowl. Add dressing. Toss well. Sprinkle the top with macadamia nuts. Serve with the chicken. Yield 2 servings

Nutritional analysis per serving: 142 calories, 87 calories from fat, 9.7 g total fat, 1.4 g saturated fat, 6.7 g monounsaturated fat, 1 mg cholesterol, 13 mg sodium, 14.8 g carbohydrate, 3.8 g dietary fiber, 2.2 g sugars, 2.4 g protein