Chicken breasts needn’t sacrifice taste for low fat
Chicken breasts needn’t sacrifice taste for low fat
At least once a week, dinners at our house showcase boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Some weeks, those quick-to-cook beauties make more than one appearance. The trick is to find ways to pump flavor into the bird’s close-to-neutral personality.
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are a good source of protein and other nutrients. A 3.5-ounce serving provides 165 calories, 31 grams of protein and 3.6 grams of fat. Approximately 80% of the calories in chicken breast come from protein, and 20% come from fat. Keep in mind that these amounts refer to a plain chicken breast with no added ingredients, and that most chicken breasts weigh 5-7 ounces, though some get up to a humongous 10-11 ounces. Some of the weight can be attributed to “plumping” the breasts with water before they are packaged.
Many recipes call for pounding the breast between sheets of plastic wrap or waxed paper prior to cooking (I use a large zipper-style bag). The technique creates meat with equal thickness that cooks more quickly and evenly. It is important when sauteing or broiling.
Almond-Crusted Chicken Breasts With Baby Lettuce Salad
Yield: 2 servings, can be doubled
INGREDIENTS
1 garlic clove, peeled
1⁄2 cup whole skin-on almonds, toasted (see cook’s notes) 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and black pepper to taste 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 4-5 ounces each (see cook’s notes) Salad: 2 handfuls mixed baby lettuces, extra-virgin olive oil, 3⁄4 teaspoon red-wine vinegar, garlic salt to taste
Garnish: lemon wedges Cook’s notes: To toast almonds, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread nuts on rimmed baking sheet. Roast 5-8 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Check the weight of your chicken breasts; if you don’t have a scale, you can divide the weight on the package by the number of breasts to get a weight that’s in the ballpark. If the breasts are larger, add 7-10 minutes to the roasting time and check to make sure the meat in the center of the breast is done (internal temperature should be 165 degrees).
PROCEDURE
1: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Drop garlic into food processor with the motor running; whirl until minced. Stop motor and add almonds, oil, salt and pepper; pulse on and off until mixture is coarsely ground. It will be a coarse paste; rub paste over chicken. 2: Roast chicken in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet until thoroughly cooked, 18-20 minutes (if using larger breasts, add 7-10 minutes to roasting time). Check to make sure chicken is thoroughly cooked; it should be opaque throughout with an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
3: Meanwhile, prepare a small salad. Place baby lettuces in bowl. Toss with just enough olive oil to lightly coat the leaves. Drizzle vinegar and sprinkle with garlic salt to taste; toss. 4: Transfer chicken to a cutting board; cut into 3⁄4-inch crosswise slices. Serve over salad and accompany each serving with a lemon wedge.
Chicken Parmesan With Arugula Salad
Yield: 6 servings INGREDIENTS
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon kosher salt
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 extra-large eggs
1 1⁄4 cups seasoned dry breadcrumbs
1⁄2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
Unsalted butter
Olive oil
Salad greens for 6, washed and spun dry (arugula or mixed baby greens)
Lemon vinaigrette: Mix 1⁄4 cup fresh lemon juice (2 lemons), 1⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
PROCEDURE
1: Pound the chicken breasts (between two sheets of plastic wrap or wax paper) until they are 1⁄4 inch thick. You can use a meat mallet or a rolling pin. 2: Combine the flour, salt and pepper on a plate. On a second plate, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of water. On a third plate, combine the breadcrumbs and 1⁄2 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Coat the chicken breasts on both sides with the flour mixture, then dip both sides into the egg mixture and dredge both sides in the breadcrumb mixture, pressing lightly. 3: Heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large saute pan and cook 2-3 chicken breasts on mediumlow heat (do not use high heat — you will regret it) for 2-3 minutes on each side, until cooked through (meat should have an internal temperature of 165 degrees). Add more butter and oil and cook the rest of the chicken breasts. Or cook all the chicken in 2 large skillets at the same time. Toss the salad greens with lemon vinaigrette. Place a mound of salad on each hot chicken breast or serve chicken atop salad. Serve with extra grated Parmesan. Source: Adapted from “Barefoot Contessa Family Style” by Ina Garten (Clarkson Potter, $35)
Orange-Glazed Chicken Breasts
Yield: 4 servings INGREDIENTS
Nonstick spray and aluminum foil
1⁄2 cup orange marmalade 1 shallot, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
4 (6- to 7-ounce) chicken breasts
Optional garnishes: toasted sesame seeds, fresh chives cut into small crosswise pieces
PROCEDURE
1: Line bottom of broiler pan with aluminum foil. Spray top rack of broiler pan with nonstick spray. Arrange oven rack about 5 1⁄2 inches from broiler element. Preheat broiler.
2: Pound chicken breasts (between two sheets of plastic wrap or wax paper) until they are 1⁄4-inch thick.
3: In bowl, combine marmalade, shallot, mustard and salt. Place chicken on broiler rack and brush or spoon on enough marmalade mixture to cover the top. Broil 3 1⁄2 minutes.
4: Turn and generously brush or spoon on marmalade mixture to cover. Broil an additional 5 minutes, or until lightly browned and cooked through. Check to make sure chicken is thoroughly cooked; internal temperature should be 165 degrees. If desired, garnish with toasted sesame seeds and fresh chives.