Garlic greens add colorful topping to chicken

Top grilled chicken with baby greens for a surprisingly different dinner.

In this recipe baby greens, also known as field greens or mesclun, are sautéed with garlic as a colorful topping for chicken.

If you can’t find the baby greens in the supermarket, you can use a soft lettuce such as bib.

Sautéing the greens for a minute enhances the flavor while retaining some of its crunch.

Potatoes usually take about 20 minutes to saute. I microwave them first and then sauté them in the same skillet used for the chicken. It saves cooking and washing up time.

Helpful hints:

■ Any type of waxy potato such as yellow or creamers can be used.

■ Use a resealable plastic bag for marinating. To turn meat over, simply flip over the bag. It, also, saves washing a bowl.

■ The heat is up to you. Add more cayenne if you like the potatoes really hot.

Countdown:

■ Marinate chicken.

■ Prepare remaining ingredients.

■ Microwave potatoes.

■ Saute chicken.

■ Saute potatoes using same skillet as chicken.

Shopping list:

To buy:

3/4 pound boneless skinless chicken breast cutlets,

1 bottle cayenne pepper,

1 bag washed, ready-to-eat mesclun or field greens,

1 pound red potatoes.

Staples: olive oil, olive oil spray, balsamic vinegar, minced garlic salt, black peppercorns.

CHICKEN AND GARLIC GREENS

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

(discarded in marinade)

3/4 pound boneless skinless chicken breast cutlets (about 1/4-inch thick) Olive oil spray

Salt and freshly ground

black pepper 2 teaspoons olive oil

2 teaspoons minced garlic

4 cups washed, readyto-eat mesclun or field greens (4 ounces)

Remove visible fat from chicken. Add balsamic vinegar to a resealable plastic bag or bowl. Add chicken. Let stand 5 minutes, turning once during that time. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Remove chicken from bag and discard marinade. Place chicken in skillet and saute 3 minutes. Turn and sauté 2 minutes. A meat thermometer should read 165 degrees. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Remove to a plate. Add oil and garlic to the skillet. Sauté 30 seconds. Add greens and toss in pan about 2 minutes. Salad should be warm but remain firm. Add salt and pepper and spoon over chicken. Yield 2 servings

Per serving:

273 calories,

96 calories from fat,

10.7 g total fat,

1.8 g saturated fat,

5.6 g monounsaturated fat,

108 mg cholesterol,

211 mg sodium,

6 g carbohydrate,

2.2 g dietary fiber,

1.7 g sugars,

37.7 g protein Exchanges:

1 vegetable,

5 lean meat,

½ fat

SPICY SAUTEED POTATOES

1 pound red potatoes

1 tablespoon olive oil

⅛ teaspoon cayenne

pepper

Salt

Wash potatoes, do not peel, and cut into 1-inch pieces. Place in a bowl and microwave on high 4 minutes. Meanwhile, add oil and cayenne pepper to the same skillet used for the chicken after the greens have been removed. Add the microwaved potatoes and toss in the skillet 5 minutes. Add salt to taste. Yield 2 servings

Per serving:

219 calories,

64 calories from fat,

7.1 g total fat,

1 g saturated fat,

4.9 g monounsaturated fat,

0 mg cholesterol,

14 mg sodium,

36.2 g carbohydrate,

3.9 g dietary fiber,

2.3 g sugars,

4.3 g protein

Exchanges:

1 ½ starch,

1 fat From “Fast and Flavorful: Great Diabetes Meals from Market to Table” by Linda Gassenheimer, published by the American Diabetes Association. Reprinted with permission from The American Diabetes Association.