Egyptian-Spiced Chicken

We both liked this. D said it was easy to make. It seemed to be fast because he made it after a trip to the gym. We had with rice. We were supposed to have with zucchini but I forgot to put it on the grocery list.

Egyptian-Spiced Chicken

This spice blend, known as dukka (DOO-kah) in Egypt, combines sesame and cumin seeds plus nuts, and often other spices. The blend gains a roasted note when the spices and nuts are toasted. Then a little salt on the chicken brings out the robust flavors of the blend.

1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 tablespoons fresh thyme
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons olive oil
Cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Place first 3 ingredients in a small, dry skillet over medium heat. Cook 2 minutes or until lightly browned, shaking pan frequently. Remove from heat, and cool slightly. Place nut mixture, thyme, and peppercorns in a spice or coffee grinder; pulse mixture 15 times to coarsely chop.

3. Place nut mixture in a shallow pan; place egg whites in another shallow pan. Dip chicken in egg white, and sprinkle with salt; dredge in almond mixture. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; sauté 2 minutes on each side or until golden. Place chicken on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray, and bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until done.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 breast half)

CALORIES 317 ; FAT 14g (sat 2.2g,mono 6g,poly 4.5g); CHOLESTEROL 108mg; CALCIUM 58mg; CARBOHYDRATE 3.8g; SODIUM 274mg; PROTEIN 44.9g; FIBER 1g; IRON 3mg

Cooking Light, AUGUST 2009

Orzo with fresh herbs

Orzo with fresh herbs:

Cook 1 cup orzo pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain; toss orzo with 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.

Baked Shrimp with Feta

Well this was good but not as good as Greek Shrimp Scampi.
Also seemed to take longer.
We had with Orzo with herbs.

Baked Shrimp with Feta

Dig into a delicious seafood bake topped with tomatoes and feta cheese for a company-worthy dinner in a flash. Orzo accented with fresh herbs completes this Mediterranean-inspired meal.

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup prechopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons bottled clam juice
1 tablespoon white wine
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. Preheat oven to 450°.

2. Combine lemon juice and shrimp in a large bowl; toss well. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add onion to pan; sauté 1 minute. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add clam juice, wine, oregano, pepper, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in shrimp mixture. Place mixture in an 11 x 7–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle cheese evenly over mixture. Bake at 450° for 12 minutes or until shrimp are done and cheese melts. Sprinkle with parsley; serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

CALORIES 253 ; FAT 7.1g (sat 2.8g,mono 1.9g,poly 1.4g); CHOLESTEROL 271mg; CALCIUM 182mg; CARBOHYDRATE 8.1g; SODIUM 516mg; PROTEIN 37.5g; FIBER 1.6g; IRON 4.7mg

Cooking Light, APRIL 2009

Bistro Braised Chicken

Yum! This was really good. D said it was easy to make. D thought it would be better with rice, to soak up the sauce. I thought it tasted like a Chicken Noodle Soup and he thought it tasted like stuffing without the stuffing. We will have again.

We had with broccoli.

D noted about CL recipes in general, he always puts butter in the sauce at the end. He says it makes the sauce taste richer.

Bistro Braised Chicken

1 tablespoon butter, divided
8 (4-ounce) bone-in chicken thighs, skinned
1 cup thinly sliced carrot
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
8 pitted dried plums, chopped (didn't use)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 cups hot cooked egg noodles

1. Melt 1 teaspoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken to pan; cook 6 minutes, browning on both sides. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.

2. Add remaining 2 teaspoons butter to pan; swirl until butter melts. Add carrot, onion, celery, and dried plums; cook 4 minutes or until vegetables begin to soften, stirring frequently. Stir in thyme and sage; cook 30 seconds. Stir in mustard. Add broth and 3/4 cup water, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; bring to a simmer.

3. Return chicken to pan. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 35 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to medium-high, and simmer until sauce is reduced by half (about 10 minutes). Stir in salt and pepper. Serve over noodles.

Wine note: This simple dinner deserves a tasty, affordable wine. Astica Chardonnay 2008 ($6), from Argentina, is made without the use of oak, making it a nice, fruity match for the dried plums in this stew. --Jeffery Lindenmuth

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup egg noodles, 2 chicken thighs, and about 1/2 cup vegetable mixture)

CALORIES 483 ; FAT 11.5g (sat 4.3g,mono 3.9g,poly 1.8g); CHOLESTEROL 189mg; CALCIUM 76mg; CARBOHYDRATE 57.3g; SODIUM 765mg; PROTEIN 36.9g; FIBER 5g; IRON 3.7mg

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2009