MEETING THE CHALLENGE WITH CHICKEN

MEETING THE CHALLENGE WITH CHICKEN

It's the challenges in life that makes us stronger.  Right?  Well, in my case, I hope the challenges in life make me thinner.  Well, "challenge" singular, anyway.

What's the challenge?  Having wonderful meals while dieting that will inspire me to keep on keeping on.  So when I become cooking 'diet challenged' as I'm wont (love that word) to do two - three - four nights a week, Richard meets that challenge and restores my commitment to calorie/point counting.

One of my favorite Ca del Sole dishes (from a restaurant I reviewed here  some months ago) is a pounded, sauteed chicken salad.  It's light, low in calories/points and is delicious.  Richard has since created his own version of that salad and made it for me the other night.  And, the icing on the cake:  it's really, really cheap.  Less than $5.00 a person and in these economic times - cheap and delicious AND healthful is a very good thing.

Below are Richard's sauteed chicken salad instructions.

SAUTEED CHICKEN SALAD

Pound a skinless boneless chicken breast to app. 1/4" thickness (Richard uses one half breast for two people) -  usually the chicken breasts we use are the frozen ones you get at Costco - which amounts to pennies  a breast.

Heat oil in skillet
Bread the chicken, or panko them, or flour them, (or not... don't really have to if you don't want.)
Crack a couple of eggs into a shallow pan (Richard uses only egg whites, fewer calories and cholesterol)...
Season the egg whites w/salt, pepper and any herb you like (rosemary, thyme, etc) - then dip the breaded or floured chicken into the egg whites.

Note:  This is different from the traditional way to "bread" things.  Traditionally, there are three steps:
1) Flour. Shake off excess. This helps the egg hold on.
2) Egg wash.  Again, shake off excess.
3) Breading

Richard, taking a cue from the Tyler Florence sole almondine recipe (which I also blogged about)... eliminated one of the carb steps.  He didn't flour, then egg wash, then bread.  He breaded first, then egg washed, then continued.

Sautee the pounded chicken breast for about three minutes per side until golden brown on outside...
should be moist on the inside.

Arrange a bed of lettuce or arugula or watercress or mache... or just about any greens on a plate...

Add any other steamed or sauteed veggie you like (He sauteed some leftover string beans with shallots, added a few toasted slivered almonds)

You can also add some sliced tomatoes, olives, whatever...

Place chicken on top.

Don't need any dressing, but if you must, a nice balsamic vinaigrette would be tasty.