Chicken Curry

From Everyday Foods, Great Food Fast

Ingredients:
2 tbs all purpose flour
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 tbs plus 2 tbs olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp medium to hot curry powder
Coarse salt
3/4 lbs small red potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes (preferably zesty flavored), with juice

Place the flour on a plate. Dredge the chicken in the flour, shaking off excess. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the 1 tbs oil over medium heat. Add the chicken, and cook until golden brown, about 3 mins per side. Transfer the chicken to a bowl; set aside.

Heat the remaining 2 tsp oil in the same skillet; cook the onion and garlic, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened, about 5 mins. Stir in the curry powder and 3/4 tsp salt; cook for 1 minute more.

Add the potatoes and 1 cup water; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer; cover and cook until potatoes are just tender but still offer slight resistance when pierced with the tip of a paring knife, about 7 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and 1/4 cup water.

Return the chicken to the skillet along with any accumulated juices in the bowl; simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve hot, with desire accompaniments on the side.

Best served with rice, plain yogurt, toasted almonds, or store-bought mango chutney.

Per serving: 354 calories; 8.1 grams fat; 42.6 grams protein; 25.1 grams carbs; .0 grams fiber.

Mediterranean Chicken Stew with Polenta

From Everyday Food, Great Cooking Fast

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves, cut into 3/4 inch chunks
Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
3 tsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (15.5 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 plum tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/2 inch pieces (approximately 2 cups)
2 tbs chopped pitted kalamata olives (about 5 olives)
1 tsp white-wine vinegar
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Polenta for serving (see alternate recipe below)

Note: you can substitute shrimp for the chicken in this recipe. Replace the chicken with 1 1/2 lbs peeled and deveined shrimp, and replace the chickpeas with cannellini beans.

Season the chicken with 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. In a large, nonstick skillet, heat 2 tsp of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, and cook, turning occasionally, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Reduce the heat to medium-low; add the remaining teaspoon oil to the skillet. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the chickpeas and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil; cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 2 minutes.

Add the tomatoes; cook over medium heat until starting to break down, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the olives, vinegar, and chicken along with any accumulated juices to the pan; toss until warmed through, about 1 minute. Stir in the parsley. Serve over the polenta.

Soft Polenta:
Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
3/4 c yellow cornmeal
1/4 c freshly grated cheese (Parmesan, Asiago, or sharp Cheddar)
1 tbs butter

In a large saucepan, bring 4 cups water, 1 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper to a boil over high heat. Whisking constantly, very gradually add the cornmeal in a thin stream, whisking until smooth before adding more.

Reduce the heat to medium-low; simmer, whisking often, until thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in the cheese and butter until smooth. Serve immediately.

Per serving (with polenta): 464 calories; 12.6 grams fat; 47.4 grams protein; 38.4 grams carbs; 5.5 grams fiber.

Butternut Squash with Sage

From Everday Food, Great Food Fast

Ingredients:
2 tbs butter
2 lbs butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 3/4 inch pieces
Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp dried sage

Melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the squash; season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing frequently, until the squash is lightly browned. 5 to 6 minutes.

Add 1/4 cup water and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover, and cook until the squash is fork-tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

Toss with the sage. Serve.

Per serving: 137 calories; 6 grams fat; 2 grams protein; 22.5 grams carbs; 3.5 grams fiber.

Braised Chicken with Mushrooms and Oven-Baked Polenta

From Everyday Food, Great Food Fast

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each)
Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
2 tbs olive oil
1 lb white mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced 1/2 inch thick
4 garlic cloves, halved
1/2 c dry white wine (optional)
1 3/4 c reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tbs chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
Oven-Baked Polenta (see below)

Sprinkle the chicken breasts with 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper. Heat 1 tbs of the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken; cook until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side (make sure the oil is hot before you add the chicken- you want to sear it and keep the juices in. Make sure it is browned (and not just whitened) before you flip it). Transfer to a plate, and tent with foil to keep warm.

Add the remaining tbs oil to the hot skillet. Add the mushrooms, garlic, and 1/4 tsp salt. Cover; cook over medium heat until the mushrooms release their juices, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the lid, cook over high heat, tossing occasionally until the mushrooms are golden. 4 to 5 minutes.

Pour the wine, if using, into the skillet; cook, stirring, until evaporated, 1 minute. Add the stock and parsley; cook over medium-high heat until the mushrooms are tender and the liquid has reduced, 8 to 10 minutes.

Return the chicken to the skillet. Cover; simmer over low heat until the chicken is cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve the cutlets and polenta topped with the mushrooms and a drizzle of cooking liquid. Garnish with additional fresh parsley.

Oven-Baked Polenta:
3/4 c cornmeal
Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
1/4 c milk
2 tbs butter
1/4 tsp dried marjoram

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a lidded baking dish, whisk together 3 cups of water, the cornmeal, 1 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper. Cover, and bake for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through.

Remove from the oven, and add the milk, butter, and marjoram, and whisk briskly until smooth. Serve immediately.

Per serving: 294 calories; 10 grams fat; 43 grams protein; 7 grams carbs; 1.6 grams fiber.

Polenta with Meat Sauce

From Food and Wine Magazine's Quick from Scratch Italian Cookbook:

Ingredients:
4 tbs Olive Oil
1 1/2 lbs mild italian sausage, casings removed
2 carrots, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 c dry white wine
1 1/2 c canned crushed tomatoes in thick puree (from one 15 oz can)
3/4 c canned low-sodium chicken broth
6 tbs chopped fresh parsley
1 bay leaf
1 3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh-ground black pepper
3 tbs light cream
4 1/2 c water
1 1/3 c coarse or medium cornmeal
3 tbs grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

Instructions:
In a large deep frying pan, heat 1 tbs of teh oil over moderately high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up the meat with a fork until no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Tilt the pan and spoon off all but 2 tbs fat. Reduce the heat to moderate. Add the carrots, onion, garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the wine and let simmer 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, broth, 4 tbs of the parsley, the bay leaf, and 1/2 tsp of the salt. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Uncover, add the pepper, and simmer 5 minutes longer. Remove the bay leaf. Stir in the cream and the remaining 2 tbs parsley.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring the water and the remaining 1 1/4 tsp salt to a boil. Add the cornmeal in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Whisk in the remaining 3 tablespoons oil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until Polenta is thick, about 20 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan.

Serve the Polenta topped with the meat sauce.

Why I am doing this

When your sister is trying to eat healthy, and lives far away, the internet is the go-to tool to teach her. Hopefully, the days of "Maris, do I need to peel ginger?" will be far behind us...