Freshly made ratatouille, a tasty blend of Provençal vegetables and crispy, sautéed chicken make a quick, colorful dinner.
Coating the chicken with coarse cornmeal gives it a flavorful crust without having to deep-fry it. Cornmeal can be found in three textures (coarse, medium or fine) and three colors (white, yellow or blue), depending on the type of corn used.
HELPFUL HINTS
› Any type of cornmeal can be used.
› Slice the eggplant and zucchini in a food processor fitted with a slicing blade and then cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces.
SHOPPING LIST
› To buy: 3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, 1 container coarse cornmeal, 1 bottle ground sage, 1 bottle cayenne pepper, 1/2 pound eggplant, 1/2 pound zucchini, 1/4 pound sliced button mushrooms, 1 container low-sodium, no-sugar-added canned tomato sauce, 1 bunch fresh oregano or 1 bottle dried oregano, 1 loaf whole-meal, multigrain country bread.
› Staples: olive oil, onion, garlic, egg, salt, black peppercorns.
Crispy Chicken
1/4 cup coarse cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 egg white
3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
Season cornmeal with ground sage, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper, and set aside in a shallow dish. Lightly beat the egg white in a small bowl. Remove visible fat from the chicken thighs, and open them flat. Dip chicken into egg whites and then the cornmeal mixture, making sure both sides are well-coated. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, and sauté 5 minutes. Turn and sauté 4 minutes. A meat thermometer inserted into chicken should read 175 degrees. Serve with the ratatouille.
Yield 2 servings.
Ratatouille (Sautéed Provencal Vegetables)
1/2 pound eggplant, washed, unpeeled and cut into 1- to 2-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
1/2 pound zucchini, washed and cut into 1 to 2-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
1/4 pound sliced button mushrooms (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup sliced onion
2 medium cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2 cups low-sodium, no-sugar-added canned tomato sauce (see note)
2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves OR 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 slices whole-meal, multigrain country bread
Add eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, onion, garlic and tomato sauce to a large saucepan. Stir to coat vegetables with the sauce. Place over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes or until the sauce starts to bubble slightly. Lower heat to medium and cover. Simmer 15 minutes. Vegetables should be cooked through but a little firm. Add oregano, olive oil, salt and pepper. Serve bread with meal.
Yield 2 servings.
Note: Look for low- sodium tomato sauce containing per cup (8 ounces): 103 calories, 0.5 gram fat, 21.3 grams carbohydrate, 21 milligrams sodium.
Per serving: 548 calories, 19.4 grams fat (3.8 grams saturated fat, 7.2 grams monounsaturated fat), 587 milligrams sodium, 138 milligrams cholesterol. 50.7 grams carbohydrate, 11.8 grams fiber, 20.1 grams sugars, 46.9 grams protein, 2,011 milligrams potassium, 528 milligrams phosphorus.
Choices/Exchanges: 1 starch, 7 nonstarchy vegetables, 4 lean proteins, 2 1/2 fats.
From "Mix 'n' Match Meals in Minutes for People with Diabetes" by Linda Gassenheimer, published by the American Diabetes Association. Reprinted with permission from the American Diabetes Association. Gassenheimer's latest book is "Simply Smoothies: Fresh & Fast Diabetes-Friendly Snacks & Complete Meals," published by the American Diabetes Association. To order either, book call 1-800-232-6733 or visit shopdiabetes.org.