Chicken: Cheap, Quick and Tasty

Supermarket News recently reported, to no surprise, that the economy has impacted people's grocery habits, with 58 percent of the population eating out less and 47 percent preparing more meals at home from scratch. This means that budget must be a consideration when choosing healthy foods.

Chicken is one item that can hit both the price point and calorie count. As long as you steer clear of the pricier skinless breasts (unless on sale), you can usually find that whole chickens, cut-up fryers, or thighs are a good bargain. And while summer is almost upon us, meaning lots of barbecue, there are other ways of preparing this poultry that are tasty, low in fat and high in flavor.

Chicken has just 230 calories per cup, while packing in 43 grams of protein and only 5 grams of fat (white meat). On sale, you can find cut-up fryers, thighs or drumsticks for 99 cents/pound, which is about as cheap as you can get when it comes to meat protein. And chicken has the advantage of being able to be steamed, poached, stir-fried, roasted, broiled, grilled, or fried (not the healthiest option). It can be cooked on the stove, in the oven, on the barbecue, in the slow cooker. Its light flavor lends itself to strong herbs, seasonings, and sauces. Marinades take only 30 minutes to penetrate and flavor the meat. What more can you ask for?

Well, a good recipe never hurts. While simple roasted chicken can’t be beat, it’s nice to change it up once and awhile and add a different flavor profile. I have, over the years, clipped recipes which I then put into file folders. I also have over 100 cookbooks to choose from, all of which can be daunting when trying to find the right recipe. I have to come to favor cookbooks that focus on one item or cuisine, like Emily Luchetti’s A Passion for Desserts, The Taste of Thailand by Vatcharin Bhumichitr, and my new favorite, Quick from Scratch Chicken.

Quick From Scratch Chicken is from the editors at Food & Wine magazine. While some of the recipes in their magazine are a bit highbrow and time consuming, this cookbook is easy to use, has great drool-worthy photographs, and the recipes really are quick. The book offers a good variety of recipes, from soups and stews, to pasta and grains, roasted and grilled, sautés and stir-fries, salads and sandwiches. There are recipes suitable for company, hungry teens, that office potluck, as well as simple evening meals.  The majority have a prep time of under 10 minutes, while cook times vary up to an hour or so.

The Chicken Souvlaki was a nice treat on a recent hot day. Grilled on skewers and served with a cooling yogurt sauce and pita bread, it was ready in less than 20 minutes. There is also a great recipe for Grilled Chicken with Spicy Brazilian Tomato/Coconut Sauce, which has just the right amount of heat for my taste buds. I served it with a black bean and corn salad, tossed with some fresh salsa and cilantro. Easy, quick, low in fat, high in flavor. It’s a nice alternative to the standard barbecued chicken.

Grilled Chicken with Spicy Brazilian Tomato/Coconut Sauce
Prep Time: 6 minutes
Cook Time: 10-25 minutes
Serves 4

4 tablespoons oil
3 cloves garlic minced
1 chicken, quartered*
3/4 teaspoon salt
fresh ground black pepper
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ginger
2 jalapeno peppers, seeds and ribs removed, diced
1 1/4 cups canned crush tomatoes in thick puree
1 cup coconut milk
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Light your grill. In a shallow dish, combine 3 tablespoons of the oil with two-thirdss of the garlic. Coat the chicken with half of this oil and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and some fresh ground pepper. Grill over moderately high heat, basting with remaining oil, until just done.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat the remaining oil over moderately low heat.  Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent (about 5 minutes). Add remaining garlic, ginger and jalapenos and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, coconut milk, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened (about 5 minutes). Stir in the cilantro and serve over the grilled chicken.

*You can use a cut up fryer, thighs, or a combo of thighs and breasts.