Chicken Creole on the Run Serves 4; 1 cup per serving Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 25 to 26 minutes Standing time: 15 minutes (optional) Enjoy this soup-stew as is or, for a one-dish meal, ladle it over brown rice. Pass the hot-pepper sauce, please! 1 teaspoon olive oil and 2 teaspoons olive oil (extra-virgin preferred), divided use 12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts, all visible fat discarded, cut into bite-size pieces 1 14.5-ounce can no-salt-added stewed tomatoes, undrained 1 cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth 1 cup diced green bell pepper 1 cup frozen cut okra, thawed 2 medium dried bay leaves 1 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (lowest sodium available) 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled 1/4 teaspoon Louisiana hot-pepper sauce or red hot-pepper sauce 1/4 cup snipped fresh parsley 1/2 teaspoon salt In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat, swirling to coat the bottom. Cook the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes, or until barely pink in the center, stirring frequently. Transfer to a plate. In the same skillet, stir together the tomatoes with liquid, broth, bell pepper, okra, bay leaves, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and hot-pepper sauce. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes, or until the okra is tender and the mixture has thickened slightly, breaking up any large pieces of tomato near the end of cooking. Remove from the heat. Discard the bay leaves. Stir in the parsley, salt, remaining 2 teaspoons oil, and chicken with any accumulated juices. If time allows, cover and let stand for about 15 minutes so the flavors blend more thoroughly. Per serving calories 176 total fat 4.5 g saturated 1.0 g trans 0.0 g polyunsaturated 0.5 g monounsaturated 2.5 g cholesterol 49 mg carbohydrates 11 g fiber 3 g sugars 7 g protein 22 g dietary exchanges 2 vegetable 2 ½ lean meat Excerpted from American Heart Association Quick and Easy Meals: More Than 200 Healthy Recipes Plus Time-Saving Tips for Shopping, Planning, and Eating Well All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
