Cook Without Book

Yield:  6 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup chicken mixture and 1/2 cup rice)                    Ingredients 1 pound   skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips 1/4 cup   orange juice 1 tablespoon   plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch, divided 1 teaspoon   vegetable oil 1/4 cup   chopped cashews 1  (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained 1 cup   chopped green bell pepper (about 1 large) 1/2 cup   chopped green onions (about 2) 1 tablespoon   minced fresh ginger 1 cup   fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth 2 tablespoons   low-sodium soy sauce 1  (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges in light syrup, drained 3 cups   hot cooked brown rice Preparation Combine chicken strips, orange juice, and 1 teaspoon cornstarch in a medium bowl; cover and chill 1 hour. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add cashews; cook, stirring constantly, 30...

Yield:  4 servings (serving size: 1 3/4 cups)                     Ingredients 1  (9-ounce) package frozen cooked chopped chicken breast, thawed 1  (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained 1 cup   chopped seeded cucumber (about 1 small) 1/2 cup   chopped green onions (about 4 small) 1/4 cup   chopped fresh mint or basil 1/2 cup   plain fat-free yogurt 2  garlic cloves, minced 1/4 teaspoon   salt 2 cups   prepackaged baby spinach leaves 1/3 cup   (1.3 ounces) feta cheese with cracked pepper, crumbled 4  lemon wedges Preparation Combine first 8 ingredients; toss gently. Gently fold in spinach leaves and feta cheese. Serve salad with lemon wedges.

Yield:  6 servings (serving size: 1 1/2  cups)                  Ingredients 3/4 pound   skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into pieces 1/2 teaspoon   black pepper Olive oil-flavored cooking spray 1 teaspoon   olive oil 10 ounce   turkey breakfast sausage 2 1/2 cups   chopped onion (about 2 large) 2 1/4 cups   chopped celery (about 6 stalks) 1 3/4 cups   sliced green onions (about 7) 1 cup   chopped green bell pepper (about 1 large) 2  garlic cloves, minced 2  chicken-flavored bouillon cubes 3 1/3 cups   hot water 3 tablespoons   fat-free Italian dressing 1 1/4 cups   uncooked long-grain rice Preparation Sprinkle chicken with black pepper. Coat a Dutch oven with cooking spray; add oil. Place over medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken; sauté 3 minutes. Remove chicken; set aside. Combine sausage and next 5 ingredients in pan....

Yield:  4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half)                Ingredients 4  (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 1/4 teaspoon   pepper 1 ounce   very thinly sliced lean cooked ham 1 tablespoon   plus 1 teaspoon reduced-fat garlic-flavored cream cheese 3 tablespoons   dry breadcrumbs 1 teaspoon   dried Italian seasoning 1 teaspoon   grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 cup   fat-free milk Cooking spray 1 tablespoon   plus 1 teaspoon reduced-calorie margarine, melted 2 teaspoons   lemon juice Dash of paprika Preparation Preheat oven to 350°. Place chicken between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; flatten to 1/4-inch thickness, using a rolling pin. Sprinkle with pepper. Place one-fourth of ham on each chicken breast half. Spread cream cheese evenly over ham. Roll up chicken, starting with short end and tucking ends under. Secure with wooden picks. ...

Prep Time:  5 minutes Cook Time:  12 minutes Yield:  4 servings (serving size: 2 cups greens, 3 ounces chicken, and 1/4 cup chutney)                     Ingredients 4  (4-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 2 teaspoons   blackened steak seasoning (such as Paul Prudhomme's) Cooking spray 1  (10-ounce) package romaine salad greens 1 cup   sliced salad cucumber (about 1 small) 1 cup   chopped yellow bell pepper (about 1 small) 1/3 cup   reduced-fat olive oil vinaigrette 1 cup   TOMATO CHUTNEY Preparation Sprinkle chicken with blackened steak seasoning. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat chicken with cooking spray; add to pan. Cook 6 minutes on each side or until done. Combine salad greens and next 3 ingredients; toss well. Spoon greens mixture onto each of 4 plates. Slice chicken diagonally into thin strips. Arrange chicken over s...

Yield:  2 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup rice, 1/2 of chicken mixture, 1/4 teaspoon sesame seeds)                  Ingredients 1 tablespoon   reduced-calorie margarine 2  (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into thin strips 3 cups   fresh broccoli florets 1 cup   cubed Red Delicious apple (about 1 medium) 3/4 cup   sliced mushrooms 1/4 cup   thinly sliced celery 1 tablespoon   water 1/4 teaspoon   salt 1/4 teaspoon   curry powder 1 1/2 cups   hot cooked long-grain rice 1/2 teaspoon   sesame seeds, toasted Preparation Melt margarine in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; stir-fry 3 minutes. Add broccoli and next 6 ingredients; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring often. To serve, spoon 3/4 cup rice onto each plate; top evenly with chicken mixture. Sprinkle with ...

Yield:  Makes 4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast, 1/4 cup cherry sauce)                 Ingredients Cooking spray 1 cup   chopped pitted sweet cherries 1/4 cup   dry red wine or water 1  garlic clove, minced 1/8 teaspoon   cumin 1/8 teaspoon   salt 1/8 teaspoon   black pepper 1/8 teaspoon   crushed red pepper 1 tablespoon   cherry preserves 4  (4-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves Preparation 1. Prepare the grill. Then lightly spray the grill rack with cooking spray. 2. Lightly crush cherries in a small saucepan. Add the wine or water and next 6 ingredients (through preserves). Bring the mixture to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. 3. Grill the chicken, covered, for 4 minutes on each side or until it is cooked through. Serve chicken topped with cherry sauce. Nutritional Information Calories per serving: 189 F...

Prep Time:  10 minutes Cook Time:  30 minutes Yield:  Makes 4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast and about 1 1/2 cups vegetables)                Ingredients 1 pound   sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into thin wedges 1  thinly sliced red onion 2 tablespoons   olive oil, divided 1 teaspoon   kosher salt, divided 1/2 teaspoon   pepper, divided 4  (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1  bunch spinach, thick stems removed (about 4 cups) 2 tablespoons   fresh lime juice Preparation 1. Preheat oven to 425°. 2. Toss together the sweet potatoes, onion, 1 tablespoon oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast 20–25 minutes or until tender. 3. Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and cook for 5–6 minutes per side o...

                         Prep Time:  10 minutes Cook Time:  19 minutes Yield:  Makes 4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast and 1/2 cup apple-spinach mixture) Ingredients 2 teaspoons   vegetable oil 4  (4-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 1/4 teaspoon   salt 1/4 teaspoon   black pepper 1  garlic clove, minced (about 1/2 teaspoon) 1 tablespoon   spicy brown mustard 1/2 cup   apple cider 1  medium Granny Smith apple, cored and sliced 6 cups   fresh baby spinach or chopped Swiss chard Preparation 1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper, and add to skillet. Cook 5-6 minutes on each side or until well browned. Remove to plate, and keep warm. 2. Add next 4 ingredients (through apple slices) to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer, stirring often, 5 minutes. R...

Stir-fried Chicken with Vegetables This Chinese-style dish is very popular in restaurants all over America. It is a combination of peppers, onions, and pineapples, with tender chunks of chicken in a sweet-and-sour tomato-based sauce. SERVES  6 2 tablespoons canola oil 1/2 cup finely chopped yellow or white onions 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger 2 teaspoons minced garlic 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds 1/2 cup tomato sauce 1 teaspoon garam masala 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, ground salt to taste 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1 cup green bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 1 medium-sized red onion, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 1 large tomato, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 1/2 cup chunks of canned pineapples 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup plain yogurt 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped Broccoli Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onions, ginger,  garlic, and cumin seeds. Stir ...

Ginger and Lemon Grilled Chicken 1 cup plain yogurt, whisked until smooth 1 tablespoon cumin powder 1 tablespoon garam masala Salt to taste 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon Madras curry powder Juice of 2 lemons 6 to 8 cloves garlic, minced One 2-inch fresh ginger root, finely chopped 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts In a large bowl mix the yogurt, cumin powder, garam masala, chili powder, curry powder, ginger, salt, lemon juice and garlic. Add the chicken and toss it with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for about 2 to 3 hours. Preheat grill pan or an indoor electric grill to high. Place chicken on hot grill and cook for 5 or 6 minutes on each side, until charred at edges and chicken meat is firm and cooked. Serve hot.

Butter Chicken is among the best known Indian foods all over the world. Its gravy can be made as hot or mild as you like so it suits most palates. Also commonly known as Murg Makhani, Butter Chicken tastes great with Kaali Daal (black lentils), Naans and a green salad. This is my recipe for Butter Chicken and it is the real deal! It has been tried and tested numerous times and is loved by everybody that has eaten it. Ingredients: ·          1 kg boneless chicken skin removed ·          Juice of 1 lime ·          Salt to taste ·          1 tsp red chilli powder (adjust to suit your taste) ·          6 cloves ·          8-10 peppercorns ·          1" stick of cinnamon ·    ...