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LIGHT & LOCAL |
| • | Slow, smokin' barbecue |
Have you ever have been given a few hours to whip up something for company?
Somehow spaghetti or fried chicken sound so ordinary, especially when it's for family or good friends.
This happened to me recently. My boyfriend's daughter and son-in-law have been visiting and we had been going out to eat quite often. I thought it would be nice to cook something for his family.
With the high price of gas and everything else going up, many of us are changing our eating out habits. Even if you just order a salad, it will cost you at least $7 to $8 for just one person.
As I was preparing dinner, I could hear the voice of my mom saying that a home-cooked meal was the best. I think she just said that because she wanted to keep the family together and save money.
And mother does know best: I made a nice dinner for four, for a little more than $30.
The meal consisted of chicken in a Marsala wine sauce, steamed green beans (for those on a low-carb diet) and a tossed salad. It was simple but a nice combination of flavors and textures. You could also serve this over whole-wheat pasta and sprinkle it with Parmesan cheese.
Best of all, it didn't break the bank — and it sure was nice not to have to get dressed up and drive somewhere to get something healthy and delicious.
CHICKEN WITH MARSALA WINE SAUCE
In a nonstick skillet, water- saute the onion and garlic until translucent. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, mix the flour, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning together. Using a meat mallet, pound the chicken breasts gently. Place the pounded chicken into the flour mixture. Spray a nonstick skillet with olive oil spray and brown the chicken on both sides. Set microwave oven to 10 percent power. Place the browned chicken on a microwave-safe dish and place in a microwave oven and cook for 5 minutes. In the same skillet the chicken was browned in, add wine, chicken stock and lemon juice. Place the chicken in the sauce along with the sauteed onion and garlic and simmer for 20 minutes.
Serves 4.
Want a local recipe lightened up? Write Light & Local, Taste Section, The Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802; or taste@honoluluadvertiser.com. Carol Devenot is a Kaimuki-raised kama'aina, teacher and recipe consultant, and author of "Island Light Cuisine" (Blue Sea Publishing, paper, 2003). Learn more at www.islandlightcuisine.com.
