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  Diet Exchanges: 3 very lean meats, 1 fat, or 0 carbohydrate choices

  Good-as-It-Gets Grilled Chicken with Mango Salsa

  This recipe, like the recipes for Perfect Piecrust (page 192) and Marvelous Minted Snap Peas (page 162), was given to me by the talented recipe developer and cookbook author David Joachim. Grilled chicken with mango salsa makes a dramatic entrée at summer barbecues where everybody cooks hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill. At your next cookout, why not dazzle your guests with David’s dish? And don’t be mad at me when they start begging you for the recipe.

  Makes 4 servings

  ¼ cup orange juice, divided

  3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided

  2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  5 tablespoons finely chopped red onion, divided

  ¾ teaspoon salt, divided

  ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

  Four 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

  1 mango, pitted, peeled, and finely chopped

  ⅛ teaspoon hot pepper sauce

  1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro or basil

  In a medium bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons of the orange juice, 2 tablespoons of the lime juice, the oil, 2 tablespoons of the onions, ½ teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper. Add the chicken, turning to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 4 hours.

  In another medium bowl, combine the mango, 2 tablespoons reserved orange juice, 1 tablespoon reserved lime juice, 3 tablespoons reserved onion, ¼ teaspoon reserved salt, and the hot pepper sauce. Stir in the cilantro or basil.

  Coat a grill rack with fat-free cooking spray. Preheat the grill to medium. Grill the chicken 4 inches from the heat, basting occasionally with the marinade and turning once, until an instant-read thermometer registers 160°F in the thickest part and the juices run clear, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Serve with the salsa.

  Patti’s Pointers: To easily pit and peel a mango, stand it upright on a cutting board and slice off each flat side, curving the knife around the inner pit to remove as much flesh as possible. Lay the center pitted piece flat on the board and cut the flesh from the pit. Slice off the peel. Double up a kitchen towel in your hand and place one mango half in it. Score the flesh all the way down to the peel in a cross-hatch pattern (be careful not to cut all the way through the peel). Push up the peel side in the center to expose the cubes of flesh. Cut the flesh away from the peel. Repeat with the other mango half.

  Per Serving: 210 calories, 33 g protein, 13 g carbohydrate, 3 g fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 80 mg cholesterol, 1 g dietary fiber, 240 mg sodium

  Diet Exchanges: 4 very lean meats, 1 fruit, or 1 carbohydrate choice

  Tender-as-a-Love-Song Turkey Tenderloins with Rice and Country Gravy

  Turkey breast tenderloins make this dish better than good. They make it mad good, as the teenagers say. Because they come from the tenderest section of the turkey breast, they’re so moist they almost melt in your mouth, Hungry yet?

  Makes 6 servings

  1½ pounds turkey tenderloins, cut into 1-inch pieces

  1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

  4 teaspoons margarine, divided

  1 onion, chopped

  2 celery stalks, chopped

  1 clove garlic, minced

  One 6.9-ounce box reduced-sodium rice mix, such as Rice-A-Roni

  One 10¾-ounce can reduced-fat condensed cream of mushroom soup

  ½ cup fat-free half-and-half

  1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried

  ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

  Season the turkey with the poultry seasoning.

  Melt 2 teaspoons of the margarine in a large deep skillet. Add the onion, celery, garlic, and turkey. Cook until the vegetables are tender and the turkey is just slightly pink in the center, about 10 minutes.

  Remove the turkey mixture to a plate and cover to keep warm. In the same pan, prepare the rice according to the package directions, using the remaining 2 teaspoons margarine. Spoon the turkey mixture over the rice.

  In a medium bowl, whisk together the soup, half-and-half, thyme, and pepper. Pour over the turkey. Cover and cook over low heat until heated through, about 10 minutes.

  Patti’s Pointers: If you can’t find turkey tenderloins, turkey breast cutlets or turkey breast chops will work, too.

  Per Serving: 290 calories, 28 g protein, 31 g carbohydrate, 5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 65 mg cholesterol, 1 g dietary fiber, 900 mg sodium

  Diet Exchanges: 3 very lean meats, 1 fat, 1 starch, or 1 carbohydrate choice

  Tastes-Just-Like-Mom-Used-to-Make-It Chicken Pot Pie

  Makes 8 servings

  1 pound skinless chicken tenders

  1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

  ½ teaspoon salt

  ¼ teaspoon black pepper

  2 teaspoons margarine

  1 onion, chopped

  3 celery ribs, chopped

  1 large green pepper, chopped

  1 cup baby carrots, slivered

  1 cup frozen green beans

  One 12-ounce jar homestyle chicken gravy, such as Heinz

  ½ cup fat-free sour cream

  2 tablespoons flour

  Two 9-inch frozen piecrusts or unbaked Perfect Piecrusts (page 192)

  Preheat the oven to 425°F.

  Season the chicken tenders with the poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper.

  Melt 1 teaspoon of the margarine in a large deep skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook just until slightly pink in the center, about 5 minutes. Remove to a cutting board. When cool, chop into bite-size pieces.

  Meanwhile, melt the remaining 1 teaspoon margarine in the same skillet or saucepan. Add the onion, celery, green pepper, and carrots. Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the frozen green beans and chopped chicken.

  In a medium bowl, mix together the gravy, sour cream, and flour.

  Stir into the chicken mixture in the skillet or saucepan.

  Scrape the filling into the prepared piecrust. Carefully fit the top crust over the filling. Cut 3 to 5 slits in the top crust for ventilation.

  Bake until the filling is bubbly and the crust is golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

  Patti’s Pointers: Look for bottled gravies near the other bottled sauces in your supermarket. Heinz makes a line of flavored chicken gravies, such as roasted garlic, which add even more zip to this recipe.

  Per Serving: 320 calories, 14 g protein, 29 g carbohydrate, 16 g fat, 4.5 g saturated fat, 25 mg cholesterol, 2 g dietary fiber, 640 mg sodium

  Diet Exchanges: 1 very lean meat, 1 starch, ½ vegetable, 3 fats, or 2 carbohydrate choices

  Wicked Wild Rice and Chicken Casserole

  Makes 6 servings

  1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

  2 teaspoons poultry seasoning

  1 teaspoon ground black pepper

  ½ teaspoon salt

  ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

  8 ounces sliced mushrooms

  One 6-ounce box quick-cooking long grain and wild rice mix,

  such as Uncle Ben’s

  ⅓ cup light Caesar dressing (not creamy)

  One 16-ounce container reduced-fat sour cream, divided

  1 teaspoon dried thyme

  Preheat the oven to 325°F.

  Season the chicken with the poultry seasoning, black pepper, salt, and red pepper flakes. Coat a large, deep, ovenproof sauté pan with fat-free cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until no longer pink in the center, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Remove to a cutting board. When cool, chop into bite-size pieces.

  Meanwhile, in the same pan, cook the mushrooms until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Remove to a bowl.

  In the same pan, cook the rice according to the package directions, leaving out the butter. Stir in the mushrooms, Caesar dressing, 12 ounces (about 1½ cups) of the sour cream, the thyme, and the chopped chicken.
/>   Bake, uncovered, until heated through, about 15 minutes. Serve with dollops of the remaining 4 ounces sour cream on each serving.

  Patti’s Pointers: If you don’t have a large ovenproof saute pan, cook the chicken in a wide saucepan (in batches if necessary), then use the same pan to cook the rice. When all of the ingredients have been added, transfer the mixture to a 2½-quart casserole and bake as directed.

  Per Serving: 350 calories, 35 g protein, 31 g carbohydrate, 8 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 90 mg cholesterol, 1 g dietary fiber, 930 mg sodium

  Diet Exchanges: 3 very lean meats, 2 starches, 1 fat, or 2 carbohydrate choices

  Chicken with Black-Eyed Peas and Yellow Rice

  When you’ve got a soul food craving, this is the recipe to satisfy it.

  Makes 6 servings

  1 tablespoon olive oil

  1 red onion, chopped

  2 garlic cloves, minced

  1½ pounds skinless chicken tenders

  One 14.5-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth

  ½ teaspoon poultry seasoning

  ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

  ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

  ¼ teaspoon salt

  ¾ cup uncooked yellow rice (see Patti’s Pointers)

  One 15-ounce can black-eyed peas, drained

  1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

  Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and chicken and cook until the chicken is browned on both sides, about 4 minutes more.

  Stir in the broth, poultry seasoning, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and salt. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat.

  Stir in the rice. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the rice is almost tender, about 10 minutes.

  Stir in the black-eyed peas and thyme. Cover and cook until heated through, about 10 minutes.

  Patti’s Pointers: You can find yellow rice (made with saffron) near the rice mixes in your grocery store. Look for a brand, such as Carolina, that combines the seasonings and the rice to make it easier to measure out the ¾ cup needed forthis recipe. If the brand you buy comes with a separate seasoning packet, such as Goya, mix the seasonings with the rice in a separate bowl and measure out ¾ cup.

  Per Serving: 300 calories, 32 g protein, 30 g carbohydrate, 5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 65 mg cholesterol, 3 g dietary fiber, 610 mg sodium

  Diet Exchanges: 3 very lean meats, 2 starches, 1 fat, or 2 carbohydrate choices

  Chicken Florentine Supreme

  Here’s a great light version of a classic dish.

  Makes 6 servings

  One 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach

  Four 4-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts

  1 teaspoon salt

  1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

  1 tablespoon margarine

  2 tablespoons cornstarch

  1½ cups fat-free half-and-half

  ½ cup shredded reduced-fat Swiss cheese

  ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

  ⅛ teaspoon grated nutmeg

  ¼ teaspoon paprika

  Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with fat-free cooking spray.

  Cook the spinach according to the package directions, leaving out any salt. Drain well.

  Sprinkle the chicken all over with ¾ teaspoon of the salt and the poultry seasoning. Place the chicken breasts in the prepared pan. Arrange the spinach over and around the chicken.

  Melt the margarine in a medium saucepan over medium heat. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and half-and-half, then whisk the mixture into the margarine. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and thickens.

  Remove from the heat and stir in the Swiss cheese, black pepper, nutmeg, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt until the cheese is melted.

  Spoon the sauce evenly over the chicken and sprinkle with the paprika. Bake until an instant-read thermometer registers 160°F in a breast and the juices run clear, 25 to 30 minutes.

  Patti’s Pointers: Jarlsberg Lite makes a wonderful substitute for Swiss cheese. Look for it in blocks in the refrigerated cheese case of the dairy section of your grocery store.

  Per Serving: 150 calories, 19 g protein, 6 g carbohydrate, 5 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 40 mg cholesterol, 1 g dietary fiber, 540 sodium

  Diet Exchanges: 2 lean meats, 1 vegetable, or ½ carbohydrate choice

  Chicken Drumsticks with Horseradish Sauce

  Makes 6 servings

  CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS

  6 skinless chicken drumsticks

  1½ teaspoons poultry seasoning

  ¾ teaspoon seasoning salt, such as Lawry’s

  ½ teaspoon onion powder

  ½ cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

  HORSERADISH SAUCE

  ½ cup reduced-fat sour cream

  2 tablespoons fat-free half-and-half

  2 to 3 tablespoons prepared horseradish

  ¼ teaspoon salt

  ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

  To make the chicken drumsticks: Sprinkle the chicken evenly with the poultry seasoning, seasoning salt, and onion powder.

  Coat a large skillet with fat-free cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add the chicken. Cook, turning often, until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Drain any excess fat.

  Pour the chicken broth into the skillet and heat until boiling. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until an instant-read thermometer registers 170°F in the thickest part of a drumstick (be careful not to touch bone when testing), 25 to 35 minutes.

  To make the horseradish sauce: In a medium bowl, mix together the sour cream, half-and-half, 2 tablespoons of the horseradish, the salt, and the pepper. Taste and add more horseradish if desired. Serve with the drumsticks.

  Patti’s Pointers: If you only find skin-on drumsticks at the store, it’s easy enough to skin them at home. Peel back the skin from the thick end, pulling the skin down firmly off the skinny end as if removing a sock.

  Per Serving: 110 calories, 14 g protein, 3 g carbohydrate, 4.5 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 50 mg cholesterol, 0 g dietary fiber, 340 mg sodium

  Diet Exchanges: 2 lean meats, 1 fat, or 0 carbohydrate choices

  Chicken Parmesan

  Makes 4 servings

  1 tablespoon olive oil

  1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

  1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

  1 teaspoon garlic powder

  ½ teaspoon salt

  3 tablespoons Italian-seasoned dry bread crumbs

  2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

  Four 5-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts

  1½ cups no-sugar-added tomato-basil pasta sauce, warmed

  1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

  Preheat the oven to 425°F. Coat a 3-quart baking dish with fat-free cooking spray.

  In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, poultry seasoning, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and salt. Brush the mixture evenly over the chicken.

  In a shallow bowl, mix together the bread crumbs and Parmesan.

  Roll the chicken breasts in the bread-crumb mixture. Place in the prepared pan and coat the top of the chicken with fat-free cooking spray.

  Bake until an instant-read thermometer registers 160°F in a breast and the juices run clear, 25 to 30 minutes.

  Serve with the sauce and top with the basil.

  Option: This dish is a natural on a bed of linguine. Figure on 5 cups total cooked. A sprinkling of Parmesan is the final touch!

  Per Serving: 290 calories, 32 g protein, 11 g carbohydrate, 12 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 90 mg cholesterol, 1 g dietary fiber, 580 mg sodium

  Diet Exchanges: 4 very lean meats, 1 fat, or 1 carbohydrate choice

  Heavenly Herb-baked Chicken and Mushroom Casserole

  My adopted aunt Naomi is the inspiration for this recipe. She could make a mean casserole. But what used to trip me out is that she could make it with anything in the house—anything. Aunt Naomi didn
’t believe in wasting food. “Child, that cost good money,” she would say if she caught me throwing out so much as an onion skin. As long as it hadn’t spoiled, Aunt Naomi didn’t throw out food. She did, however, put all kinds of it into her casseroles. She would reach in the refrigerator and pull out some bits of this and some pieces of that, reach in the cabinet and beat in some of this and blend in some of that. Then she’d season it, sample it, and stir it all together. “I’m not eating any of that,” I would tell her after I’d watched her make it. “I don’t even think you know what’s in it.” Do you know how many times I had to eat my words so that Aunt Naomi would let me eat her casseroles? Every single time. She died not long ago but she’ll live in my heart forever.

  My adopted Aunt Naomi. I called her famous casseroles “refrigerator casseroles” because that’s what she made them with—everything in the refrigerator.

  Makes 6 servings