Chicken dish features spicy Caribbean flavors
Caribbean food used to be something exotic sampled only during an island vacation. Now there's a ''Nuevo Latino'' trend and the spicy flavors of the Caribbean are finding favor all around this country. More and more, ingredients such as tropical fruits and different kinds of peppers are readily available for home cooks to re-create island dishes.
Caribbean food is a varied blend of culinary influences from Africa, Europe and India. Staples include healthful items such as seafood, mangoes, squash and rice. Sweet-spicy flavors often combine peppers, spices such as nutmeg and allspice, and fruit.
The following recipe for Caribbean Honey-Spiced Chicken With Mango calls for low-fat chicken breasts baked in a honey-jalapeno sauce and topped with chopped, fresh mango. Accompany the main dish with plain rice; or, if a few more grams of fat are allowable, try a spirited side dish of Calypso Rice -- which can also serve on its own as a light entree.
Caribbean Honey-Spiced
Chicken With Mango
Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon peel
1 ripe mango, peeled and diced
1 small onion, peeled and quartered
2 fresh jalapeno peppers, halved and seeded
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Preheat oven to 375 F. Spread oil in 13- by 9-inch baking pan.
In a small bowl, combine honey, lemon juice and lemon peel; whisk until well blended. Remove 1/4 cup of mixture to food processor container; set aside. Add mango to honey-lemon mixture remaining in bowl; toss to coat. Store in refrigerator.
Add onion, jalapenos, paprika, oil, garlic salt, cinnamon, pepper and allspice to honey-lemon mixture in food processor container. Process until very finely chopped, scraping down sides when necessary. Spread mixture evenly over both sides of chicken breasts. Arrange chicken breasts in prepared pan.
Bake at 375 F for 25 to 30 minutes or until cooked through. Remove chicken to serving platter and top with reserved mango. Serve with plain rice or Calypso Rice.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition information per chicken serving: 317 cal., 9 g fat, 73 mg chol., 781 mg sodium, 33 g carbo., 2 g dietary fiber, 28 g pro.
Calypso Rice
Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup long grain white rice
2 tablespoons honey
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
14 1/2-ounce can ready-to-serve chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
2 cups finely chopped mustard greens
1 cup chopped yellow summer squash
1/2 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
In a large saucepan with tightly fitting lid, heat oil over medium heat. Add rice; cook and stir 3 minutes or until rice begins to brown. Add honey, garlic, salt and thyme; cook and stir 1 minute. Add broth, Tabasco, greens, squash and tomatoes. Bring to a boil; cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with fork before serving.
Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition information per serving: 267 cal., 5 g fat, 0 mg chol., 927 mg sodium, 50 g carbo., 2 g dietary fiber, 7 g pro.
Recipes from National Honey Board.