Chicken for dinner

When it comes to meat, none is as versatile as chicken, and not many are quite as nutritious, either.

Chicken can be prepared a number of ways -- on the grill, in the oven, on the stove, in a casserole or in a salad, to name a few. In addition to its versatility, chicken is also a nutritious way to make dinner.

A 3-ounce portion of a baked, skinless chicken breast has only 120 calories, and 1.5 grams of fat. Ground beef, on the other hand, has 210 calories and 11 grams of fat for the same 3-ounce portion.

In terms of fat content, the breast meat is the best part of the chicken, but leg meat is very competitive with other types of meat and poultry. According to the American Diabetic Association, three ounces of baked chicken drumstick, with the skin removed, has less total fat than the same amount of sirloin steak, beef tenderloin, pork chops or even salmon.

When preparing chicken, make sure to take extra precautions to avoid salmonella contamination. Always refrigerate chicken when you get home, and never leave it out to thaw on the countertop. You should freeze chicken if you aren't going to eat it within two days.

While grilling chicken, don't use the same plate to put the grilled chicken on that had the raw chicken on it. Make sure to cook chicken until it is well done -- internal temperature should reach at least 160 degrees for boneless pieces.

Marinading chicken is a favorite way to prepare it. Make sure that marinade used with raw chicken isn't used on cooked chicken, however.

ALMOND YOGURT

CHICKEN BOMBAY

4 chicken leg-thigh combinations

1/2 cup lemon juice

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons coriander

2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Cilantro sprigs

Small red chili peppers

In a sealable plastic bag, mix together lemon juice, garlic, coriander, ginger, cumin, red pepper and salt. Remove 2 tablespoons of mixture and set aside. Place chicken in plastic bag, seal and shake to coat. Marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes. Remove chicken from marinade; drain.

Place chicken, skin side up, on rack in jelly roll pan. Add vegetable oil to reserved marinade and brush on chicken. Bake, brushing occasionally with reserved marinade, in 400-degre oven 40 minutes or until fork can be inserted in chicken with ease. To prepare almond yogurt sauce, mix together 1/3 cup plain yogurt, 2 tablespoons minced green onion, 2 tablespoons chopped toasted almonds, 1/2 teaspoon coriander and 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes. Refrigerate until served.

To serve, place chicken on serving platter and garnish with cilantro sprigs and red chili peppers. Serve almond yogurt sauce in separate bowl for spooning over chicken.

Makes 4 servings.

MIDDLE EASTERN KEBABS

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces

16 cherry tomatoes

8 6-inch skewers

Marinade

1 cup plain yogurt

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pita Bread

4 pieces pita bread

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

Salad

1 large tomato, chopped

1 medium cucumber (peeled if waxed), chopped

1/2 small red onion, diced

2 teaspoons fresh, chopped parsley

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Kalamata olives to garnish

Fresh mint sprigs to garnish

Whisk together the marinade ingredients in medium bowl. Add chicken pieces, mixing until well-coated with marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. While the chicken marinates, make the salad, prepare the pita bread for grilling and then prepare coals for the grill.

To make salad, toss all salad ingredients together in a medium bowl. Cover and set aside to let the flavors blend.

To prepare the pita, stir together the olive oil and garlic in a small bowl or cup. Brush the pita bread with mixture on both sides and set aside until you are ready to grill. Thread the chicken pieces and cherry tomatoes onto the skewers; two tomatoes per skewer and several pieces of chicken. Grill until it is well-charred and very firm to the touch, about 8 minutes over hot coals. Just before the chicken is done (or right afterwards if the grill is full), set the pita bread on the grill and toast both sides until lightly browned.

To serve, cut the pita bread into triangles and arrange on each of four plates. Spoon salad onto each plate and set the kebabs on top of the salad. Garnish with olives and fresh mint sprigs.

Serves 4.

Per serving -- calories: 500, fat calories: 160, total fat: 18 g, saturated fat: 3 g, protein: 36 g, carbohydrates: 47 g, cholesterol: 70 mg, sodium: 770 mg.

CHICKEN WITH ROASTED PEPPERS AND DILLED MARSALA CREAM

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

3 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground

pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons olive oil, divided

1 1/2 cups low sodium

chicken broth

1/2 package (1.8 oz.) leek

soup mix

1/3 cup Marsala wine

4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, sliced

1 jar (7 oz.) roasted red peppers, drained, cut into 1-inch strips

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided

4 ounces low-fat cream cheese, cubed

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice

3 tablespoons finely chopped dill

4 cups hot, cooked linguine

2 tablespoons lightly toasted

pine nuts

1 starfruit, sliced and seeded

Dill sprigs

Cut each chicken breast half almost in half horizontally, taking care not to separate.

Open each half, place between sheets of plastic wrap and gently flatten to uniform thickness. In shallow plate, mix together flour, pepper, garlic powder and salt; dredge chicken in mixture to coat evenly. In large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat, place 2 teaspoons of the olive oil. Place half of chicken in pan and cook about 3 minutes on each side to brown; remove from heat and keep warm. Repeat with remaining oil and chicken.

To frying pan, add chicken broth. Gently whisk in leek soup mix, blending completely. Add Marsala wine and mushrooms; cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in roasted peppers, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese and cream cheese. When sauce is smooth, remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and dill. On large serving platter, arrange linguine. Spoon about 2/3 of sauce over the pasta; top with chicken.

Drizzle remaining sauce over chicken, sprinkle with pine nuts and remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. Garnish with dill sprigs and starfruit.

Makes 4 servings.

GARLIC LIME CHICKEN

4 broiler-fryer chicken breast halves, skinned, boned

1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground

pepper

Mix together soy sauce, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic and mustard.

Place chicken in bowl and pour sauce over all. Cover and marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes. Remove chicken from marinade and sprinkle with pepper. Spray nonstick frying pan with butter-flavored cooking spray and heat over medium temperature.

Add chicken and cook about 6 minutes on each side or until fork can be inserted in chicken with ease

Serves 4.

RASPBERRY CHICKEN

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1/2 teaspoon crushed anise seed

1/2 cup prepared fat-free raspberry vinaigrette

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup soy sauce

4 garlic cloves, minced

2/3 cup fresh raspberries

1 tablespoon minced gingerroot

8 ounces pea pods, cooked

In large frying pan, place chicken breast halves. In small bowl, mix together raspberry vinaigrette, garlic, gingerroot, anise seed, water and soy sauce. Pour over chicken in frying pan and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 25 minutes or until fork can be inserted in chicken with ease. Remove chicken from frying pan and place on broiler pan rack sprayed with vegetable spray. Set temperature control at Broil.

Arrange oven rack so chicken is about 4 inches from heat. Broil about 3 minutes on each side. Remove chicken to heated platter, cover and set aside. Bring sauce in frying pan to a boil and cook about 15 minutes or until thickened and reduced by about one-half. To serve, pour a portion of sauce on each of 4 individual plates.

Thinly slice each chicken breast half across the grain and fan out slices on one side of plate. Garnish with raspberries.

Fan out a portion of pea pods on other side of each plate.

Makes 4 servings.