Ginger Soy Chicken Breasts with Scallion Rice

I needed a healthy meal.  I was looking for a lean protein, a good-for-you carb, and some green veggies.  So where did I turn???  My stash of Cooking Light recipes.  Cooking Light never seems to disappoint!  Even if the recipe isn’t perfect at first, it can be slightly modified to make it great.  Today, I made Ginger Soy Chicken Breasts.

The original recipe calls for chicken thighs but we normally stick to white meat so I chose to use skinless, boneless chicken breasts.  The original recipe also called for bland chicken (in my opinion).  There were no seasonings, which is a serious NO NO!  I chose to add a salt mix, pepper and a little heat with crushed red pepper.  The spice of the ginger and sweetness of the preserves goes great with the heat from the pepper.

Ginger Soy Chicken Breasts

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1 tsp salt mix

1 tsp ground black pepper

½ tsp crushed red pepper (adjust to taste)

2 tbsp olive oil

½ c apricot preserves

2 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger

2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

2 garlic cloves, minced

Pound chicken to an even thickness.  Season chicken with salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper.  Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add oil to pan; swirl to coat.  Add chicken; cook 5-7 mins on each side or until meat thermometer reads 165F.  Remove from pan; keep warm.

Technique: If the chicken is still thick after pounding, it may be best to sear quickly on the stovetop and finish in the oven to avoid the exterior from getting tough.

Add preserves, ginger, soy sauce, and garlic to pan; bring to a boil. Cook sauce 2 mins or until reduced to 1/3 c, stirring occasionally.  Return chicken to pan; turn to coat with sauce.

Scallion rice:

Cook 2c brown rice as directed on package instructions (or using rice cooker).  Add salt, pepper, and margarine to taste.  Mix in ¼ c thinly sliced scallions.  This also works with white rice.

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