4 boned, skinned chicken breast halves, 5 to 6 ounces each
Salt and pepper
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons olive oil
Rinse chicken and pat dry. Sprinkle both sides lightly with salt and pepper. Place halves between sheets of plastic wrap, and gently pound to an even 1/4 inch thick. Peel off wrap.
Put flour in a shallow dish. Turn each piece of chicken in flour to coat lightly and shake off excess.
Set a 10- to 12-inch nonstick pan over medium-high heat; add 2 teaspoons olive oil. Lay 2 pieces of chicken in pan and cook, turning once, until center is longer pink, about 4 to 6 minutes. Remove to oven-proof platter or baking dish, cover with foil and place in a 200-degree oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining chicken in the remaining 2 teaspoons oil.
All of these sauces are made in the skillet used to saute the chicken.
Sauce 1: Salsa
1 shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups jarred salsa of choice
1 cup low-fat, low-sodium chicken stock
1 tablespoon shredded fresh basil leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
Add shallot and garlic to hot skillet. Stir to loosen brown bits on bottom of pan for about 30 seconds. Add salsa, stir in stock and simmer for 8 minutes. Stir basil into sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Transfer chicken to warm serving plates. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve at once. (Makes 3 cups of sauce).
Sauce 2: Lemon-Cilantro
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, smashed
2/3 cup low-sodium low-fat chicken stock
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon hot chili flakes or to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper
Lemon wedges, for garnish
Add olive oil and garlic to hot skillet and stir over high heat until garlic is limp, about 1 minute. Add chicken broth, lemon peel, lemon juice and chili flakes to pan. Boil, stirring occasionally, until juices are slightly reduced, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Stir in cilantro, salt and pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over warm chicken; garnish with lemon wedges. (Makes 2/3 cup of sauce; you might want to double it if also making rice.)
Sauce 3: Orange-Olive
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/3 cup slivered almonds or pine nuts
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1/2 cup low-sodium, low-fat chicken broth
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup pitted kalamata Greek olives (we sliced them in half)
Salt and pepper
Optional: 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Orange wedges, for garnish
Add 1 teaspoon olive oil and the nuts to hot skillet. Stir over medium heat until golden, about 30 seconds (ours took about 3 minutes). Take pan off heat. Remove nuts and set aside.
Set skillet over medium-high heat, add remaining 1 teaspoon oil and shallots. Stir until shallots are limp, about 2 minutes. Add chicken broth, orange juice, orange peel and olives; stir until mixture boils. Boil until broth is slightly reduced, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over chicken, sprinkle with nuts and parsley and garnish with orange wedges. (Makes 1 1/4 cups sauce.)