2 exotic chicken dishes

Find yourself cooking chicken multiple nights a week? Understandable: it's that nutritious and versatile. Try these two recipes.

In Italy, a slice of focaccia is a popular snack. When you add vitamin B6-rich chicken to this thick slice of bread, along with calcium-rich cheese, vitamin E-rich nuts, and peppers with their vitamins B6 and C, as well as folate, you are talking serious good nutrition.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Serves 4

• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 125 ml (1⁄2 c) packed fresh basil leaves
• 45 ml (3 tbsp) grated Parmesan cheese
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) plus 10 ml (2 tsp) olive oil
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) slivered almonds
• 1 ml (1⁄4 tsp) salt
• 1 round focaccia (25 cm/10 in diameter, 250 g/8 oz)
• 500 ml (2 c) mixed greens
• 2 cooked skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (leftover or poached), thinly sliced crosswise on the diagonal
• 125 ml (1⁄2 c) bottled roasted red peppers, cut into thin strips1. Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). To make pesto: In small pan of boiling water, blanch garlic 1 minute. Drain and transfer to food processor. Add basil, Parmesan, oil, almonds, salt and 2 tbsp (25 ml) of water, and process until smooth.
  2. Bake focaccia for 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle, slice in half horizontally. Spread pesto onto both focaccia halves. Top with mixed greens. Place chicken and roasted peppers on top of greens. Cover with focaccia top. To serve, cut into 4 wedges.

  Calories: 356, fat: 13 g, saturated fat: 3 g, sodium: 599 mg, carbohydrate: 30 g, protein: 30 g.

Assemble this salad at serving time, because an enzyme in kiwis, actinidin, quickly starts to break down any protein it happens to be in contact with. If the chicken and kiwi sit too long, the chicken begins to get mushy, so eat this spicy and refreshing salad while the chicken is still warm.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 8 minutes

Serves 4

• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 ml (1⁄4 tsp) dried thyme
• 5 ml (1 tsp) black pepper
• 5 ml (1 tsp) ground allspice
• 5 ml (1 tsp) salt
• 60 ml (4 tbsp) red wine vinegar
• 35 ml (2 tbsp) Dijon mustard
• 10 ml (2 tsp) dark brown sugar
• 500 g (1 lb) skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil
• 500 ml (2 c) pineapple chunks
• 4 kiwis, peeled and cut into wedges
• 1 large red bell pepper, cut into matchsticks
• 250 ml (1 c) jicama matchsticks1. In a large bowl, stir together garlic, thyme, black pepper, allspice, half the scallions and two millilitres (1⁄2 tsp) salt. Stir in 30 millilitres (two tablespoons)  of the vinegar, 15 millilitres (one tablespoon) mustard, and brown sugar. Add chicken, rubbing mixture into meat. Cover and set aside.
  2. In separate bowl, whisk together remaining vinegar, mustard, one millilitre (1⁄4 teaspoon) salt and oil. Add remaining scallions, pineapple, kiwis, bell pepper and jicama and toss.
  3. Preheat broiler. Broil chicken 15 centimetres (six inches) from heat, four minutes per side, or until cooked through. When cool enough to handle, slice chicken on the diagonal. Add to bowl and toss.

  Calories: 287, fat: 5.6 g, saturated fat: 0.8 g, sodium:213 mg, carbohydrate: 31 g, protein: 28 g.

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