Tarragon Supreme of Chicken With Mushrooms

From The Mediterranean Diabetes Cookbook

The Mediterranean style of cooking and eating, which revolves around fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats, is well known to be healthy for everyone, and it’s demonstrated to have a number of benefits for people with diabetes. Not only is it known to decrease the risk of heart disease, but it also helps lower blood pressure and glucose levels. Best of all, it requires no sacrifice since it’s based on delicious foods that marry beautifully.

The inspiration for Amy Riolo’s new book, The Mediterranean Diabetes Cookbook: A Flavorful, Low-Fat, Heart-Healthy Approach to Cooking, was her mother, who’d been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, to help her eat delicious food in place of the bland fare she’d been counseled to eat. The result is a cookbook with dishes so appealing they’ll be enjoyed by everyone in the family. But for people with diabetes, it’s an excellent resource, with lists of exchanges and complete nutrient information along with time-saving strategies and cooking tips.

This delightful, nutritious dish is simple enough for daily meals, but special and delicious enough for festivities. Tarragon has a sweet anise flavor that marries well with the earthiness of the mushrooms. Feel free to use whatever mushroom you like.

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp garlic, minced
2 Tbsp fresh tarragon, minced
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken stock
1 pint bottom mushrooms, scrubbed and trimmed
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 lbs totally), sliced in half and lightly pounded.

Heat olive oil in a large, wide skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and tarragon, and sauté until garlic begins to releases its aroma. Add lemon juice, lemon zest, stock, mushrooms, and pepper. Add the chicken, and sauté on each side until opaque and cooked through, about 10-15 minutes. Transfer chicken to a warm serving platter.
Increase heat to high. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until sauce is thickened and mushrooms are tender. Spoon sauce over chicken, and serve immediately.

Healthy Living Tradition: Double this recipe, and use leftover chicken to make sandwiches the next day.

Serves 8, serving size 1/2 chicken

Exchanges/Choices: 3 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fat

Calories: 165; Calories From Fat: 55; Total Fat: 6.0 g; Saturated Fat: 1.3 g; Trans Fat: 0.0 g; Cholesterol: 65 mg; Sodium: 65 mg; Total Carbohydrate: 2 g; Dietary Fiber: 0 g; Sugars: 0 g; Protein: 25 g

Copyright © 2010 American Diabetes Association. From The Mediterranean Diabetes Cookbook: A Flavorful, Low-Fat, Heart-Healthy Approach to Cooking. Amy Riolo. Reprinted with permission from The American Diabetes Association. www.store.diabetes.org