Five Ways to Prepare Chicken Breasts

From the Zone Diet

Supermarkets often have sales on chicken breasts, with jumbo packs advertised at very low prices. Take advantage of these deals when you can, since chicken is a great source of low-fat protein in the Zone Diet .

To prepare chicken breasts, unwrap the pack and cut the raw breasts into Zone-appropriate portions — roughly the size of a deck of cards. Then rewrap the portions and freeze. When you're ready to use the chicken, place the portions in the fridge in the morning to thaw — this way they'll be ready to cook at dinnertime. Here are five ways to use chicken:

1. Design your own Cobb salad by arranging the broiled chicken (cut in strips) on a salad platter, along with the carbs of your choice — greens, tomatoes, asparagus, or whatever you have on hand. Don't forget to add a dash of oil and vinegar to your salad.
2. Try making chicken sate by threading chicken strips onto a skewer with veggies such as bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, and zucchini.
3. When you're serving chicken for dinner, cook and dice an extra portion to toss into an omelet the next morning.
4. Presliced chicken at the deli counter is expensive. Instead, whenever you cook one breast, cook a second, too. Allow it to cool, and then slice it for use as a snack — enjoy it with a half apple and six peanuts, for instance.
5. If you're serving whole breasts for dinner, slice an extra breast into strips and pop them into the refrigerator over night, covered with a lime-and-salsa marinade (see recipe below). The following evening, you'll be minutes away from enjoying these fajitas:

Chicken Fajitas

Ingredients
3 ounces boneless chicken breast
2 tablespoons salsa
2 tablespoons bottled lime juice
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup water or more
1/3 green pepper, cut into quarters, seeds and membrane removed
1/3 red pepper, cut into quarters, seeds and membrane removed
1/3 yellow onion, sliced into 1/4-inch-wide rings and microwaved on high for 2 minutes, stirring after 1 minute
1/2 fajita-size (8 inch) tortilla
1/2 cup chopped tomato
3 tablespoons guacamole
1/2 cup strawberries

Instructions
Slice chicken breasts crosswise into 1/2-inch strips. Place in a glass dish with salsa, lime juice, salt, pepper, and enough water to cover. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Into a large skillet, over high heat, pour in the liquid from the chicken and cook to reduce by half. Add the chicken strips and, using a wide wooden spatula, toss frequently. When chicken turns opaque but is not yet thoroughly cooked, add the peppers and onion. Continue cooking and tossing the mixture. Cook until the liquid has evaporated and it begins to sizzle. Give one more toss and remove from heat. Serve with tortilla and condiments. Serve strawberries for dessert.

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