In addition to sauteing them with various vegetables (asparagus is great, here are some more ideas:
Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Use a paring knife to cut the small pocket into the chicken breasts. Serve this dish with orzo or rice to soak up the shallot-thyme sauce.
1 cup boiling water
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1/2 cup chopped shallots, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, divided
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons water
Combine boiling water and tomatoes in a bowl; cover and let stand 30 minutes or until soft. Drain and finely chop.
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1/3 cup shallots, sugar, and garlic; cook 4 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Spoon into a bowl; stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar.
Combine chopped tomatoes, shallot mixture, cheese, basil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring well.
Cut a horizontal slit through thickest portion of each chicken breast half to form a pocket. Stuff about 2 tablespoons cheese mixture into each pocket. Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper.
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; cover and keep warm. Add broth, remaining shallots, 2 tablespoons vinegar, and thyme; bring to a boil. Combine cornstarch and water, stirring with a whisk. Add cornstarch mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until sauce is slightly thick, stirring constantly. Serve sauce over chicken.
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half and 2 tablespoons sauce)
CALORIES 296 (23% from fat); FAT 7.6g (satfat 3g, monofat 2.9g, polyfat 0.8g); PROTEIN 43.8g; CARBOHYDRATE 11.3g; FIBER 0.9g; CHOLESTEROL 105mg; IRON 2.4mg; SODIUM 787mg; CALCIUM 62mg;
Cooking Light, MARCH 2004
Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce
Sun-dried tomatoes and balsamic vinegar elevate chicken to a dinner fit for company.
1 (8-ounce) jar oil-packed sun-dried tomato halves
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Drain sun-dried tomatoes in a sieve over a bowl, reserving oil. Set aside 1 1/2 tablespoons reserved oil to cook chicken. Finely chop 1/4 cup tomatoes; set aside for sauce. Place remaining oil and tomatoes in sun-dried tomato jar; reserve for another use.
Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/8 teaspoon salt and pepper.
Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons reserved oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.
Add chopped sun-dried tomatoes, 1/8 teaspoon salt, broth, oregano, and vinegar; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook until broth mixture is reduced to 1/2 cup (about 3 minutes). Serve sauce over chicken.
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half and 2 tablespoons sauce)
CALORIES 254 (29% from fat); FAT 8.2g (satfat 1.4g, monofat 4.9g, polyfat 1.1g); PROTEIN 40.4g; CARBOHYDRATE 2.3g; FIBER 0.6g; CHOLESTEROL 99mg; IRON 1.7mg; SODIUM 387mg; CALCIUM 29mg;
Cooking Light, JANUARY 2005
Mixed Greens with Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil (about 6)
1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup chopped seeded peeled tomato
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
12 cups mixed salad greens
1 cup shredded carrot (about 2)
Combine sun-dried tomatoes and boiling water in a bowl; let stand 30 minutes. Drain, reserving water; chop sun-dried tomatoes. Combine sun-dried tomatoes, 1 cup chopped tomato, vinegar, and garlic in a blender; process until smooth. Add reserved tomato liquid, oil, salt, and pepper; process until smooth. Combine greens and carrot in a large bowl; add vinaigrette. tossing well.
Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)
Sun-Dried Tomato Spiced Shrimp
To get the most flavor from the marinade, press the sides of the bag when you turn it during the marinating process.
1 (8-ounce) jar oil-packed sun-dried tomato halves
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon lemon rind
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/4 teaspoons curry paste
1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Cooking spray
Drain sun-dried tomatoes in a sieve over a bowl, reserving oil. Place 1 tablespoon reserved oil in a food processor. Coarsely chop 1 cup tomatoes; add to food processor. Place remaining oil and sun-dried tomatoes in sun-dried tomato jar; reserve for another use. Add cilantro, rind, juice, and curry to food processor; process until smooth. Combine tomato mixture and shrimp in a large zip-top plastic bag. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 2 hours, turning bag occasionally. Remove shrimp from bag; discard marinade.
Prepare grill to medium-high heat.
Place shrimp on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 3 minutes on each side or until done.
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 6 ounces)
CALORIES 224 (25% from fat); FAT 6.1g (satfat 1g, monofat 2.5g, polyfat 1.5g); PROTEIN 35.5g; CARBOHYDRATE 5.7g; FIBER 1.2g; CHOLESTEROL 259mg; IRON 4.8mg; SODIUM 292mg; CALCIUM 102mg;