Chicken Normandy Recipe

This healthy interpretation of a French regional dish uses apple juice concentrate to heighten the apple flavor and a small amount of fat-free half-and-half to give the sauce a creamy texture.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons vegetable oil, such as olive or canola oil

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (5 ounces each)

1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced

3 Granny Smith apples, cut into ½-inch-thick wedges

3 tablespoons frozen apple juice concentrate

½ cup chicken broth, homemade or reduced-sodium canned

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon rubbed sage

3 tablespoons fat-free half-and-half

Directions

1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until lightly browned on both sides, about 8 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a plate.

2. Add the onion to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is golden brown, about 7 minutes. Add the apple and apple juice concentrate, stirring to coat.

3. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Return the chicken to the pan. Sprinkle with the salt and sage and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.

4. Transfer the chicken and apple wedges to serving plates. Whisk the half-and-half into the sauce in the pan and cook for 1 minute to heat through. Spoon the sauce over the chicken. Makes 4 servings

Hawaiian Chicken Substitute canned pineapple chunks for the apples, and 3 tablespoons frozen pineapple juice concentrate for the apple juice concentrate. Add 2 tablespoons of ketchup when you add the broth in step 3. Omit the sage and the half-and-half.

Nutrition Facts

per serving

calories  263

total fat  4.1g

saturated fat  0.8g

cholesterol  82mg

dietary fiber  3g

carbohydrate  22g

protein  34g

sodium  448mg

good source of: niacin, selenium, vitamin B₆

If you are carefully watching your sodium, be sure to read this before preparing this recipe: Sodium Intake and Salt in Recipes

From The Johns Hopkins Cookbook Library: Recipes for a Healthy Heart, edited by Simeon Margolis, M.D., Ph.D. and Lora Brown Wilder, Sc.D., M.S., R.D.