Chicken Reinvented!

Transform a staple into an exotic feast with out-of-the-ordinary (but easy-to-find) ingredients The Star: Chicken breast.

Whether you eat it because it's low in fat or because it may help you lose fat and keep muscle (credit the amino acid leucine), chicken delivers sound nutrition--and endless options.

Shopping List

• 2 limes

• 1 lg cucumber

• 1 lb carrots

• 1/2 lb fresh snow peas

• 2 red bell peppers

• Fresh cilantro, basil, mint

• 1 piece fresh ginger

• 1 sm head garlic

• 3-4 lb chicken breast

• 1 sm jar peanut butter

• 1 sm jar honey

• 1 can fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth

• Red-pepper flakes

• Kosher salt

• Toasted sesame oil

• Peanut oil

• Reduced-sodium soy sauce

• Rice wine vinegar

• Miso paste*

• Chile paste*

• 1 pkg rice-paper sheets*

•1 pkg rice vermicelli*

• 1 pkg soba noodles*

*Sold in Asian markets and natural food stores or via asianwok.com.

1. Make This First:

Grilled Ginger-Soy Chicken

• 1/4 c reduced-sodium soy sauce

• 2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger

• 2 Tbsp honey

• 2 Tbsp miso paste

• 1 Tbsp minced garlic

• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil

• 1/4 tsp red-pepper flakes

• 8 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (3-4 lb)

• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Time: 30 minutes + marinating time

Servings: 8

1. Combine soy sauce, ginger, honey, miso, garlic, oil, and red-pepper flakes in shallow baking dish or large resealable plastic bag. Add chicken, turn to coat, cover, and chill at least 2 hours.

2. Heat grill to medium for indirect heat. If using charcoal grill, position coals on one-half of grill. If using gas grill, heat one side to high, the other to low. Lightly oil grill grates.

3. Remove chicken from marinade. Discard marinade. Season chicken with salt.

4. Grill chicken 10 minutes over hottest section of grill, turning once. Move to cooler section of grill and cook 10 minutes longer or until thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 165°F.

Nutritional Info Per Serving 210 cal, 40 g pro, 4 g carb, 3 g fat, 0.5 g sat fat, 99 mg chol, 0 g fiber, 423 mg sodium

2. Make It a Salad:

Soba Noodle Salad with Snow Peas

• 8 oz dry soba noodles or whole wheat spaghetti

• 2 Tbsp honey

• 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice

• 2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

• 2 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce

• 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger

• 1/4 tsp red-pepper flakes

• 2 Tbsp peanut oil

• 2 c julienned fresh snow peas

• 2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced lengthwise

• 1 c grated carrots

• 1/4 c coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

• 2 c shredded Grilled Ginger-Soy Chicken

Time: 15 minutesServings: 6 (12 c total)

1. Cook noodles per package directions. Rinse with cold water, drain, and set aside.

2. Whisk together honey, lime juice, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, and red-pepper flakes in large bowl. Whisk in oil in steady stream.

3. Add noodles, snow peas, bell peppers, carrots, cilantro, and chicken to bowl and toss well. Season with salt to taste.

Nutritional Info Per Serving 292 cal, 19 g pro, 45 g carb, 5.5 g fat, 1 g sat fat, 26 mg chol, 4 g fiber, 388 mg sodium

3. Or Make it an Appetizer:

Summer Rolls with Peanut Dipping SauceSauce

• 1/2 c fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth

• 1/3c peanut butter

• 2 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce

• 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice

• 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

• 1-2 tsp chile pasteRolls

• 2 oz dry rice vermicelli (thin Asian rice-flour noodles)

• 8 round (8"-9"diameter) rice-paper sheets (aka spring roll wrappers) or lg lettuce leaves

• 1/2 c basil leaves

• 1 c julienned cucumber, with peel

• 1 c julienned carrots

• 1 c thinly sliced Grilled Ginger-Soy Chicken

• 1/2 c mint leavesTime: 25 minutes

Servings: 8

1. Combine sauce ingredients in small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, whisking until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. Cook rice vermicelli per package directions (cooked yield should be about 1 cup). Rinse with cold water and drain.

3. Soak 1 rice-paper sheet in warm water 30 to 90 seconds or until soft. Carefully transfer to clean towel and blot dry. Place 3 or 4 basil leaves along bottom third of sheet (leaving 1/2" margin along edges). Layer 1/8 cup of the rice vermicelli on top of basil, followed by 1/8 of the cucumber, carrots, chicken, and mint leaves. Starting from the bottom, roll rice paper around the filling. Fold sides up and continue rolling until roll is sealed completely. Repeat with remaining sheets and filling. Cut each roll in half crosswise and serve with peanut sauce.

Nutritional Info Per Serving 134 cal, 8 g pro, 11 g carb, 7 g fat, 1 g sat fat, 10 mg chol, 2 g fiber, 254 mg sodium