Gluten free Chicken Shai

This is the exact recipe I prepared on Channel 8's Connecticut Style.

Chicken Shai

4 servings

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced into 1/2-inch thick filets
• 2 tbsp of seasoned Bob’s Red Mill gluten free flour ( this is made from soy and  garbanzo beans)
• 1 small onion coarsely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves coarsely chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 (15-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and cut into chunks
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 3 sun dried tomatoes diced
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• Extra lemon, for squeezing
• 1 pound thin Gluten free spaghetti

In a heavy saute pan heat the olive oil over med heat.  Add onion and cook until it is starting to brown.  Lightly dredge the chicken pieces in flour, shake off most of the flour.  Add garlic, chicken and fresh salt and pepper to the pan. Cook for several minutes until chicken is almost cooked through.  While chicken is cooking cook pasta in boiling water until still very al dente. Save 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.

Add artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, and capers to the chicken and then the wine and lemon juice cook for a minute to get everything hot.  Finish with the butter and then add the almost cooked pasta to the dish.  If there is not enough sauce add some of the reserved pasta water.  Plate the pasta and garnish with minced parsley

Cooking lessons

I recently had an opportunity to work with a couple from Clinton CT that wanted to start eating healthier but still enjoying their favorite dishes. We spent several weeks working to make the lower fat meats like ground turkey, and lean beef and pork, making soups with minimal amount of fat and cholesterol, and introducing fresh herbs and spices into their cooking. We also started using sea salt in all their cooking to manage the sodium.

This was probably one of their favorite low fat and cholesterol  recipes:

Pasta fagioli

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons  extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/8 pound (about 3 slices) pancetta, chopped
• 2 (4 to 6-inch) sprigs rosemary, left intact
• 1 (4 to 6-inch) sprig thyme with several sprigs on it, left intact
• 1 large fresh bay leaf or 2 dried bay leaves
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 small carrot, finely chopped
• 1 rib celery, finely chopped
• 4 large cloves garlic, chopped
• Coarse salt and pepper
• 2 (15 ounce) cans cannellini beans
• 1 cup canned tomato sauce or canned crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups water
• 1 low sodium quart chicken stock
• 1 1/2 cups ditalini pasta
• Grated Parmigiano or Romano, for the table
• Crusty bread, for mopping

Directions

Heat a deep pot over medium high heat and add oil and pancetta. Brown the pancetta bits lightly, add herb stems, bay leaf, chopped vegetables, and garlic. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper. Add beans, tomato sauce, water, and stock to pot and raise heat to high. Bring soup to a rapid boil and add pasta. Reduce heat to medium and cook soup, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes or until pasta is cooked al dente. Rosemary and thyme leaves will separate from stems as soup cooks. Remove herb stems and bay leaf from soup and place pot on table on a trivet. Let soup rest and begin to cool for a few minutes. Ladle soup into bowls and top with lots of grated cheese. Pass crusty bread for bowl mopping.

I want to share with you their thoughts on this experience:

March 2, 2012

We were introduced to Larry in an unusual way; he came to us as a Christmas present from my Daughters and their families. After two heart attacks, the worst being on Christmas Day 2010, my loving children thought we may need a hand preparing heart healthy meals to aid in the healing and prevention process. I will say we were not keen on the idea at first, but when Larry came on the scene that first day we instantly became friends. Larry is a wonderful presence in the kitchen, he is not just a chef, but a very interesting, worldly and intelligent guy to chat with while getting educated on the preparation of, what is to be, our diet for the rest of our lives. Eating healthy is not always fun or tasty and that was Larry’s challenge which he took head on, making healthy eating fun and something enjoyable through good spices and seasonings is Larry’s specialty. Our kids hit this one out of the park, Larry has completed our gifted tour through the kitchen, but we have made a friend for life and will be seeing him again for certain.

David & Ann Marie (Clinton)