South Beach Chicken Paella
Saffron makes this simple one-pan classic a real treat, lending brilliant color and pungent flavor. This is one of the few recipes that takes a little bit longer to cook than most of the others in this book; it's a great dish to serve for company.
Recipe Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup whole-grain, quick-cooking brown rice
3/4 cup roasted red bell peppers (from a jar), drained and thinly sliced
2 cups lower-sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon powdered saffron
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cooking Directions:
- Season chicken with salt and pepper.
- Heat oil in a large, straight-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and onion; cook, stirring often, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in rice. Add red peppers, broth, and saffron; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes. If paella has excess moisture, cook uncovered for 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in parsley, season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.
Makes 4 (1 1/2 cups) servings.
Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/4 of recipe; 1 1/2 cups): 360 calories, 7 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 45 g protein, 26 g carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 440 mg sodium
Source: This recipe is from the book The South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook by Arthur Agatston, MD; Published by Rodale; October 2005; 1-59486-292-3; Copyright © 2005 Arthur Agatston, MD.