Chicken Dinner, Updated BY DANA JACOBI FOR THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR CANCER RESEARCH

You may remember a time in the past when a formal family dinner took place on Sunday, with two parents plus offspring sitting down at a carefully set table to share roast chicken, mashed potatoes, and all the trimmings - dishes we now nostalgically call comfort food.

When roast chicken is served at home today, I will wager that significantly more whole birds are bought that are already cooked and ready to serve, rather than cooked from scratch. Nor is chicken saved for Sundays anymore. Just think how many times you have eaten it in the past seven days. Still, a well-roasted chicken is always a treat.

 

Another aspect of the Sunday night family dinner is that we are now more concerned with feeding one or two people rather than four or more. According to U.S. Department of Census 2001 figures, almost 60 percent of American households consist of 26.7 million single households (26 percent) and 34.6 million two-person households (33 percent). And, according to health experts, almost two-thirds of all Americans are either overweight or obese, and need to rethink their eating habits. This means that when we do gather to share a chicken dinner, the meal needs to look very different than a whole, trussed bird basted with butter, bulging with stuffing and served with a thick, flour-and-butter gravy. We also have less time to cook, and aim to produce enough food to recycle into leftovers.

Herbed Chicken with Bulgur meets all those contemporary needs deliciously. This dish is lean, made with skinless breasts cooked on the rib, which helps keep the meat moist. It needs little salt or added fat to taste irresistible, thanks to an abundance of fresh herbs. And roasting the chicken means it requires little tending as it cooks.

Finally, bulgur provides the kind of comforting whole grain that is best for us. Richly flavored with broth, it is an ideal partner for chicken. And it only needs soaking in hot water - no cooking needed. Best of all, if your household consists of two or less, there will be lovely leftovers.

Herbed Chicken with Bulgur - Makes 4 servings.

• 1 Spanish onion, thinly sliced
• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh tarragon
• 1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
• Canola oil cooking spray
• 1 medium skinless and boneless chicken breasts, about 1 lb.
• 1 1/2 cup fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
• 1 cup bulgur

Place oven rack in the center of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Arrange onions to make a bed in the middle of a small roasting pan. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine tarragon, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Mix in oil until herbs are coated. Remove 1 tablespoon of mixture and set aside. Lightly coat chicken with cooking spray, then with remaining herbs. Set chicken on the onions in roasting pan. Pour in 1/2 cup broth. Cover pan loosely with foil.

Bake chicken until tender and juices run clear when thickest part of chicken is pierced with a knife, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and keep warm, covered with foil. Using a slotted spoon, remove onions and set aside. Pour liquid from pan into a large measuring cup. Add enough of remaining broth to make 2 cups.

Place bulgur in a mixing bowl. In a small saucepan, heat broth to a boil. Pour broth over bulgur. Mix in reserved onions and chopped herbs. Let sit, uncovered, until bulgur absorbs liquid and is tender, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cut chicken into bite-size pieces.

Make a bed of bulgur on serving plate. Top with chicken and serve.

Per serving: 298 calories, 3 g. total fat (less than 1 g. saturated fat), 30 g. carbohydrate, 38 g. protein, 7 g. dietary fiber, 606 mg. sodium.

"Something Different" is written for the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) by Dana Jacobi, author of The Joy of Soy and recipe creator for AICR's Stopping Cancer Before It Starts.

The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) offers a Nutrition Hotline online at www.aicr.org or via phone 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, MondayFriday, at 1-800-843-8114. This free service allows you to ask questions about diet, nutrition and cancer. A registered dietitian will respond to your email or call, usually within 3 business days. AICR is the only major cancer charity focusing exclusively on how the risk of cancer is reduced by healthy food and nutrition, physical activity and weight management. The Institute’s education programs help millions of Americans lower their cancer risk. AICR also supports innovative research in cancer prevention and treatment at universities, hospitals and research centers across the U.S. Over $82 million in funding has been provided. AICR is a member of the World Cancer Research Fund International.

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