Pineapple-Teriyaki Chicken

Grilled teriyaki chicken with pineapple can be made with just a few pantry staples. Although it’s delicious when made with canned pineapple, fresh pineapple and its juice can easily be used in its place. Serve with brown rice and snow peas.

Makes 4 servings

ACTIVE TIME: 30 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 45 minutes

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

1/3 cup dry sherry (see Note)
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 20-ounce can pineapple rings, plus 1/3 cup juice from the can
4 large boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 pounds), trimmed (see Tip)
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon butter

1. Whisk sherry, soy sauce, brown sugar and the 1/3 cup pineapple juice in a large bowl. Add pineapple rings and chicken and gently stir to coat. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, preheat grill to medium-high.
3. Remove the chicken and pineapple from the marinade and pat dry; reserve the marinade. Oil the grill rack. Grill the chicken and pineapple until the chicken is cooked through and the pineapple is marked, 4 to 5 minutes per side.
4. Whisk the reserved marinade and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook, whisking, until reduced and thickened, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in butter. Serve the chicken and pineapple drizzled with the sauce.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 360 calories; 11 g fat (4 g sat, 3 g mono); 83 mg cholesterol; 39 g carbohydrate; 22 g protein; 1 g fiber; 467 mg sodium; 238 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (30% daily value).
2 1/2 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 2 1/2 fruit, 3 lean meat, 1/2 fat

TIP: Note: Sherry is a type of fortified wine originally from southern Spain. Don’t use the “cooking sherry” sold in many supermarkets—it can be surprisingly high in sodium. Instead, purchase dry sherry that’s sold with other fortified wines in your wine or liquor store.

Tip: You’ll need about 1 1/2 pounds untrimmed boneless, skinless chicken thighs to serve four people. For recipes that call for one large thigh per person, buy them at the butcher counter; prepackaged thighs vary dramatically in size. Ask for four 6-ounce boneless, skinless thighs. To trim them well, we like to use kitchen shears to snip the fat away from the meat. After trimming, you’ll have four 4-ounce portions.

Tip: To oil the grill rack: Oil a folded paper towel, hold it with tongs and rub it over the rack. (Do not use cooking spray on a hot grill.) When grilling delicate foods like tofu and fish, it is helpful to spray the food with cooking spray.

Raspberry-Balsamic Chicken with Shallots

Tasty and flexible—what more could you want in a recipe? You could easily vary the flavors by making the dish with black cherry jam and red-wine vinegar, apricot jam and apple cider vinegar or orange marmalade and sherry vinegar.

Makes 4 servings

ACTIVE TIME: 20 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 20 minutes (including 1 hour of marinating)

EASE OF PREPARATION: Moderate

3/4 cup seedless all-fruit raspberry jam
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 4- to 5-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts, tenders removed (see Tip)
2 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped shallots (2-3 large)
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme

1. Combine jam and vinegar in a small pan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring often, until the jam is dissolved, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in salt and pepper and let cool slightly. Reserve 1/2 cup of the sauce. Place chicken breasts and the rest of the sauce in a large sealable plastic bag. Seal and shake gently to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and thyme and cook, stirring often, until the shallots begin to soften, about 1 minute. Remove the chicken from the marinade (discard marinade). Add the chicken to the pan and cook until just beginning to brown, 2 minutes on each side. Add the reserved raspberry sauce; stir to melt the jam and coat the chicken. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the center, 6 to 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 296 calories; 4 g fat (1 g sat, 3 g mono); 66 mg cholesterol; 36 g carbohydrate; 27 g protein; 0 g fiber; 371 mg sodium; 370 mg potassium.

Nutrition bonus: Selenium (28% daily value).

2 1/2 Carbohydrate Servings

TIP: Tip: Chicken tenders, virtually fat-free, are a strip of rib meat typically found attached to the underside of the chicken breast, but they can also be purchased separately. Four 1-ounce tenders will yield a 3-ounce cooked portion. Tenders are perfect for quick stir-fries, chicken satay or kid-friendly breaded "chicken fingers."

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, arguably the most versatile cut of chicken, are very low in fat, only 1 to 2 grams of fat per serving. Conveniently, one 4- to 5-ounce breast, tender removed, yields a perfect 3-ounce cooked portion. When preparing, trim any excess fat from the outer edge of the breast.

MAKE AHEAD TIP: Cover and refrigerate the sauce for up to 1 week.