Testing KP V2: Easy Margarita Chicken from Cook This, Not That!

Another Quick Supper recipe, chicken breasts quickly sautéed in a skillet and topped with salsa and a sprinkle of cheese, served with a can of black beans doctored with onions, peppers, cumin and lime juice. (The beans themselves are so good, you just might be tempted to make a meal out of them alone!)

Plus my reaction to Cook This, Not That!, the cookbook that food people love to hate.

My cookbook cup runneth over. Truth is, I’ve been collecting cookbooks like some women collect shoes. So call me surprised when a gimmicky-looking cookbook caught my eye before Christmas.

The cover of Cook This, Not That! was jarring in that late-night-TV too-loud way. “The No-Diet Weight Loss Solution” it claimed. “Easy and Awesome 350-Calorie Meals” it shouted. “This is a book for people who love to eat” it promised.

My inner foodie sniffed.

But upon inspection, the recipes looked good, really good, with appealing titles, affordable ingredients, generous portion sizes and easy techniques perfect for busy families.

Most of all, I was impressed by how many practical tips are crammed into 300+ pages, perfect for young cooks responsible for feeding themselves for the first time. Think provocative teaching tips, such as:

5 Calorie-Cutting Techniques (white sauce not cream sauce, fresh salsa, 4 different pan sauces, spice rubs and oven frying)
“4 Reasons to Spend More Time in the Kitchen then in the Gym”
Salad Matrix – choose a lettuce, choose a protein, choose vegetables and fruits, choose add-ons like beans, choose a homemade dressing
The World’s Best Asian Condiments – kimchi, hoisin, curry paste, sriracha, fish sauce, rice wine vinegar and chili-garlic sauce

So Cook This, Not That! is a real cookbook, and a teaching cookbook to boot.

I also appreciate the credible premise: how to lose weight eating healthy food, no dieting required. Each recipe aims for about 350 calories. That’s more calories than most Kitchen Parade recipes but then again, the portion sizes are larger. More importantly, Cook This, Not That! compares its recipes not to home cooking but to similar restaurant recipes, both in calories and in cost. The comparisons are alone are an eye-popping education.

So yes, I love this cookbook despite watching other ‘food people’ sniff in condescension. At Christmas, my sister wanted to nab my copy so I sent her one and now we’re both cooking from it. Neither one of us qualify as ‘busy families’ or ‘young cooks’ anymore but for both of us, this cookbook gets high marks for inspiring easy every-day home-cooked meals. In my bookshelf, I’m making room for Cook This, Not That!.

ALANNA's TIPS Chicken breasts are Hooters huge these days, often more than a pound a piece. So if size matters, get out your scale and cut the meat down to serving size.

To get supper on the table even faster, use two skillets, one for the Peppers & Beans, another for the Chicken and cook them simultaneously.

QUICK SUPPER RECIPE:
EASY MARGARITA CHICKEN

Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Time to table: 20 minutes
Serves 4, easily adjusted for 1 or many

1 small onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, sliced
Splash of water
1 15-ounce can of black beans or pinto beans, drained
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Juice of a lime (save the zest for garnish!)
Salt & pepper to taste

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 4 pieces (see TIPS)
Salt & pepper to taste
Cooking spray
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup pepper jack or a ‘Mexican’ blend cheese (about 2 ounces), grated

Lime zest for garnish

Preheat oven to 450F.

PEPPERS & BEANS In a large skillet, cook the onion and peppers in a splash of water, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are cooked through but still crisp. (A non-stick skillet works best here, otherwise use a little oil to prevent sticking.) Add the beans, cumin and lime juice and heat through. Season to taste. Transfer the mixture to another dish, keep warm.

CHICKEN If needed, cut the chicken breasts into individual servings. Between two pieces of waxed paper, pound the thickest part of the breast until each piece is roughly the same thickness throughout. (Why? The breasts will cook more evenly when they’re the same thickness.) Season with salt and pepper.

Spray the skillet with cooking spray, heat on medium high. Add the chicken pieces (they should sizzle) and let cook, without moving, for 3 to 4 minutes until a crisp crust forms. With tongs, turn the pieces over and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes.

Spoon the beans around the chicken pieces, then cover the chicken with salsa and cheese. Bake for 5 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly. Sprinkle lime zest over top and serve.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE Per Serving: 298 Calories; 6g Tot Fat; 3g Sat Fat; 95mg Cholesterol; 772mg Sodium; 22g Carb; 7g Fiber; 3g Sugar; 36g Protein; Weight Watchers Old Points 6, PointsPlus 7

This recipe has been 'Alanna-sized'.

Cook This, Not That! compares its Margarita Chicken recipe to TGI Friday’s Sizzling Chicken & Cheese which racks up 1200 calories a serving and costs $11.49.

Adapted from Cook This, Not That!. I especially like the adaptability of this cookbook’s recipes. For example, the original recipe called for a half can of beans for four people which seemed just silly to me, no vegetables, six-ounce chicken breasts, a cup of salsa and a cup of cheese. But the inspiration for my own recipe? Definitely Cook This, Not That!.

There seems to be more than one Cook This, Not That! edition. Mine has burgers on the front cover and it came from Sam's Club for about $12 in early December. It can also be purchased at Amazon and there's more information about the books (with lots of 'yelling', put in your Internet ear plugs) at Men's Health where one of the authors is editor.

For the record: This is not a sponsored post. I purchased the book myself (and a second copy for my sister). The publishers at Rodale, the authors David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding, have no clue I exist.

My Disclosure Promise

Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences.

Do you have a favorite easy chicken recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com.

Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher.

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