The gingered watermelon salsa served with this spicy chicken dish is a creative way to conjure up a fresh taste of summer that will satisfy the palate and do no damage to the waistline.
The low-fat recipe is from the “Summer Cookbook” selection in the June issue of Cooking Light magazine. If the cook sensibly prefers to shorten time spent in the kitchen, an editor’s note points out that, for ease of preparation, you could buy a container of cut-up watermelon from the produce section of your supermarket; then all you have to do is cut the chunks into small pieces. Note: While the liquid from the salsa is tasty, you might want to use a slotted spoon when you serve the salsa.
Serve the chicken over a bed of jasmine or basmati rice.
Sesame-Chili Chicken With Gingered Watermelon Salsa
For the chicken:
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 to 2 tablespoons chili sauce with garlic
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
Four 6-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
For the salsa:
2 cups diced seeded watermelon
1/4 cup diced yellow bell pepper
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
2 teaspoons mirin (sweet rice wine)
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
Remaining ingredients:
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
Cilantro sprigs, optional
Lime wedges, optional
To prepare chicken: Combine soy sauce, chili sauce and sesame oil in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken to bag; seal and marinate in refrigerator for 1 hour, turning bag occasionally.
Prepare grill.
To prepare salsa: Combine watermelon, bell pepper, onions, cilantro, ginger, mirin, lime juice, salt and jalapeno; cover and chill until ready to serve.
Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Place chicken on a grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill 6 minutes on each side or until done.
Remove chicken from grill; let stand 5 minutes. Cut chicken diagonally across grain into thin slices; serve with salsa. Garnish with cilantro sprigs and lime wedges, if desired.
Makes 4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half and about 1/2 cup salsa).
Nutrition information per serving: 247 cal., 4.6 g fat (0.9 g saturated), 40.2 g pro., 8.7 g carbo., 0.7 g fiber, 99 mg chol., 722 mg sodium.
