Dinner in a Jiffy

Tonight’s dinner – barbecue chicken with cole slaw – is an easy classic that just screams summer. Rather than planning ahead to marinate the chicken or standing in 110 degree heat to cook it on the grill, this is a skillet dish that is finished in less than fifteen minutes because the chicken is either pounded (if you use large breasts) or cut into tenders. (This is my preferred method because I just hate whacking anything on the countertop; it makes such a racket!) In addition, the chicken gets a little flavor boost from rubbing it with chipotle sauce before cooking. I like several big dashes distributed across the tenders because it gives some depth to the flavor and makes the chicken taste fire roasted.


I start with sautéing a couple of cloves of garlic in a little olive oil while I rub down the chicken. Then, when the chicken goes into the pan, I hit it with some sea salt and black pepper, letting it cook for several minutes on both sides. The combination of the heat and the chipotle give the chicken a crusty grilled look and taste. Next, add some barbecue sauce thinned with a little water (about two to one) and let it simmer for a few more minutes, turning the chicken once to coat it well. Voila! Instant barbecue that tastes like it took all day.

Of course, I can’t really eat barbecue anything without cole slaw. Having recently eaten a very tangy version at Islands restaurant (on vacation), I knew I didn’t want the traditional mayo-based dressing. Fortunately, my new Cooking Light recipe collection has a sauce made with just a little olive oil, cider vinegar, and a couple of squeezes of honey. I substituted pineapple vinegar for a little extra sweetness, which I knew would please the boy (who, by the way, appears to be getting even taller). He gave his stamp of approval by practically licking his plate after a large helping of both chicken and slaw.

Unfortunately, Jeff isn’t crazy about cole slaw, so (for the second night in a row) he didn’t eat the side dish. Luckily, though, we had plenty of veggies in the breakfast frittata so his diet wasn’t completely devoid of green, yellow, and orange foods today. (After all, all those party colors make veggies pretty great.) Tomorrow is pizza night – at the request of our son – so, I’ll have to load some salad fixings into lunch!