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"OTCC: Apricot Chicken Divine"
Posted by Silvergirl1 on 06-26-10 at 03:24 AM
This is the low fat version of this dish, taken from "Eater's Choice". This recipe uses plain nonfat yogurt in place of sour cream, and it is one of our family favorites.

1 TBS olive oil
8 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 c unbleached white flour
1 tsp salt (half a tsp if you are salt sensitive)
1/3 - 1/2 cup apricot preserves
1 TBS Dijon mustard
1/2 c nonfat plain yogurt
2 TBS slivered almonds (Optional)

Preheat oven to 375 F
Cover bottom of a shallow baking pan with the olive oil. Meanwhile shake chicken in a plastic bag filled with flour and salt until chicken is coated. Place chicken in a single layer in the baking pan and bake for 25 minutes. Combine apricot preserves, mustard, and yogurt. Spread apricot mixture on chicken and bake for 30 minutes more or until done. Just before serving, brown almonds lightly in toaster oven. Sprinkle almonds over chicken and serve over rice. Serves 8.

I ordinarily half the amount of chicken in this recipe, and use the same amount of preserves, mustard and yogurt, because I like more sauce with this dish. I hardly ever use the almonds, and it is still good.

Low Fat Pineapple Pound Cake

2 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter (margarine is fine, if you prefer)
3/4 cup sugar
3 egg whites
1 TBS grated orange peel
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1 cup pineapple chunks, drained, reserving the juice
Juice mixture:
pineapple juice, reserved from the can above or 1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 375. Grease a 10 inch tube pan with butter. Mix flour, baking soda, and salt, and set aside. Cream butter with sugar. Add egg whites, orange peel, and vanilla, and beat well. Add flour mixture and yogurt alternately to sugar mixture and mix well. Pour half the batter into the pan. Spread the pineapple chunks evenly over the batter. Cover with the remaining batter. Bake for 40 minutes or until the cake tester comes out clean. Let the cake cool for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine juice and sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove cake from pan. Pierce it with a fork and spoon juice mixture into holes and over the top of the cake.

I'll be back with pictures, hopefully tomorrow.



Agman 2008

Table of contents
Messages in this discussion
"RE: OTCC: Apricot Chicken Divine"
Posted by PepeLePew13 on 06-26-10 at 09:15 AM
This looks great! Think I'll give this one a shot in the days ahead as we've got some fresh chicken.

Question... I also happen to have dried apricots around, left over from the staff retreat I just returned from yesterday. Can they be used in some way instead of the preserves, i.e. chopped up and mixed with something, or should I just stick to looking for some preserves in the store?

"RE: OTCC: Apricot Chicken Divine"
Posted by Snidget on 06-26-10 at 09:31 AM
As long as you cook them down enough to be thick like a jam here is a sauce recipe. You might want to adjust the flavorings, as the preserves usually don't have a lot of other spices in them.

http://www.cyclingforums.com/archive/index.php/t-323089.html


Summertribe and the living is ease-zee

"RE: OTCC: Apricot Chicken Divine"
Posted by qwertypie on 06-26-10 at 10:13 AM
Yeah -- Can't wait to try this!
"RE: OTCC: Apricot Chicken Divine"
Posted by Karchita on 06-26-10 at 01:19 PM
On a scale from 1 to 10, how sweet is the sauce?


Bouquet by c2p

"RE: OTCC: Apricot Chicken Divine"
Posted by qwertypie on 06-26-10 at 10:21 PM
Depends what your scale is. Maybe sweet and sour pork sweet? (We had cheap apricot jam on hand, that may have made it sweeter). I liked it, but I think next time I'll double the dijon.
"RE: OTCC: Apricot Chicken Divine"
Posted by Starshine on 06-26-10 at 03:20 PM
Am I the only one who thought that said Estee's choice?
"RE: OTCC: Apricot Chicken Divine"
Posted by Tummy on 06-28-10 at 12:31 PM
Yes.
"Big Hit Here!"
Posted by qwertypie on 06-26-10 at 10:32 PM
The kids were little suspicious about putting jam on chicken, but they absolutely devoured and we have no leftovers. I think next time I would double the dijon mustard (but the kids would disagree). We did have a very sweet apricot jam on hand that I used (and I used 1/2 cup) so I am intrigued how it would taste with a less sweet preserves and more mustard. But a wonderful recipe and will definitely add this to our rotation.
"RE: Big Hit Here!"
Posted by qwertypie on 06-27-10 at 04:44 PM
DD asked if I could make some more for tonight
"RE: Big Hit Here!"
Posted by Tummy on 06-28-10 at 08:10 AM
Wow, you're quick.

I just got back from the river, so I still have to go shopping.

SG - this sounds really good!

"RE: OTCC: Apricot Chicken Divine"
Posted by CTgirl on 06-28-10 at 08:18 AM
I am really looking forward to making this - and Buggy's quiche - but I have to wait for it to cool off. We don't have a/c in the kitchen and I'm avoiding using the oven! If weather.com is right (and we know how often they aren't!), it looks like I have my dinners planned for Wed. and Thurs. I can't wait.

I was starting to get in a rut and then I saw the OTCC threads and had a lightbulb moment - duh here are some tried and true and new recipes! How could I have forgotten about OTCC, mon dieu!!


Cappy's Springtime

"RE: OTCC: Apricot Chicken Divine"
Posted by CTgirl on 06-29-10 at 10:47 PM
LAST EDITED ON 06-30-10 AT 03:25 PM (EST)

The temperature started to cool down this afternoon so I decided to make this tonight. DH, DS and his girlfriend all gave it a thumbs up. It is my favorite kind of recipe - easy and delicious!

My cutlets didn't look big enough to cook for almost an hour so I cooked it for 25 minutes and only 5 minutes with the sauce and they came out perfectly. I made a wild rice mix to go with it and put the chicken and sauce over the rice and topped with the almonds. It was very yummy. I threw some asparagus and sliced summer squash on the grill to eat for a side dish.

The only change I made was to use the entire container (6 oz.) of plain yogurt. I wasn't going to save the little bit leftover and thought it might help cut down on the sweetness (it did). I was using very cheap apricot jam from Stop & Shop because I had it in the cupboard.

Thanks silvergirl. I will definitely make this one again!

ETA: I also used 4 chicken cutlets but kept the amount of the sauce the same. Good suggestion SG!

"RE: OTCC: Apricot Chicken Divine"
Posted by Tummy on 06-30-10 at 02:51 PM
I'll admit, I'm not a big baked chicken fan. But this was tasty. I did like it but I think I'm not raving about it because I tried to make it even healthier. (Since I'm not a fan of baked chicken I hated to blow calories and carbs I'm saving for the 4th of July cookout on chicken.) So I used sugar free preserves and I think I didn't quite reach the flavor of SG's intended meal.

I will say that if you're trying to find a dipping sauce to make your kids chicken nuggets healthier you should try this sauce.

I served this with brussel sprouts and the next day with broiled zucchini and it went well with both.

"RE: OTCC: Apricot Chicken Divine"
Posted by Starshine on 07-06-10 at 04:25 PM
Memo to self, apricot jam

For some reason this reminded me of Coronation Chicken

Sunning with the Cap'n

Just another Sleeperbloke

Watch out he's blogging again

"*SMACKS HEAD*"
Posted by qwertypie on 07-31-10 at 10:25 PM
Well, I feel less than smart. I was commenting to the family as we were having Pepe's Strawberry Salsa and fish dish that I was almost caught up with OTCC except I had to make the pineapple cake, except I have been searching and searching everywhere to find a tube pan and none of the stores seemed to have it. My 11 year old looked at me in disbelief and said "But you already have one -- isn't it that pan that is round with the hole in the middle with the fancy edges that make the cakes kind of look like a flower?"

*smacks head again* My daughter is so smart (I have no idea how she knew that was a tube pan, I have always called it a bundt pan).

So I could make it tonight, but it is rather hot and SammoWhammo threw the butter into the attic, so it will have to wait until tomorrow.

In my mind, I imagined a tube pan to be a tube with removeable lids on both ends to get a cylinder cake. D'UH!

"RE: *SMACKS HEAD*"
Posted by Silvergirl1 on 08-01-10 at 08:03 PM

That is funny. I never thought to call it a bundt pan, either, because I just copied the recipe. DH really loves the pineapple cake, and I think I should make it for him soon.


Sammo Whammo butter sounds good. Maybe we should come up with something edible to replace the fiberglass, and use it in recipes.

"RE: *SMACKS HEAD*"
Posted by Karchita on 08-01-10 at 09:23 PM
LAST EDITED ON 08-01-10 AT 09:25 PM (EST)

I have been meaning to try this cake, Silver Girl. Bundt cakes are one of my favorites. I have a very similar recipe using blueberries and a honey glaze that is delicious (from Joy of Cooking), so I want to compare. I appreciate the low fat recipe, but even so, if is hard to fit cake into the diet these days.

I think a tube pan, technically, has straight sides, like an angelfood cake pan, and may have a removable bottom. A bundt pan is fluted. For many recipes, you can use either, but you could run into problems using a bundt pan for a cake that is hard to remove. With a tube pan you can always run a knife down the side if you need to, but not with a bundt. Tapping or knocking the side can help loosen a stubborn cake from a bundt pan. For angelfood you really need an angelfood cake pan.

ETA: I think a bundt pan will work fine with this recipe. It's what I always use with my very similar one and when it's done the cake is pulling away from the sides of the pan a little bit.


Bouquet by c2p

"RE: *SMACKS HEAD*"
Posted by Silvergirl1 on 08-03-10 at 00:15 AM

I have one of those tube cake pans with the removable bottom, and that is what I use to make this cake. I've never had a bundt pan, and I don't know if this pineapple cake would come out of the pan easily.

I'm thinking of cutting the recipe in half and making it in a loaf pan, just because I don't know where the tube pan is right now.



The tube pan is in my cupboards somewhere, I just have to look.

"RE: *SMACKS HEAD*"
Posted by Karchita on 08-03-10 at 02:40 AM
LAST EDITED ON 08-11-10 AT 12:19 PM (EST)

When I make your cake, I'll use my bundt pan and let you know how it works. If it's well greased and floured, I bet it'll be fine.

ETA: It popped right out. A piece of cake.



Bouquet by c2p

"Hmmmmmm!"
Posted by qwertypie on 08-03-10 at 02:41 PM
It is in the oven now and smelling pretty good. I must make a disclaimer that I have horrible luck with cakes from scratch (they only one that has turned out is Moley's). So a quick question: how thick is the batter supposed to be? The batter was rather thick, like really thick (bread like). I used a fat-free balkan yogurt and I am wondering if that is why. I am sure it is going to be super delicious, but maybe a little denser than usual.
"RE: Hmmmmmm!"
Posted by weltek on 08-03-10 at 02:49 PM
I think bundt cakes in general are a little thicker, and homemade cake batter does tend to be thicker than a mix. Bread dough consistency seems a little heavy though. I'm curious now!


-A Tribetastic Creation

"RE: Hmmmmmm!"
Posted by qwertypie on 08-03-10 at 08:42 PM
Big hit!! I had to hide some of the cake for when Mr. Qwerty gets home with fresh coffee (this cake screams for coffee). I am not sure how high it was supposed to rise, mine rose about 2/3 of the pan, but this may have been due to using the thick balkan yogurt, or that I greased and floured the pan because I was worried about sticking (it didn't, btw -- popped out perfectly) I doubled the amount of syrup just because I wanted to use the leftover pineapple juice. In future, I may even accidently drizzle some grand marnier on the cake

It was very moist, delicious and definitely worth repeating. Thanks! I (and most definitley my family) really enjoy OTCC

"RE: OTCC: Apricot Chicken Divine"
Posted by weltek on 08-02-10 at 09:51 AM
This was on my agenda this week, but after boiling the house yesterday cooking Karchita's dish, I need to put this off until we either have the A/C on, or it cools off. I want to make both. The cake could be a good early Saturday morning recipe in a few weeks. Cake for breakfast.


-A Tribetastic Creation

"RE: OTCC: Apricot Chicken Divine"
Posted by Tummy on 08-02-10 at 10:40 AM
until we either have the A/C on

**boggle

"RE: OTCC: Apricot Chicken Divine"
Posted by weltek on 08-02-10 at 11:16 AM
Oh, we've had the A/C on this summer, just not often. It stays fairly cool inside (mid 70s) unless the humidity is up, or I use the stove. Before we left today, we turned on the A/C to keep the humidity out.


-A Tribetastic Creation

"Tried it, but no pics"
Posted by weltek on 08-10-10 at 12:26 PM
The chicken was an interesting change of pace. I think I should've used sour cream or full fat yogurt. I used Greek yogurt and it made for a grainy texture in the sauce. Loved the chunks of apricot jam with the chicken!

Will try the pound cake this weekend!


-A Tribetastic Creation

"Low Fat Pineapple Pound Cake"
Posted by Karchita on 08-11-10 at 12:03 PM
I love to bake and I was glad to see the opportunity to do some baking for OTCC. I made the cake for a party the other day. I followed the recipe except I used whole eggs, a little bit of non-fat sour cream since I only had 6 oz of yogurt, and lots of extra sauce. I thought it was good, but the pineapple didn't have much flavor and was a bit wet. I think I would prefer it with some other fruit. I baked it just a few minutes too long and it was dry, even with extra sauce.

In all honesty, this recipe was up against some stiff competition because of that similar recipe I have that I love. I am glad I tried it and it was interesting to see what small differences in a recipe yield, but it won't replace my recipe as my favorite. Sorry!

Thanks for sharing it, SG!


Bouquet by c2p

"RE: Low Fat Pineapple Pound Cake"
Posted by Tummy on 08-11-10 at 12:10 PM
I'm thinking that you need to share your recipe then!
"Low Fat Blueberry Cake"
Posted by Karchita on 08-11-10 at 12:17 PM
I hope SG doesn't mind. I would love to hear from others who tried both recipes and which they preferred.

Low Fat Blueberry Cake
(adapted from Joy of Cooking)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour Bundt or tube pan.

Sift together:

2¼ cups sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

In large bowl, beat until creamy, about 30 seconds:

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

Gradually add and beat on high speed until lightened in color and texture, 2-3 minutes:

1 cup sugar

Whisk together, then gradually beat in:

2 large eggs
1 large egg white
1 teaspoon vanilla

Add the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with, in 2 parts:

1 cup nonfat yogurt

Beat on low speed until smooth. Fold in:

1½ cups blueberries (or 1-2 cups other fresh or dried fruit)
½ cup almonds, chopped finely (optional)

Spoon batter into pan avoiding air pockets and spread evenly. Bake 25-45 minutes. After removing from oven, let cool 10 minutes, tap sides to loosen from pan, then invert onto a rack. Brush with honey glaze:

¼ cup honey
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Combine and heat on low power in microwave until boiling. Brush on warm or cool cake while mixture is still hot.


Bouquet by c2p

"RE: Low Fat Blueberry Cake"
Posted by Silvergirl1 on 08-11-10 at 02:34 PM

I will surely try this as I usually have blueberries in my freezer. I don't mind that you prefer your blueberry recipe. My DH is the one who really loves the pineapple cake, and it has never been dry when I've made it.

I have a feeling that the cookbook authors of Eater's Choice may have modified your recipe to make up their own pineapple version. Cooks have to start somewhere when creating a new recipe, and most of the time, it's a modification of an old tried and true recipe.


An IceCat original, 2009

"RE: Low Fat Blueberry Cake"
Posted by Karchita on 08-11-10 at 03:17 PM
The dryness could be all my fault. I do think I overcooked it, but only slightly, and this sort of bundt cake is usually very forgiving and turn out moist no matter what you do to them, which is the main reason they are my favorite. I am a pretty experienced baker, but who knows. If I were to be completely fair and thorough, I would make it again. But since there aren't that many cake-eaters in my household (just me, actually) and I am still watching my weight, that isn't going to happen.

I agree completely that there are very few new recipes under the sun. Now that I am using the internet a lot for recipe hunting, it's obvious how it happens. I see variation after variation floating about. I prefer to know the source of recipes and I noticed that you gave the one for yours. I wish more peeps would do that.

I did hesitate to say I preferred my old recipe. I've noticed that OTCC people generally don't post negative reviews, although there certainly must be some negative results from some of the recipes. That's ok with me; we probably all want to keep things postitive and don't want to hurt feelings. In this case, my result was only very slightly negative and only because I had such a high standard of comparison. Anyhow, I am glad you are cool with my comments.


Bouquet by c2p

"Coconut rum? Almond extract?"
Posted by weltek on 08-11-10 at 12:24 PM
I might add some coconut rum or almond extract to mine to make it a little more flavorful then.


-A Tribetastic Creation
"RE: Coconut rum? Almond extract?"
Posted by Karchita on 08-11-10 at 12:40 PM
LAST EDITED ON 08-11-10 AT 12:42 PM (EST)

Maybe a different fruit. The cake tasted good and was not overly sweet; it was just the pineapple that seemed to lack flavor to me.

My recipe is a bit sweeter, and the blueberries are much more flavorful. Dried apricots (chopped and soaked in hot water for a few minutes) would be good or some other fresh fruit.


edited to fix a comma splice. horrors!

"RE: Coconut rum? Almond extract?"
Posted by Tummy on 08-11-10 at 01:51 PM
Maybe you just got some bad pineapple.
"RE: Coconut rum? Almond extract?"
Posted by Karchita on 08-11-10 at 04:41 PM
I think it's just the canned pineapple. Fresh pineapple would be fun to try.


Bouquet by c2p

"Cake for breakfast!"
Posted by weltek on 08-15-10 at 10:44 AM
Yummmmmmmm. That hit the breakfast spot! Reading Karchita's review, I paid close attention to cook time/checking doneness and added more flavors (thanks, Karchita!). I only had raspberry yogurt, so I used that (had to also add a few Tbsp. light sour cream to make a cup). It didn't make a flavor or color difference, I don't think, but might be fun to play with flavored yogurts next time. I added about 1 tsp. more of orange peel and used coconut rum instead of vanilla.

The result was very flavorful and very moist. The only change I'd make next time would be to use pineapple tidbits or chops the chunks a bit. The big hunks were a little cumbersome when eating. I checked the cake at 30 minutes and it wasn't done. I checked again at 36 minutes and it was done.

FYI, yes, the batter is pretty thick, but it baked up nicely.

Thanks, Silvergirl. This is a great cake for company.


-A Tribetastic Creation

"RE: Cake for breakfast!"
Posted by Tummy on 08-15-10 at 11:22 AM
And look how cute it looks in that setting. I want to come over for cake!
"Wish you were here"
Posted by weltek on 08-15-10 at 01:26 PM
We could've dined patio. We've had our first perfect morning of weather in weeks...maybe months! It was even breezy enough to keep mosquitos at bay.


-A Tribetastic Creation