Some Like it Hot! (Curried Pineapple Chicken)

Now that I've got your attention, welcome to my first recipe blog post!

I made one of Jeremy's favourite meals for dinner. Ironically, he's not here to eat it so I'll let him drool from afar. When it comes to cooking, I am not really one for improvisation. I enjoy trying different recipes though. In particular, I am a big fan of Janet and Greta Podleski's low fat recipe books including Looneyspoons, Crazy Plates and Eat, Shrink and Be Merry. The recipe for the meal I made tonight is from the Looneyspoons cookbook. There are several Asian-inspired recipes in their books with ingredients like ginger, low fat coconut milk, and curry.

After living in Taiwan for four years, I have come to appreciate food with a bit more punch to it. The following recipe asks for curry powder and you can determine how hot you want your food by choosing either mild, medium or hot curry powder. There is also an option to add some red pepper flakes if you really want to add some kick.

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"A Curried Affair"

3 cups of chopped cooked chicken breasts
1 tbsp margarine
1 cup each chopped onions and chopped celery
1-1/2 tsp of curry powder
2 cans of reduced-fat cream of mushroom soup
1-1/2 cups of pineapple tidbits and their juice
1 tbsp chicken bouillon powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp black pepper (can also add 1/4 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes if preferred)

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Melt margarine in a large non-stick saucepan over medium heat.
  
• Add onions, celery and curry powder. Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes, until the onions begin to soften.
• Stir in undiluted soup, cooked chicken, pineapple tidbits (with juice), bouillon powder, cumin, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Mix well. Transfer the mixture to a medium casserole dish. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Serve over hot rice.
• Makes 4 servings.
• Per Serving: 459 calories, 8.1 g fat, 61.3 g carbohydrate, 32.6 g protein, 718 mg sodium, 82 mg cholesterol
• Calories from fat: 16.3%
  

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