Chicken With Black Bean-Chipotle Sauce

MAIN DISH

Adapted from Canyon Ranch Nourish – indulgently healthy cuisine 

This is a wholesome filling dinner. If there are any leftovers, they can be used to create other dishes during the week. The chicken can be cut into strips and added to a salad for lunch, and the bean sauce can be used over tofu or brown rice.  In fact, try baking tofu in the chili powder sauce instead of the chicken. There’s a lot of leeway in terms of the spiciness. My family likes it on the relatively bland side, but it can be made as spicy as you like.

Served with a small salad and a side of quinoa, it makes a great dinner. We love cilantro, but if you think it tastes like soap, as many people do (it’s genetically determined), you can try using another herb you like. I might try basil.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients for the sauce:

4 Tbsp diced yellow onion
2 tsp minced garlic
14-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 – 2 tsp ground chipotle chile pepper, according to taste
1 cup low sodium vegetable stock
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro
up to 1 tsp sea salt

Ingredients for the chicken ( or tofu or tempeh) :

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp chili powder
4 four ounce skinless boneless chicken breast halves

Directions:

1. Preheat the grill or broiler. If you’re using tofu or tempeh, you can bake it in the toaster over at 425 degrees and watch for browning.
2. Lightly spray a large saucepan with canola oil spray. Sauté the onions and garlic over medium heat until the onions are translucent.
3. Add the black beans, chipotle, stock, tomatoes, cilantro and salt, and slowly simmer for 10-20 minutes or until the liquid is slightly thickened. Remove from the heat.
4. Combine the olive oil and chile powder in a small bowl and mix to form a paste. Rub the paste over the chicken breasts or tofu or tempeh.
5. Grill or broil the chicken for 5-7 minutes on each side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. See #1 above for vegan options.
6. Serve each chicken breast or with 4 tablespoons of black bean sauce.

Per serving: 330 calories; 29 gm carbs; 8 gm fat; 73 mg cholesterol; 37 gm protein; 11 gm fiber; 586 mg sodium, but depends on content of stock, canned tomatoes and added salt.