Give a Tangy-Sweet Kick to Everyday Chicken

This classic approach to dressing up chicken is sure to please. A combination of honey and mustard, with a touch of thyme, adds a flavorful dimension to the familiar fowl.

Although it was long thought that the chicken was first domesticated in India, recent evidence points to Vietnam – well over 10,000 years ago. But no matter its origin, it is one of the most common domestic animals found on the planet, with a population of over 24 billion birds.

Whether you’re counting calories, fat grams, or your hard-earned pennies, chicken is a great low cost, low-fat protein source that is easy to prepare and delicious.

Dijon mustard provides the ‘tang’ for this week’s recipe. Made from husked black mustard seeds blended with wine, salt, and spices, Dijon is pale yellow in color and varies from mild to quite hot. Mustard is one of the oldest and most widely used spices in the world; today, over 400 million pounds of mustard are consumed every year around the globe.

The drippings, consisting of olive oil spread, mustard, and honey, make a perfect basting agent for the bird and ensure that the outside attains a somewhat crispy quality while the meat retains its moisture.

Easy to prepare, this main meal element goes well with almost any type of side dish, including roasted vegetables and a fresh green salad. It makes great leftovers and can be re-served cold or re-heated.

Honey-Dijon Chicken

– Makes 4 servings.

• 2 pounds chicken, cut up (or 1 pound boneless chicken breasts)
• 1/3 cup olive oil spread (0 trans fat variety)*
• 1/3 cup honey
• 3 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 3/4 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place chicken in a 13 x 9 baking dish.

Combine olive oil spread, honey, mustard, thyme, and pepper.

Spread honey-mustard mixture over chicken, coating it well.

Bake 1 hour, basting chicken with pan juices every 15 minutes until chicken is tender and golden brown.

Per serving: 338 calories, 14g total fat (3 g saturated fat), 23 g carbohydrate, 24 g protein, 0 g dietary fiber, 453 mg sodium.

*If you can’t find olive oil spread, simply mix 2 Tbsp olive oil with 3 Tbsp. 0-trans-fat tub margarine

The Author:

The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) is the cancer charity that fosters research on the relationship of nutrition, physical activity and weight management to cancer risk, interprets the scientific literature and educates the public about the results. It has contributed more than $86 million for innovative research conducted at universities, hospitals and research centers across the country. AICR has published two landmark reports that interpret the accumulated research in the field, and is committed to a process of continuous review. AICR also provides a wide range of educational programs to help millions of Americans learn to make dietary changes for lower cancer risk. Its award-winning New American Plate program is presented in brochures, seminars and on its website, www.aicr.org. AICR is a member of the World Cancer Research Fund International.