Low-Fat Salsa Chicken



Very exciting stuff, chopping green onions!

 
After I received a comment from someone on the 'basic nature' of the recipes I was posting, I felt I needed to reiterate the purpose of my project. I will have recipes for meatloaf, baked chicken, zucchini bread, cookies, and veggie dip among others. These are home-style family recipes which many of you already have. I just have never made them and want to be able to say in a years' time that I have accomplished that. You can doctor them up as you wish and some of them I have and will note it when I do.

This blog project is not about making gourmet foods (although I reserve the right to venture down that path in the future.) These are not cooking channel glossy magazine recipes. It is not about me cooking or rather stumbling through some famous chef's cookbook. This project is about cooking through my own families' recipes. Most are my Mom's, but some are my Nana's, sister's, cousin's, and John's family recipes too. I am learning about my extended family by cooking the recipes which were favorites of their families.

 

Chicken was a staple in my household.  Steak and London broil were for special occasions. Ham didn't happen except for maybe my Dad on Easter. We were as I see it, a culturally Jewish family who remained Kosher as best we could in a household where our father was Christian. So remaining Kosher came down to sometimes, ham on Easter and bacon on weekends.  Sheryl and my Mom shied away from the ham but I think they secretly snuck some bacon. I remember my Mom saying, "I can try a little bacon, it doesn't look like a pig." My Mom praised G-d when turkey bacon was invented.  

 

Anyway, back to chicken. Mom, as you will see, had recipes for baked chicken, chicken parmigiana, BBQ chicken (actually Dad's domain), and my Nana's potted chicken. We also had a liking for Kentucky Fried Chicken during the 70's. That mysteriously stopped. Me thinks that Mom was trying to direct us down a healthier path.  Thankfully we still had pizza once a week from Oak Valley Pizza but that become the extent of our fast food.

 

The only misstep that I can think that Mom made while cooking was her attempt at using left over chicken in scrambled eggs. Anyone else think that was ... um ... just an odd and weirdly unethical combination? Eggs and chicken, in one meal?  As it turned out, well let's just say it turned out bad.  Just didn't taste right even with lots of ketchup. Mom was mortified and we razzed her to no end. Even many years later, my brother Adam would bring up the chicken and scrambled eggs story and send the entire family into laughter.  Mom would just turn beat red and laugh with the rest of us.

 

 

Chicken ready to go into the oven.

 

For this week's family recipe, I made my mom's low-fat salsa chicken. It's not the most complex of recipes but it is a good tasty recipe that my Mom loved.  I used a mild salsa but if you want a kick, use a medium salsa or add some hot sauce. Mom made this recipe originally with grated Parmigiano cheese. I substituted a shredded low-fat Mexican blend of cheese and liked it more. I feel it gave it a more of a Southwest flavor.  Feel free to use whatever other seasonings you like. I just used some basic salt and pepper.

 

Low-Fat Salsa Chicken, lookin' good!

Low-Fat Salsa Chicken

From Mom (Abby Deeds)

 

¼ cup of sliced green onions (white part and a little of the green)

¾ cup of your favorite salsa (but you can be as generous as you want)

¼ cup of grated Parm cheese or shredded low-fat Mexican blend cheese (same thing here, use liberally if you like cheese!)

4 – 4 oz chicken breast halves

 

Preheat oven to 350'F

Place chicken in an 11 x 7 in. baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Spoon salsa evenly over chicken; top with green onions.

Sprinkle with cheese.

Cover and bake at 350'F for 30 minutes.

Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes or until chicken is done.

Serve over hot cooked rice or with baked potatoes.

Serves 4.