Popular spice gives chicken pizzazz

I was looking for a new way to dress up boneless, skinless chicken breast. Everything but the Bagel spice is becoming very popular. It adds lots of flavor by just using this spice blend for the chicken. It can be found in the spice section of the supermarket. It’s a mixture of sesame seeds, dried onion flakes, garlic powder and poppy seeds. You can make your own using equal amounts sesame seeds and poppy seeds and a little less (about ¾ amount) of the remaining ingredients.

The spice mixture is also good on salads, veggies steak, pork or added to dips.

Helpful Hints:

• You can use chicken tenders or cutlets instead of chicken breast.
• Use any type of waxy potato such as yellow or gold for the potato salad.

Everything but the Bagel Chicken

Yield 2 servings. Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer.

3/4 pound boneless, skinless boneless chicken breast

Olive oil spray

4 tablespoons Everything but the Bagel spice blend

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with olive oil spray. Butterfly the chicken by cutting it almost in half horizontally and open it like a book. It should be about 1/2-inch thick. If it is thicker, flatten the breast with a meat mallet or the bottom on a heavy skillet. Place the chicken on the baking sheet and spray with olive oil spray. Sprinkle half the spice mixture over the chicken and spray the chicken again. Roast 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn the chicken over. Spray the second side and sprinkle the remaining spice mixture over the chicken. Spray the chicken once more. Return the tray to the over and roast 5 minutes. A meat thermometer should read 165 degrees. Roast a few minutes more if needed.

Per serving: 344 calories (46% from fat), 17.7 g fat (2.5 g saturated, 7.2 g monounsaturated), 126 mg cholesterol, 41.5 g protein, 5.3 g carbohydrates, 2.2 g fiber, 80 mg sodium.

Potato Salad

Yield 2 servings. Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer.

3/4 pound red potatoes cut into cubes (about 3 cups)

1/2 cup celery

1 green bell pepper cubes

1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 scallions, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)

Wash potatoes and do not peel. Cut them into 1/2- to 1-inch pieces. Place potato cubes in a large microwaveable bowl. Add 1/2 cup water. Cover with plastic wrap or a plate and microwave on high 5 minutes or until tender. Drain. Add the celery, green bell pepper, salt and pepper to taste and mayonnaise to the bowl. Mix well. Add the scallion and mix again.

Per serving: 235 calories (39% from fat), 10.1 g fat (1.5 g saturated, 2.3 g monounsaturated), no cholesterol, 4.3 g protein, 33 g carbohydrates, 4.5 g fiber, 268 mg sodium.