Hawaiian Chicken, Cooking Light

Early last year, one of Brad's aunts ordered me a subscription to Cooking Light magazine, knowing how much I enjoyed cooking. So far, every issue I have gotten, there is at least one recipe that has caught my eye and tempts me to stash it in my "To Cook" repertoire. Well lucky for the January 2011 issue, Hawaiian Chicken not only caught my eye but I also began to crave it and so of course, I had to make it right away.

Well due to my excitement, I forgot to take pictures. So the one picture that you get is directly from the Cooking Light website. Sorry about that! However, I am happy to repeat that the recipe did not disappoint! The chicken ended up being very flavorful and Brad noted that it was also quite moist/juicy...I don't remember the word he used exactly but you get the idea. Very good chicken and you would never know that it was "light".

A few notes; while reading the recipe I was confused about the directions in regards to the ingredient amounts and reserving marinade. How is it that you are supposed to pour the marinade over the chicken, reserving 1/4 cup when the amount of liquid in the marinade is only 1/4 cup itself? Well, somehow it ended up working where I had enough to pour over the chicken and still reserve the amount the recipe called for. Another note, I also chose to reduce the marinade to create a glaze for the chicken rather than attempting to "baste" it over the chicken as the recipe suggested. Not that I didn't think that it would work, or that my method would be better but rather that is just what I was craving :op. Oh yeah, and of course, I'm not a fan of ginger nor do we ever have it on hand so I omitted it. Either way, a great recipe and definitely a winner!

Cooking Light photo courtesy of John Autry; Styling: Cindy Barr

Hawaiian Chicken 

by Cooking Light

Total: 4 hours, 23 minutes
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 breast half and 1/2 cup rice)

Ingredients

• 1/4  cup  pineapple juice
• 2  tablespoons  ketchup
• 2  tablespoons  lower-sodium soy sauce
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  minced peeled ginger
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 4  (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• Cooking spray
• 3/4  teaspoon  salt, divided
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
• 2  cups  hot cooked long-grain white rice
• 1/4  cup  chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

1. Combine first 5 ingredients. Reserve 1/4 cup marinade; place remaining marinade in a zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken to bag; seal. Chill 4 hours.
2. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade in bag. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan; baste with 2 tablespoons reserved marinade. Cook 6 minutes. Turn chicken over; baste with 2 tablespoons reserved marinade. Cook 6 minutes.
3. Combine rice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cilantro.