Listen now to Chef Kevin’s suggestions and tips on how to create more exciting chicken dinners with what’s on hand in your kitchen.

Carole from Pleasantville wants something low cal, low fat and different to make with chicken breasts for dinner?

I have two suggestions:

First is chicken piccata. This is a quick and easy recipe — about 15 minutes, start to finish. It uses the technique of sautéing, which is quickly cooking something in a little bit of oil over medium-high heat. And it gives you the base for a delicious pan sauce. In the case of chicken piccata the sauce is composed of lemon juice and white wine.

Another option is marinating, which packs flavor directly into the meat. I would suggest Orange Glazed Chicken Breasts. In the recipe linked to here, I use Cornish game hens, but chicken breasts work just as well.

The marinade is made in advance, the chicken breasts soak in it overnight, and then the marinade is reduced to a glaze and used to coat the chicken breasts while they roast in the oven for about 30 minutes. The leftover glaze makes a delicious pan sauce.

Both dishes are about 500 calories a portion (depending on the size of the chicken breast).

You can find these recipes on my blog, seriouslygood.kdweeks.com: Chicken Piccata or Orange-Glazed Cornish Hens.

One key to being creative and developing new dishes is to learn new techniques and practice so you feel liberated and know how to use the ingredients you have on hand. I suggest calling ChefsLine and letting one of our chefs walk you through the process of pan sauteeing chicken step by step. Another great technique for chicken is to use a marinade for a pan sauce, as I discussed in the orange- glazed roasted chicken. That again is a technique that our chefs love to teach - just call us when your cooking for expert tips at 1-800-977-1224.