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Low-Fat Cooking

A taste of summer

The gingered watermelon salsa served with this spicy chicken dish is a creative way to conjure up the fresh taste of summer as fall starts to creep in. The recipe will satisfy the palate and do no damage to the waistline.

The low-fat recipe is from Cooking Light magazine. If the cook sensibly prefers to shorten time spent in the kitchen, a note points out that you can use a container of cut-up watermelon from your supermarket; then all you have to do is cut the chunks into small pieces.

* While the liquid from the salsa is tasty, you might want to use a slotted spoon when you serve the salsa. Serve chicken on a bed of jasmine or basmati rice.

For the chicken:

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

1 to 2 tablespoons chili sauce with garlic

1 tablespoon dark sesame oil

Four 6-ounce skinless, boneless chicken-breast halves

For the salsa:

2 cups diced seeded watermelon

1/4 cup diced yellow bell pepper

2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger

2 teaspoons mirin (sweet rice wine)

1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

Remaining ingredients:

1/4 teaspoon salt

Cooking spray

Cilantro sprigs, optional

Lime wedges, optional

To prepare chicken: Combine soy sauce, chili sauce and sesame oil in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken to bag, seal and marinate in refrigerator for 1 hour, turning bag occasionally.

Prepare grill.

To prepare salsa: Combine watermelon, bell pepper, onions, cilantro, ginger, mirin, lime juice, salt and jalapeno; cover and chill until ready to serve.

Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Place chicken on a grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from grill; let stand 5 minutes. Cut chicken diagonally across grain into thin slices; serve with salsa.

Garnish with cilantro sprigs and lime wedges, if desired. Makes 4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half and about 1/2 cup salsa).

Nutrition information per serving: 247 calories, 4.6g fat (0.9g saturated), 40.2g protein, 8.7g carbohydrates, 0.7g fiber, 99mg cholesterol, 722mg sodium.

[Last modified September 20, 2005, 11:01:21]