Working my way through my family's 1970s-era cookbook, I've encountered plenty of chicken recipes. Considering the divine bird's cheapness and versatility, I can see why my mom and her sisters relied so heavily on it. Though chicken has less fat than most other meats, the way mom cooked it -- loaded up with oil, butter and grease -- rather compromised the health factor I like to bring to the table.

Aunt Evie's Chicken Stroganoff recipe is a perfect example. The batch I made utilized liberal amounts of sour cream and butter and sat leadenly both on my palate and in my stomach. Moreover, the vegetables were somewhat limp and bland. In this modified version, I swapped butter for olive oil, cut way back on sour cream, and integrated veggies into the gravy for a rich, thick sauce that was extremely flavorful and surprisingly light. Paprika, as shown at right, lent an unexpected kick to leaven the heaviness.

I served Aunt Evie's classic with brown rice and slivered green beans, but it's also great with egg noodles, spaetzle or your starch of choice. Enjoy!



Chicken Stroganoff
3 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Paprika, black pepper, and salt to taste
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbs dijon mustard
3 med tomatoes, diced
3 med onions, chopped
1/2 cup sherry
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
3 tbsp sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Season chicken breasts with paprika, pepper and salt to taste. Saute in olive oil over medium heat in a dutch oven. Add mustard, tomatoes, onions and sherry. Cover pan, drop heat to medium low, and adjust to simmer for 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

When chicken is fully cooked (when meat is pierced, its juices run clear), remove it to a platter and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Allow pan juices and vegetables to cool, then pour into a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Strain through a sieve or chinois strainer. Return to heat, add mushrooms and cook on low heat until thickened to the consistency of pasta sauce. Add sour cream, return chicken to pot and cook until chicken is heated through. Salt and pepper to taste.