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Grilling Food In Foil Helps Retain Moisture

Charlotte Balcomb Lane Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service

Grilled Chicken Caesars in Foil gives hot-weather cooks the flavor of outdoor cooking with a delicious, low-fat meal that doesn’t require flipping, turning or basting.

This tasty combination of lean chicken breast, fluffy rice, ripe tomatoes, peppers and fresh herbs, topped with a garlicky fat-free Caesar dressing, is satisfying but gets just 27 percent of its calories from fat. And because the meat, rice and vegetables are sealed in foil, they stay moist and tender and aren’t exposed to the harmful carcinogens found in the black, grease-laden smoke of a charcoal fire.

Cook the packets after the charcoal is covered with gray ashes or around the edges of the grill to avoid exposure to high heat. If you have a gas grill with two interior racks, place the chicken on the highest rack, farthest from the heat source.

You can assemble the chicken packets up to eight hours in advance and store them in the refrigerator until cooking time.

Grilled Chicken Caesars in Foil

Nonstick cooking spray

3 chicken breasts, trimmed of all visible fat (about 14 ounces meat)

2 cups cooked rice, cooled

1/2 cup diced fresh tomato

1/2 cup diced fresh yellow, red or green bell pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

8 tablespoons fat-free Caesar salad dressing

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Tear off 4 pieces of aluminum foil, each about 12 inches long. Lightly coat the center of each piece with nonstick cooking spray.

Cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch or 1/2-inch pieces. Pile 1/2 cup of rice into the center of each piece of foil and top with 1/2 cup of the chicken. Top each portion with some of the tomato, bell pepper and basil. Pour 2 tablespoons of the Caesar dressing atop each portion and seal tightly inside the foil to prevent leaking.

Cook on a barbecue grill over low to medium-low heat, away from direct flame, for 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before opening the foil. Packets are done when the chicken is firm to the touch and opaque. (You also can bake the chicken in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes.)

Yield: 4 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 277 calories, 21 grams protein, 28 grams carbohydrate, 8 grams fat (27 percent fat calories), 83 milligrams cholesterol, 422 milligrams sodium.

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