Fresh tomato-mayo sauce keeps chicken juicy, moist

Dress up chicken with this fresh tomato-mayonnaise sauce. Poaching the chicken and letting it cool in the liquid keeps the meat juicy and moist. It can be served hot or cold and, with this cooking method, it keeps well and tastes great the second day.

Mayonnaise gets a refreshing boost from fresh tomato pulp to make the sauce. Process the inside seeds and pulp of the tomato in a food processor and cut the outer flesh into cubes to top the chicken.

A quick rice salad rounds out the meal.

Poached Chicken With Tomato-Mayonnaise Sauce

3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth

1 large, ripe tomato

1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon

Place the chicken and broth in a small saucepan. (If the broth doesn’t cover the chicken, add water.) Bring the broth to a gentle simmer and cook the chicken for 10 minutes; do not bring the liquid to a hard boil. Let the chicken cool in the broth for 5 minutes. A meat thermometer should read 170 degrees.

Cut the tomato in half and scoop out the seeds and pulp. Process the seeds and pulp in a food processor or blender. There should be about 1/2 cup liquid. (If not, add a little tomato paste and water to make up the difference.) Cut the tomato flesh into cubes. Mix the tomato liquid with the mayonnaise until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Remove the chicken from broth, saving 1/4 cup of the broth for the rice. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Place on 2 dinner plates and spoon the mayonnaise sauce on top. Sprinkle with tarragon and tomato cubes.

Yield: 2 servings

Nutrition information per serving: 307 calories (42 percent from fat), 14 grams fat (2 grams saturated), 108 milligrams cholesterol, 37 grams protein, 6 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram dietary fiber, 445 milligrams sodium.

Rice Salad

1 1/2 cups water

1 cup 10-minute brown rice

1 sweet green bell pepper, seeded and cut into bite-size cubes (about 1 cup)

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/4 cup broth from poached chicken

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Stir in the rice, return to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.

Stir in the bell pepper, oil and broth, and season with salt and pepper. Fluff with a fork. Spoon the rice salad onto plates with the chicken.

Yield: 2 servings

Nutrition information per serving: 208 calories (16 percent from fat), 4 grams fat (1 gram saturated), 0 cholesterol, 5 grams protein, 39 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams dietary fiber, 77 milligrams sodium.