Dinner options in 30 minutes or less

Chicken express
James Carrier
 Thai Chicken Pasta

Thai Chicken Pasta

If you think that purchased boned, skinned chicken breasts are the last word in time-savers, check out chicken breast nuggets and strips in the fresh poultry section of your supermarket.

Cut into bite-size chunks or slices usually no thicker than an inch, these petite breast pieces take advantage of an important principle of physics: smaller cooks faster. The payback ― even if the product is priced a little higher ― is time.

Chicken breast nuggets and strips are often available threaded on skewers, ready to broil or barbecue. Just baste with a favorite sauce.

The most important tip: Use high heat so meat cooks quickly ― and don’t overcook. Pieces are done as soon as they are no longer pink in the center. Even a few minutes more on the heat makes the meat dry and tough.

MORE IDEAS FOR NUGGETS AND STRIPS

• Coat chicken pieces with blackberry jam thinned slightly with balsamic vinegar and a little chopped fresh rosemary. Broil as directed in recipe instructions.

• Brush skewered chicken pieces with honey mustard. Broil or grill.

• Mix chicken pieces with purchased jerk sauce. Stir-fry your choice of vegetables, then chicken. Spoon over rice cooked in reduced-fat coconut milk.

• Flavor apricot jam with enough mustard to give it a bite, then thin slightly with lemon juice. Brush this glaze onto skewered chicken pieces. Broil or grill.

• On skewers, alternate chicken pieces with vegetables such as cherry tomatoes and chunks of green onions and bell peppers. Broil or grill.

• Use lively seasonings to enhance flavor. Dry rubs and liquid marinades soak instantly into these small pieces.

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