The Easy Diabetes Diet Plan Cookbook - Chicken in Tomato Concasse with Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Chicken in Tomato Concasse with Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

Tomatoes, 3 large ones for one serving

Tomato paste

Garlic

Shallots

Basil

Chicken Stock, about ¾ of a litre

Chicken breast

Sweet potatoes, just one medium potato for one serving

Parsley

Pepper          

Olive oil

Preparation:

The first thing that you need to prepare for this recipe is the tomato concasse which is a classic tomato sauce. If you’re lacking for time, you can prepare this the night before or even days before and just stick it in the fridge.

To prepare the sauce, wash the tomatoes, the basil, and the shallots. Prepare the chicken stock; low sodium ready-to-eat chicken stock will do. 

Prepare an ice bath for the tomatoes. Core the tomatoes then shock them in boiling water, about 20 to 30 seconds will do. Take them out and place them in an ice bath to stop the cooking process. With a small knife, gently peel the skin from the tomatoes; they should come off easily. After that, you can quarter the tomatoes and remove the seeds then chop them up further into smaller pieces, about half a centimetre.

Chop up both the shallots and the garlic finely. Chop the basil into thin strips. In a small saucepan on low heat, pour a little olive oil. When the oil is hot enough, add the shallots and cook until translucent then add the garlic. Add tomato paste and allow it to cook until the oil takes on a reddish color. That’s when you add the tomatoes. Give it a toss then add the chicken stock, enough to cover the ingredients, and let everything simmer until it takes on a more sauce-like consistency. Season to taste with a little salt and pepper and save the basil for last. This sauce is a very basic tomato sauce recipe and can be used for just about everything. You can also modify it with other seasonings like paprika or cayenne or with herbs like cilantro or thyme.

To prepare the chicken, heat up some chicken stock in a small sauce pan, enough to cover the chicken breast. When the stock is hot enough that it is giving off steam and forming small bubbles on the bottom of the pan, add the chicken and let it cook. This cooking method is called poaching while floating in liquid. The key here is to have the temperature of the liquid just below a simmer.

For the sweet potatoes, just cut them up into cubes, drizzle with some olive oil and chopped up parsley and season. Place them in a baking tray and allow them to cook in an oven at 180°C until golden brown. Enjoy!

 This is an excerpt from the book: The Easy Diabetes Diet Plan Cookbook