EATING TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT

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Chicken and Vegetables Provencale

1 small head cauliflower or broccoli
2 large ripe tomatoes, sliced
2 medium carrots, pared and thinly

sliced 1 large onion, thinly sliced 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided 1 tablespoon basil leaves, divided 1/2 teaspoon (or less) Lite salt' '/a teaspoon pepper '/z cup chicken broth 2 cloves garlic, minced Juice of 1 lemon 4 chicken breasts, skinned Or use regular table salt,Preheat oven to 350°F. Trim outer leaves and tough stalks from cauliflower; break into small pieces. Combine cauliflower, tomatoes, carrots, and onions in 2-quart shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon parsley, 2 teaspoons basil, salt, and pepper. Pour chicken broth over vegetables.

Make a paste of remaining 2 tablespoons parsley, 1 teaspoon basil, garlic, and lemon juice. This can be done by using a mortar and pestle or by chopping parsley and garlic finely and mixing with lemon juice and basil in a small cup or bowl with the back of a spoon. Spread paste over each chicken breast.

Fads come and go,but the basics remain: moderation, balance, and variety .

Place chicken over vegetables in baking dish; cover with foil. Bake 1'/2 hours, then uncover and brown. Baste chicken occasionally with pan juices during baking. Makes 4 servings.

It's a fairly simple recipe; you might serve it with rice, perhaps brown rice. So what's so unusual about it? It's a chicken dish, but not just a hunk of chicken in the center of the plate. It includes lots of vegetables:cauliflower, maybe broccoli, tomatoes, carrots. You could add more. The chicken breasts are cooked without skin (skin is mostly fat). If this mixture were served with rice, your dinner would consist mainly of complex carbohydrates, with a reasonable amount of protein and very little fat. You'd be getting grains and vegetables. Have a piece of fruit for dessert, wash it down with low-fat milk, and nutritionists would applaud you!

Or consider this pasta recipe from Eat Right, Eat Well-The Italian Way (Alfred A. Knopf, 1988, $19.95), by artist and author Ed Giobbi:

Spaghetti With Cauliflower

This recipe is of Sicilian origin and has a lovely delicate flavor.
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 cups chopped tomatoes, fresh if possible (drain if canned)
2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley
2 tablespoons yellow raisins, soaked in warm water for 15 minutes and drained
2 tablespoons pine nuts Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste o Hot pepper flakes to taste (optional)
1-1/4 pounds cauliflower florets 3-
3/4 pound spaghetti Chopped Italian parsley for garnish a Heat the oil in a medium skillet or shallow saucepan. Add garlic.

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