Just like mom made - almost

Sunset, Jan, 1998 by Linda Lau Anusasananan

3. Set an 11- to 12-inch nonstick frying pan over medium heat. When pan is hot, lift chicken from marinade and place in pan. Cook chicken, turning to brown both sides, until no longer pink in thickest part (cut to test), 6 to 8 minutes total. Lift out chicken and set on a platter; keep warm.

4. Pour remaining marinade and 1/4 cup water into pan. Stir over high heat until boiling. Pour into a small bowl.

5. Serve chicken with rice; garnish with onions. Offer marinade to spoon over rice and chicken.

Per serving: 413 cal., 5.1% (21 cal.) from fat; 40 g protein; 2.3 g fat (0.6 g sat.); 54 g carbo (1 g fiber); 504 mg sodium; 88 mg chol.

Mother's White Beans

* "I grew up in Kansas. Mother would make navy beans to go with coleslaw, cornbread, and mashed potatoes - we ate them all on a plate. When I go home, she still makes them for me," says cowboy-poet and wildlife photographer Mike Logan of Helena, Montana.

Prep and cook time: About 25 minutes

Makes: 4 servings

3/4 cup chopped onion 1/3 cup chopped carrot 1 clove garlic, pressed or minced 1/3 cup (2 oz.) coarsely chopped cooked ham 2/3 cup chicken or vegetable broth 2 cans (15 oz. each) white beans (small whites or cannellini) Chopped parsley

1. In a 1 1/2- to 2-quart pan, combine onion, carrot, garlic, cooked ham, and broth. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and simmer over medium heat until the carrot is soft to bite, about 10 minutes.

2. Stir in beans and simmer, covered, over low heat until beans are hot, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Per serving: 181 cal., 12% (22 cal.) from fat; 16 g protein; 2.4 g fat (0.6 g sat.); 36 g carbo (11 g fiber); 973 mg sodium; 9 mg chol.

Arabian Meatballs in Broth

* "I'm Armenian, but I was born in Israel and lived in Iraq," says Zov Karamardian of Zov's Bistro in Tustin, California. "When I was growing up, my mother made dumplings with meat inside that she cooked in nice broth. I love that dish (kouba hamoud). Every time my mother comes, I make her cook it."

Prep and cook time: About 45 minutes

Makes: 4 servings

1/2 cup quick-cooking rice cereal (1/2 minute to cook) 1 cup minced onion 2 tablespoons minced garlic 1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste 6 cups beef broth 2 tablespoons long-grain white rice 3/4 pound ground lean (7% fat or less) beef About 1/2 teaspoon salt About 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves 2 tablespoons chopped parsley 2 tablespoons lemon juice

1. Mix rice cereal with 1/3 cup cold water; let stand at least 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a 5- to 6-quart nonstick pan, stir half the onion and 1 teaspoon garlic over medium-high heat until limp, about 4 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, broth, and rice. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until rice is tender to bite, 12 to 15 minutes.

3. As rice cooks, mix beef with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

4. Mix half the beef mixture with one-fourth of the rice cereal mixture, remaining onion and garlic, 1 tablespoon mint, and parsley.

5. In a food processor, whirl remaining beef mixture and remaining rice cereal mixture until it is a sticky paste.