Light, minimalist dish employs shiitake mushrooms

Knight Ridder Newspapers

This light recipe for Chicken-Shiitake Cutlets is from "The Minimalist Cooks Dinner" by Mark Bittman. It serves four.

Chicken-shiitake cutlets

1/2 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms

2 medium cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped

1/2 cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

4 boneless and skinless chicken breast halves, cut into chunks

3/4 teaspoon dried Italian herbs, crushed

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons bottled plum sauce

Put dried mushrooms into bowl and cover with boiling water. Cover bowl and set aside 15 minutes, or until softened. Drain. Press out some of the excess liquid with a paper towel. (They don't need to be completely dry.) Chop coarsely and set aside. Put garlic into food processor and chop finely. Add cheese, mixing well. Then slowly add chunks of chicken, pulsing to chop. Do not puree mixture. Season with Italian herbs, pepper and salt. Add mushrooms, pulsing just to mix. Form mixture into 4 oblong patties about 1/2-inch thick. The cutlets can be prepared several hours in advance; place on a plate, cover loosely and refrigerate. Heat olive oil in large (10-to 12-inch) nonstick skillet over medium heat. When pan is hot, arrange cutlets in bottom and cook about 4 minutes per side, or until browned and cooked through. Spread each cutlet with about 1 1/2 teaspoons bottled plum sauce during the last minute of cooking time.

Note: The cutlets can also be served on toasted sandwich rolls with condiments.

Data per serving: calories, 242; protein, 30.41 g; fat, 11.12 g; carbohydrates, 4.21 g; sodium, 475 mg; saturated fat, 3.33 g; monounsaturated fat, 5.74 g; polyunsaturated fat, 1.19 g; cholesterol, 83 mg.