New Orleans’ chef Paul Prudhomme inspired this quick and easy Chicken Creole. It uses tomatoes, green pepper, celery and onions, the essential ingredients of Creole and Cajun cooking. During a recent interview, we talked about the difference between Cajun and Creole cooking. He said he grew up poor and lived in the country, but was always rich in food and family; that’s what Cajun cooking means to him. It’s robust country cooking. He said Creole cooking was fancier, city food, a combination of Spanish, French and African cuisines. Prudhomme’s delicious samples of the two cuisines inspired me to whip up this dish.

To keep the chicken from drying out, I sear it first to seal in the juices and remove it while the vegetables cook for a few minutes. I return the chicken to the skillet to finish cooking through in the sauce.

The amount of cayenne called for in the recipe gives a mild zing to the sauce. If you like it hot, add more cayenne or serve hot pepper sauce at the table so that each person can regulate their own heat.

This meal contains 610 calories per serving with 23 percent of calories from fat.

Wine suggestion: This multiflavored dish with high acid tomatoes and tangy veggies would be well matched by a red Chianti or a white Sauvignon Blanc.

SHOPPING LIST

Here are the ingredients you’ll need.

To buy: 3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, 1 green bell pepper, 1 small bunch celery, 16 ounces canned chopped tomatoes, 1 bottle Worcestershire sauce, 1 small bottle cayenne pepper and 1 small bottle hot pepper sauce

Staples: Olive oil, garlic, onion, dried oregano, long-grain, white rice, salt and black peppercorns.

Helpful Hints:

Buy good quality canned or packaged chopped tomatoes. The ones in the shelf-stable cartons have a real tomato flavor.

Slice the vegetables in a food processor fitted with a slicing blade or buy them from a salad bar.

I like to boil rice like pasta in a pot large enough to let the grains roll freely in the boiling water. This method gives fluffy rice every time.

Quick-cooking or microwavable rice can be used instead of the recipe below.

Countdown:

Place water for rice on to boil.

Make chicken dish and cover to keep warm.

Make rice.

TEN-MINUTE RICE1

TEN-MINUTE RICE

1/2 cup long-grain white rice

1 teaspoon olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot with 2 to 3 quarts of water to a boil. Add rice and boil, uncovered, about 10 minutes. Test a grain. Rice should be cooked through, but not soft. Drain into a colander in the sink. Run hot water through rice and stir with a fork. Mix in oil and salt and pepper to taste. Makes 2 servings.

CHICKEN CREOLE1

CHICKEN CREOLE

2 teaspoons olive oil

3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes

1/2 medium onion, sliced (1 cup)

1/2 green bell pepper, sliced

1 stalk celery, sliced

4 garlic cloves, crushed

2 cups canned chopped tomatoes

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Hot pepper sauce

Heat olive oil in a medium nonstick skillet on high. Add chicken cubes and brown on all sides, 3 minutes. Remove to a plate, lower heat to medium high. Add onion, green pepper, celery and garlic and sauté 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, oregano, Worcestershire sauce and cayenne pepper and return chicken to pan. Simmer 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spoon chicken and sauce over rice and pass the hot pepper sauce. Makes 2 servings.

Per serving: 421 calories, 58.2 grams protein, 19.6 g carbohydrate, 12.8 g fat, 28 percent of calories as fat, 6.5 g fiber, 144 milligrams cholesterol, 305 mg sodium.