Honey, ginger and soy sauce lend a sweet-savory flavor to today's quick-cooked chicken. A coating of sesame seeds brightens the dish and adds crunch.

Toasted sesame seeds and sesame oil have a rich flavor. Instead of toasting the seeds, I buy a jar of them already toasted in the sushi section of the supermarket. Toasted sesame oil, found in the Asian section, is good to keep it on hand for flavoring vegetables and salads.

This meal contains 571 calories per serving with 32 percent of calories from fat.

Fred Tasker's wine suggestion: The sweet savoriness of the sauce calls for an off-dry wine like a riesling.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts can be used instead of thighs; cook to 170 degrees.

• Look for trimmed snow peas in the market's produce section.

• Green beans or broccoli florets can be used in the rice.

COUNTDOWN

• Make chicken.

• While chicken cooks, make rice.

SHOPPING LIST

To buy: 1 package sesame seeds, olive oil spray, 12 ounces trimmed snow peas, ¾ pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, 1 package microwaveable brown rice, 1 bottle sesame oil.

Staples: Honey, low-sodium soy sauce, ground ginger, salt, black peppercorns.

Linda Gassenheimer's latest book is The Portion Plan: How to Eat the Foods You Love and Still Lose Weight. Her website is dinnerinminutes.com.

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