EXPRESS LINE : Jiffy Dinner: Use the Old Pantry Ploy

ORIENTAL CHICKEN DINNER

Chicken Breasts With Oyster Sauce

Hot steamed rice

Fresh fruit

Almond Cookies

A basic strategy for fast-lane cooking is to have a well-stocked pantry. If you’re fond of Oriental flavors, for instance, keep Oriental staples on hand: soy sauce, sesame seeds and sesame oil, ginger, rice sticks, dried mushrooms, oyster sauce.

Not only will this cut down your shopping time, it can give you ideas for instant dinners, just as those seasonings inspired this one-pot chicken dish.

With a sharp boning knife and a pair of poultry shears you could bone the chicken breasts yourself, but if you’re really in a rush it may make sense to buy those premium-priced boneless breasts. Napa cabbage, Chinese pea pods, broccoli or bean sprouts make wonderful substitutes for (or additions to) bok choy. Rice is the perfect accompaniment for this meal; for speed, use one of the quick-cooking brands. For more flavor, steam the rice in chicken broth and add sliced green onions towards the end.

If you’re thinking ahead, remember that once the water is boiling a double batch of rice doesn’t take any longer to cook; you can freeze what’s unused for fried rice or rice salad. You could double the chicken breasts, too: Cut in strips and frozen, they’ll make a Chinese chicken salad made with crisp-fried rice sticks--next week’s Oriental meal. Fresh whole fruit or prepared cut-up fruit from the supermarket deli as well as almond cookies make a nice ending to the dinner.

Because preparation and cooking time is short, you could devote a little extra time in setting the table and give it an Oriental flair.

CHICKEN BREASTS WITH OYSTER SAUCE

Staples

1 clove garlic

1 tablespoon oil

1 onion

1 tablespoon soy sauce

Salt, pepper

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Shopping List

1 bunch bok choy

4 boneless chicken breast halves

1 small bottle sesame oil

1 small jar sesame seeds

1 small bottle oyster sauce

1. Mince 1 clove garlic. Cut 1 onion and bunch bok choy crosswise into 1/2-inch slices. (Use 3 cups sliced bok choy and save any remaining for soup or salad.)

2. Combine 4 chicken breast halves, 1/4 cup oyster sauce and garlic in bowl and mix well.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add chicken, skin side down, and brown 10 minutes, slightly covered.

4. Place onion slices around chicken. Turn chicken.

5. Add 3 tablespoons water and 1 to 2 tablespoons soy sauce to skillet.

6. Cover and simmer 10 minutes or until breasts are tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle chicken with 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, then transfer to warm plates. Keep warm.

7. Add bok choy to onion in skillet and stir-fry 5 minutes. Sprinkle with few drops sesame oil, 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add to chicken.

Makes 2 to 4 servings.