Sweet-and-Sour Chicken-Apricot Skewers

Ingredients:

    1/2 cup apricot jam
    1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
    1/2 teaspoon dried basil
    1/4 teaspoon cayenne
    2 lemons (5 oz. each)
    1 pound boned, skinned chicken breast halves
    About 1/2 cup dried apricots
    Salt and pepper

Preparation:

1. In a small microwave-safe bowl, heat jam in a microwave oven at full power (100%) until melted, 30 to 45 seconds. Stir in soy sauce, basil, and cayenne.

2. Rinse lemons and cut crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Discard ends and any seeds.

3. Rinse chicken and pat dry; cut into 1-inch pieces.

4. Thread 2 pieces of chicken onto an 8- to 10-inch-long skewer. Fold 1 lemon slice around 1 dried apricot and thread onto skewer through both sides of lemon slice. Repeat to fill 4 skewers equally. Set skewers on a rack in a foil-lined 10- by 13-inch broiler pan. Brush jam mixture generously all over chicken and fruit.

5. Broil about 4 inches from heat, turning once, until chicken is no longer pink in the center (cut to test), 8 to 10 minutes total. If desired, set pan over high heat, add any remaining jam mixture, and stir, scraping up browned bits, until boiling; pour into a small bowl and serve with meat. Add salt and pepper to taste.