She cooks, she scores ; Celtics wife Shannon Allen shares kitchen secrets on 'Pregame Meal'

Shannon Allen believes there's no need to sacrifice flavor on the altar of good health.

In her new television show, "The Pregame Meal," which debuted last week on
Comcast SportsNet and NECN, the wife of Boston Celtics star Ray Allen prepares
delicious recipes that are also good for you -- with assistance from local
sports figures and celebrities.

Among those joining Allen behind the stove are Boston Red Sox third baseman
Kevin Youkilis, New England Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker, MIX 104.1 FM DJ
Sue Brady and superstar chef Ming Tsai of Wellesley's Blue Ginger. Plus, many
of Ray Allen's teammates show up.

While she whipped up a pot of turkey chili one recent afternoon in her
Metrowest kitchen, Allen said the idea for the show came from her own
experience cooking for her husband and family.

"I'm not a chef," she said. "I don't pretend to be. I'm just a busy mom who
has happened to be making a pregame meal for the past 15 years. I have a
husband who is a professional athlete and food is very important in getting
him to his next athletic performance."

Additionally, the discovery that one of her sons -- who's 4 years old -- has
type 1 diabetes brought a new awareness to Allen's approach to cooking.

"I never even knew what a carb was before Walker was diagnosed and I had no
idea how it impacted your body and your circulatory system, your pancreas,"
she said. "I didn't even know what blood sugar was. But you really have to
have a conscious effort and take responsibility for what you put in your mouth
because eventually it really does affect your overall health and wellness."

Allen's refrigerator and pantry are stocked with healthy ingredients.

"I try to use as many organic foods as possible," she said. "I try to stay
with the seasons. I love adding vegetables to recipes. I've cut back on using
oils and fats and I really try to keep our meals to a 30-50-20 split where I
try to do 50 percent protein, 30 percent carbs and 20 percent fat."

But one ingredient is common to all of Allen's dishes.

"The biggest thing I'd want anyone to know about the pregame meal, or any meal
that you make for anyone in your life, is to make sure you put a healthy
dollop of love in it," she said. "Don't be afraid to get in the kitchen. Don't
be afraid to try. Don't be intimidated. At the end of the day, it's just food;
you're going to devour it. But if you put love in your food, every single
time, people will walk away with a smile."

New episodes of "The Pregame Meal" air every Saturday at 11 a.m. For recipes
and more information, go to csnne.com or necn.com.

Shannon Allen's Turkey Chili

2 T. extra-virgin olive oil

1 vidalia onion, peeled and diced

1 red bell pepper, halved, cored, seeded and chopped

1 green bell pepper, halved, cored, seeded and chopped

1 jalapeno, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 T. chili powder

1 T. ground cumin

Kosher salt and fresh- ground black pepper

2 lbs. ground turkey

1 28-oz. can whole tomatoes, drained

1 15-oz. can red pinto beans, rinsed and drained

4 shakes Tabasco or other hot sauce

1 oz. unsweetened chocolate

1 handful fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

Coat a large stockpot with the oil and place over medium heat. When oil is
hot, add onion, peppers, jalapeno and garlic. Season with chili powder, cumin
and A teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook and stir until vegetables are tender
and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add ground turkey, breaking it up with a wooden
spoon, and cook until the meat begins to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the
tomatoes, crushing them through your fingers into the pot. Add beans, hot
sauce and chocolate. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thick,
about 10 minutes. Ladle chili into bowls and garnish with cilantro.

Serves 6.

Shannon Allen's Crispy Unfried Chicken

Nonstick cooking spray

2 chicken breasts

2 chicken thighs

2 chicken legs

1 c. buttermilk

2 T. Frank's Red Hot or other hot sauce, plus additional for serving

2 t. honey mustard

2 c. unsweetened rice flakes or cornflakes

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 t. dry mustard

1 t. onion powder

1 t. garlic powder

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Set an oven-safe wire rack on a large baking
pan and coat with nonstick cooking spray. Rinse the chicken in cold water and
pat dry. In a large bowl, mix buttermilk, hot sauce and honey mustard. Put
chicken in the buttermilk mixture, turning the pieces over so they are
well-coated. Marinate for at least 10 minutes, up to overnight (covered and
refrigerated). Put the cereal in a plastic resealable bag, season with A
teaspoon each salt and pepper. Add mustard, onion and garlic powders. Press
out the air and seal the bag. Using a rolling pin, crush the cereal by rolling
the pin over the bag until the flakes are broken up -- take care not to smash
too fine, you want some texture on the chicken. Spread the crumbs out on
plate. Remove the chicken pieces from the buttermilk, discarding the
buttermilk. Roll the chicken in the seasoned cereal crumbs until evenly
coated. Arrange the chicken pieces on the prepared rack and place in the hot
oven. Cook for 45 minutes. The juices should run clear when the meat is
pierced with a knife.

Serves 4.