Monday, October 18, 2010

Southwest Chicken, Broccoli



This is a little different than the other chicken with black beans and corn that I've made in the past. Depending on how hungry you are, this makes 2-4 servings.

Chicken

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 can (15 oz) black beans (I use Bush's Seasoned Black Beans, drained but not rinsed)
1 can (8.75 ounces) corn (drained) or frozen corn
Dash of cumin (optional)
Chopped cilantro (optional)

Pat chicken breasts dry. Spray with non-stick cooking spray and season with salt and pepper on both sides.

Over med-high heat, heat skillet. Spray with non-stick spray. Place chicken in pan and brown chicken on both sides, turning once.

Add tomatoes, beans, and corn to pan. Reduce heat and let simmer 15-20 minutes (turning once during cooking time) until chicken is cooked.

Remove chicken from pan. Add a few dashes of cumin and stir. Add chopped cilantro (as much as you like).

Broccoli: we're fans of broccolini which has a more "buttery" flavor. We steamed it with a little water in the microwave for about 5 minutes and seasoned it with salt and pepper.

Rating: It's a trifecta of cooking...Uber easy to make....Delicious....and Filling! Can you ask for anything more?

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Steak with Chimichurri Sauce, baked yukon potato, okra and tomatoes


Since we're counting calories, we chose a very lean cut of steak (top round). The original recipe called for Flank Steak. You can really use any cut you like. Recipe serves 4.

Chimichurri Sauce:

In a bowl, mix together:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 Tbsp parsley, fresh, Italian, minced
2 Tbsp scallion(s), green parts only, minced
1 medium garlic clove(s), minced
Salt and pepper to taste

Steak:

1 pound steak
1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed with side of a knife
salt and pepper to taste

Rub both sides of steak with smashed garlic clove; discard garlic.
Season steak with salt and pepper.
Grill or Broil steak for 4 minutes (less if using thin-cut)
Flip and broil on second side 3 minutes more

Thinly slice steak against grain and serve with sauce on the side.

Yukon Gold Potato: poke holes in potato and microwave for about 4 minutes (for small potato), 5-6 min for a larger potato. Yukons have a delicious flavor!

Okra with Tomatoes: Found in the frozen food section! A low-calorie filler! Just heat up and season with salt and pepper.


Rating: Well, we licked the sauce bowl clean if that tells you anything :) Add it to our list of favorites!!

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Moroccan Chicken with Apricots and Squash



Choose a sauce pan that has a lid and can be transfered to the oven. Alternatively, you can make the entire thing in a slow cooker. This will make 4 servings.

1 pound chicken boneless skinless chicken breasts (four 4-0z pieces)
Salt and pepper chicken to taste.

Coat cooking pan with non-stick cooking spray + 2 tsp olive oil. Heat over medium heat.

Add:
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon


Cook spices 30 seconds-1 minute stirring often.

Add chicken to pan. Cook 2 minutes per side. Remove chicken from pan and set aside on a plate.

To the pan, add:
1 large Vidalia onion(s), chopped
2 cup(s) butternut squash, peeled and cut into1/2-inch cubes (about 3/4 lb)


Stir and scrape the pan to incorporate the brown bits and pan drippings as the onion and squash cooks. Cook about 10 minutes on med-low heat until onion is translucent and squash has softened.

Stir into the squash mix:
3/4 cup uncooked jasmine rice, or basmati rice
3/4 cup dried apricot halves , roughly chopped


Place Chicken on top

Pour in 1-1/2 cups canned chicken broth

Bring to a boil for one minute.

Cover the pot and place in a 400 degree oven to cook for 25 minutes. Add more chicken broth 1/2 way through if the rice needs more moisture.

Garnish with minced cilantro

Rating: YUM-DILLY-ICIOUS! The fragrance while cooking will have you salivating until this dish is ready!!