Honey-Lemon-Rosemary Chicken

Chicken breast is a great way to get lean protein in your diet. The problem is, it can become boring so quickly! Not only that, a plain old chicken breast can look so bland and pallid on your plate...it's enough to make me lose my appetite! So, I've decided to make it a personal goal to create interesting ways to prepare and present chicken breast. One of my recent recipes along with theme was my balsamic-apple glazed chicken, which was really delicious. Here is another way to prepare chicken with herbs, honey, and lemon. I love how the sugars in the honey help the chicken to become browned and crispy in spots. This chicken is so simple to prepare and makes great leftovers to go in salads for lunch the next day.

Honey-Lemon-Rosemary Chicken
Printable Recipe

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, each breast cut into 2 fillets (about 1 lb total)
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tsp coarse grain mustard
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp crushed dried rosemary
2 cloves garlic, smashed
pinch of kosher salt and pepper
non-stick cooking spray

1. Combine the honey, juice, mustard, oil, rosemary, garlic and salt and pepper in a gallon-sized plastic bag. Mush the marinade ingredients together, then add the chicken. Marinade at least 30 minutes.
2. Preheat broiler and cover a baking sheet with foil. Spray the foil. Remove the chicken from the marinade, allowing the excess to drip off, and place the chicken on the baking sheet in a single layer.
3. Broil the chicken on the first side 4-inches from the heating source until it's golden. Flip the chicken and cook it on the second side until it's golden as well.

• Servings per recipe: 4
• Serving size: 2 fillets
• Calories: 308
• Fat: 10.8 g
• Saturated fat: 2.6 g
• Cholesterol: 101 mg
• Sodium: 105 mg
• Carbohydrates: 19.6 g
• Sugar: 17.8 g
• Protein: 33 g

Creamy Ricotta Pasta with Spinach, Peas, and Peppers

I was cleaning out my SD memory card from my camera and found some pictures of recipes I made while I was at home for winter break! I just never finished the blog entry...probably because I was too busy having fun with my family. Anyway, here is one of the recipes I made. It was a pasta dish made with shell pasta (conchiglie, they might also be called). I like using shell pasta when I make pasta with peas because sometimes the peas get stuck inside the shells, which looks cute. I made this to use up leftover ricotta cheese as well as some random vegetables that were in the fridge (bell peppers, spinach, and some peas). This pasta is great because it's light-tasting and doesn't have tomato sauce, for a change of pace. This would be a great substitute for macaroni and cheese, which can be caloric. The vegetables in this dish add bulk, which makes it seem like you can have a larger portion of pasta than what you're getting!

Creamy Ricotta Pasta with Spinach, Peas, and Peppers
Printable Recipe

1 1/2 cups uncooked small pasta, preferably whole wheat
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup minced onion, any color
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
1 cup part skim ricotta cheese
3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded fresh spinach
1 tbsp shredded fresh basil
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Cook the pasta in salted, boiling water according to package directions, reserving 1 cup of cooking liquid before draining the pasta. The peas can be added in the last few minutes of the pasta cooking in order to thaw them, if they are not thawed already.
2. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the oil, allow it to warm, then add the garlic, onion, and peppers. Saute the vegetables until they are tender.
3. Add the cooked pasta, the cheeses, some salt and pepper, and enough pasta cooking water to help the cheeses start to melt. Once the pasta and vegetables are coated with cheese, add the spinach and basil and toss them with the pasta until they are wilted.

• Servings per recipe: 4
• Per serving:
• Calories: 243
• Fat: 10.7 g
• Saturated fat: 4.4 g
• Cholesterol: 40 mg
• Sodium: 160 mg
• Carbohydrates: 23.9 g
• Fiber: 2.5 g
• Sugar: 2.4 g
• Protein: 12.8 g

Balsamic Chicken Drumettes

A couple of weekends ago, the biology grad department invited a distinguished alumna to have a meet and greet with us and talk to us about life after grad school. Of course, that included several social events, one of which was a potluck. For my contribution, I prepared chicken wings because I wanted something substantial. I had just seen Giada de Laurentiis prepare these chicken wings earlier in the week, and I couldn't get my mind off of them. They looked so sticky and decadent I knew my friends would like them. The one major change I did to this recipe was after preparing the wings I stashed them in a warm crockpot (slow cooker) so they'd stay warm all night. Also, this recipe makes a lot of sauce, so I added more drummettes than called for in the recipe (I also made a double batch!) For these, I used the meatier drumette instead of a mixture of the drumettes and wingettes (the wingette would be the one with the two little bones, and the drumette is the one with the one larger bone). I don't think the smaller wing cut would stand up to roasting as well as the meatier drumette. These were a real crowd-pleaser, especially with the guys...it seems as if most guys can't resist a chicken wing!


Balsamic Chicken Drumettes
Printable Recipe

1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup honey
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
10 sprigs rosemary
10 garlic cloves, smashed
30 chicken drumettes (about 3 lbs)
4 tbsp sesame seeds
non-stick cooking spray


1. Combine the balsamic vinegar, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, rosemary sprigs, and garlic cloves, in a large, re-sealable plastic bag. Shake the bag to dissolve the honey and the brown sugar. Add the drumettes to the bag and seal with as little air as possible in the bag. Place the bag in a bowl to protect your refrigerator from leaks, then place in the refrigerator and marinate for at least 2 hours.

2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

3. Place the chicken drumsticks on a foil-lined baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Bake until the skin is caramelized, about 30 to 35 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, strain the marinade and place the marinade in a saucepan (the saucepan should be about double the volume of the marinade because this can boil over easily!). Bring the marinade to a boil (in order to kill bacteria). Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until thick, about 15 minutes. 

5. To serve, brush each drumette with the reduced marinade and sprinkle with sesame seeds. If using a crockpot, preheat the crockpot then place a single layer of chicken on the bottom. Pour over some sauce and then add a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Keep layering the chicken, sauce, and seeds until the crockpot is full. Keep warm.

• Per drumette:
• Calories: 151
• Fat: 4 g
• Saturated fat: 1 g
• Cholesterol: 40 mg
• Sodium: 281 mg
• Carbohydrates: 50.1 g
• Sugar: 14.1 g
• Protein: 13.7 g

Hearty Black Bean, Corn, and Chicken Soup

I know the first day of spring a hearty soup recipe may not go together, but I have been suffering with a cold going on two weeks now and I still need some comfort foods. I have been craving protein and spices since I haven't felt well, so I took both of those cravings and combined them in a soup thickened with black beans to make it rich yet light and healthy (sort of like my broccoli and cheese soup). This soup can of course be made vegetarian by using vegetable broth and removing the chicken or replacing the chicken with a protein source of your choice.

Hearty Black Bean, Corn, and Chicken Soup
Printable Recipe

1/2 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 green chili, chopped (optional)
1 15.5-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground coriander
1 chicken breast, cooked and finely cubed or shredded
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
non-stick cooking spray
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray and add the onion and garlic. Saute until tender.
2. Add the beans and 2/3 of the broth, the cumin, chili powder, coriander, and some salt and pepper to the onion mixture and allow it to simmer 10 minutes.
3. Remove most of the bean mixer to a blender (except for about 1/2 cup of beans) and blend until smooth.
4. Add the pureed beans to the saucepan with the whole beans along with the remaining broth, the chicken and the corn. Simmer the soup for 10 more minutes over medium heat until the corn is thawed and the flavors are combined.

• Servings per recipe: 2
• Per serving:
• Calories: 389
• Fat: 5.8 g
• Saturated fat: 1.4 g
• Cholesterol: 96 mg
• Sodium: 223 mg
• Carbohydrates: 36.5 g
• Fiber: 7.6 g
• Sugar: 3.6 g
• Protein: 47.6 g

Spring Break Update

This week was Spring Break, and mine was jam-packed with a little work, a lot of fun, and some good eats.

First off, my family came for a visit. I was anticipating spending the whole week at my field site and they were going to be there to accompany me, but in combination of the facts that I had a seriously bad head cold and that my plants just weren't really ready to census, I came back from Tallulah Gorge early.

Being St. Patrick's Day is a big day for Savannah, we headed to Savannah the day before to look at the city all greened up for the holiday without the crowd. Many of the fountains in the city were filled with green water, such as the one in Forsyth Park.

While in Savannah, of course we went to Fresh Market to stock up on some delicious snacks: roasted (and psychadelic green!) edamame, yogurt-covered pretzels, raw pumpkin and sunflower seeds and spices. It's a good thing we went to Savannah the day before St. Patrick's because the next day was so rainy and yucky. Instead, we headed up to Augusta because I needed a couple of special outfits for a talk and a poster presentation that are coming up for me in the next two weeks.

My favorite day was a day spent in Charleston, SC. We got off track despite our GPS and found ourselves in the French Quarter by the battery. I had been in Charleston before over 10 years ago, and we totally missed this section! We were down by Ft. Sumter and the Rainbow Row houses, but the French Quarter area was so much more charming, and not to mention oozing with an older history (a combo of Revolutionary War and Civil War).

We found the City Market on Meeting St., where I got a new pashmina (the grey one, below) for a souvenir. Yesterday we headed down to Jekyll Island, which is a nice quiet place with very little development. My favorite spot on the island is called the driftwood beach, which has all sorts of large, bleached-white pieces of driftwood all up the shoreline.

Brunswick, GA is just a few minutes from the island and we found a cute little beer and wine store called True Vine where I got a sweet South African rose which I will be sure to enjoy...I hope to head back to that store again sometime because they carry some of my favorite beers and wines (mainly Wood Chuck Pear cider and catawba wine). We headed into Savannah one final time and enjoyed dinner at Moon River, which is supposedly very haunted by ghosts, but has reasonably-priced pub food.

I'm so glad my family came down to see me and that I am in better shape health-wise for their coming here. I'm sure the ocean and mountain air helped me to feel better, and I needed a break like nobody's business! Now, my nose is going back to the grindstone because I have a virology exam and I'm giving my first talk at a seminar this week. I hope to post some recipes again soon!

Chili-Rubbed Steaks and Pan Salsa

One of my favorite healthy recipe sites is eatingwell.com. The recipes on that site are consistently delicious. One recipe that I found recently featured a steak covered with a warm salsa made in the pan the steaks were seared in. While any 1/2-inch thick steak would work for this recipe, to keep it healthy you want to use something lean, such as London broil or flank steak. Both of these cuts of beef have become so popular that naturally the prices have gone up on these once inexpensive cuts. The cut of beef I chose for this recipe was a boneless sirloin tip steak. The reason I chose this one because 1) it was over $2 cheaper than the flank steak and London broil, 2) the muscle graining was long, just as with the flank steak, which, if cut against the grain, would make tender slices, and 3) it looked really fresh. When it comes to recipes like these, you can have some creative leeway on the cut of meat, with freshness and price being the most important things to focus on.

When making this steak, I added cumin to the original recipe because it is my absolute favorite spice and I knew it would make a nice addition to the spices rubbed on the meat. The steaks were juicy and nicely spiced. The warm salsa was the perfect touch to these tender slices of steak. I served this with steamed asparagus and some sweet potato fries.

Chili-Rubbed Steaks and Pan Salsa
Printable Recipe

8 oz 1/2-inch thick lean steak, such as flank steak, London broil, boneless sirloin tip, etc...
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp coarse-ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 plum tomatoes, diced
2 teaspoons lime juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

1. Sprinkle both sides of the steak with the chili powder, cumin, pepper, and half of the salt.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the steaks. Sear the steaks for 1-2 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Transfer the cooked steak to a plate and cover with foil to allow it to rest.
3. Meanwhile, add the tomatoes, the remaining salt, and lime juice to the pan the steaks were cooked in and saute for about 3 minutes. Then, remove the foil from the steak and transfer any meat juices to the tomatoes and add the cilantro to the tomatoes.
4. Slice the steak thinly against the grain and top with the salsa.

• Servings per recipe: 2
• Per serving:
• Calories: 174
• Fat: 9 g
• Saturated fat: 3 g
• Cholesterol: 60 mg
• Sodium: 336 mg
• Carbohydrates: 4 g
• Fiber: 1 g
• Protein: 20 g

Roasted Portobello Mushroom Quesadillas

In my previous post, I showed you a recipe for roasted portobello mushrooms, which were simple to prepare and delicious. Those mushrooms made great leftovers and I used them to make a fully-loaded quesadilla, stuffed with the mushrooms, two types of cheese, and juicy tomatoes. This was an easy, healthy meal that I enjoyed while watching tv after a busy day.





Roasted Portobello Mushroom Quesadillas
Printable Recipe

1 small or half a large roasted portobello mushroom cap
1 8-inch whole wheat or multi-grain tortilla
1/8 cup shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
1/8 cup shredded reduced-fat provolone cheese
2 tbsp seeded chopped tomato
garnishes: sliced avocado, reduced fat sour cream, salsa, chopped cilantro
non-stick cooking spray

1. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat and spray it with cooking spray.
2. If using a leftover mushroom, re-heat it in a small skillet or microwave. Then, slice it thinly.
3. Place the tortilla in the skillet and place one of the cheeses onto one half of the tortilla. Lay the mushrooms on top, then add the tomatoes and the other remaining cheese.
4. Fold over the bare half of the tortilla on top of the fillings and cook until the first side is golden brown. Gently turn the quesadilla to the other side and allow it to cook until it's golden brown and all the cheese is melted.
5. Remove the quesadilla from the skillet and allow it to rest for a minute, then cut it and arrange it on a plate with your favorite garnishes.

• Calories: 254 (without garnishes)
• Fat: 9.1 g
• Saturated fat: 3.6 g
• Cholesterol: 15 mg
• Sodium: 326 mg
• Carbohydrates: 27.5 g
• Fiber: 3.4 g
• Sugar: 3.5 g
• Protein: 15 g

Roasted Portobello Mushroom Salad

One of the signals of the coming of springtime for many people includes the observation of lent. Some people choose to give up one of their personal vices during the time of lent, while other people give up meat or choose fish on Fridays. If meat is something that plays a major role in your usual diet, the sudden loss of this food group may leave you questioning what you can fill that gap with, preferably without turning to those fast food fried fish specials!

I have for you a healthy recipe that can fill those meat-less gaps in your diet (or perhaps just add some variety to your meals): roasted mushrooms. As many vegetarians know, mushrooms have a meatiness to them that can go as far to satisfy even those who think themselves to be carnivores. Here, I'm sharing a recipe adapted from the book Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero. This recipe is for marinaded, roasted portobello mushrooms. The great thing about this recipe is that, not only is it easy, the roasted mushrooms can be used for a variety of purposes and they refrigerate well, so you can make a large batch of them to use for a few days. I chose to use these mushrooms in a hearty main-course salad with chickpeas and avocado, dressed with a dijon-maple vinaigrette. This recipe makes 4 main-course servings or 8 side salad servings.

I made these mushrooms sans the 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil to cut back on the fat. I really don't think you need it, but if you like the extra oil, you can add it back in.


Roasted Portobello Mushrooms
Printable Recipe

Marinade:
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
freshly ground black pepper

2 large or 4 small portobello mushroom caps, stems trimmed and caps cleaned of any dirt

1. Combine all marinade ingredients in a glass casserole dish.
2. Place the mushrooms into the marinade upside down and spoon some marinade into the cap.
3. Marinade 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
5. Cover the casserole dish with foil and bake 30 minutes. Then, remove the foil and bake 10 more minutes.
6. Serve these mushrooms fresh from the oven as burgers or allow to cool slightly and add to salads. 

• Servings per recipe: 4
• Per serving:
• Calories: 21
  
• Fat: 0.2 g
  
• Saturated fat: 0 g
  
• Cholestrol: 0 mg
  
• Sodium: 454 mg
  
• Carbohydrates: 3.1 g
  
• Fiber: 0.7 g
  
• Sugar: 1.1 g
  
• Protein: 2.4 g

"Pardon me, but do you have any..." (you know how it goes---I just watched Wayne's World so I couldn't resist!). The little jar on the left is what I use to shake salad dressing. I love Grey Poupon so much I had to buy the behemoth jar, which is on the right.

Roasted Portobello Mushroom Salad
Printable Recipe

Dressing:
1/4 cup dijon mustard
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tbsp pure maple syrup

Salad:
8 cups salad greens (I like spinach and romaine for color and texture contrast)
1 avocado, peeled and diced
1 small red onion, cut into thin half-moons
1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 batch roasted portobello mushrooms, sliced

1. Whisk all dressing ingredients together in a small bowl or add to a dressing cruet (or old jar!) and shake.
2. Toss the dressing with the green avocado, onion, and beans. Arrange the mushrooms decoratively on top and serve.

• Servings per recipe: 4
• Per serving:
• Calories: 338
• Fat: 19.5 g
• Saturated fat: 2.7 g
• Cholestrol: 0 mg
• Sodium: 654 mg
• Carbohydrates: 30.8 g
• Fiber: 9.1 g
• Sugar: 12.5 g
• Protein: 8.5 g