Grilled Chicken with Italian Salsa

Simple, healthy, delicious.  The salsa is like a bruschetta, minus the oil.  Excellent served over a bed of fresh baby spinach or with sauteed spinach on the side.  Slice a loaf of ciabatta, brush it with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss it on the grill just before the chicken is done.  I just made it for a friend who recently had a baby.  It’s perfect for a summer “gift meal” because you can get the chicken marinading in a zip-top bag, package up the salsa in a reused sour cream tub and drop it off early.  All they have to do that evening is throw it on the grill.  On those super hot days your friends won’t have to heat up their house with the oven and they will have absolutely zero clean-up.

Ingredients for Salsa:

• 2 1/4 cups chopped tomatoes (about 2 medium)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon thawed orange juice concentrate
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Ingredients for Chicken and Marinade:

• 1 tsp. oregano
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. rosemary
• 1 tsp. parsley
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. thyme
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• Cooking spray

To prepare salsa, combine the first 7 ingredients in a medium bowl.  Cover and chill 1 hour.

To prepare chicken, preheat grill.

Combine oregano and next 10 ingredients (through 1/4 teaspoon salt) in a large zip-top plastic bag.  Add chicken to bag; seal.  Marinate chicken in refrigerator 1 hour, turning occasionally.

Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade.  Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 6 minutes on each side or until chicken is done.  Serve with salsa.

 

Recipe from myrecipes.com

Photo by me, My Little Food Spot.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Honestly, as I smelled and tasted the sauce as I was preparing it, I thought it was not going to be very good.  So I didn’t even take any pictures.  But it turned out to be a great pairing with the onion, bell peppers and chicken of the dish.  I’m sure it would work great with pork and other sweet and sour dishes, as well.

For Sweet and Sour Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Ingredients

• 4 teaspoons peanut oil
• 12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch pieces
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pint small, sweet mixed peppers, quartered, or 2 mixed bell peppers, cut into 1-inch strips
• 6 scallions, whites cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces, greens cut into 1-inch pieces and thinly sliced vertically into thin strips
• 8 ounces snow peas, trimmed
• Serving suggestion, cooked rice
• Chopped peanuts for sprinkling, optional

In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, chili-garlic sauce, vinegar, soy sauce, orange juice and cornstarch; set aside.

Meanwhile, coat the chicken with 2 teaspoons oil and heat large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken to taste with salt and pepper and cook, turning occasionally with a wooden spoon, 2 minutes. Transfer the partially-cooked chicken to a plate. Reserve the pan.

Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in the pan; add the peppers, scallion whites, and snow peas. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in the reserved chicken; whisk the sauce again and add it to the pan. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened and the chicken is tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve over rice and sprinkle with the scallion greens and peanuts, if using.

Nutritional analysis per serving (does not include brown rice and chopped peanuts) Calories 238; Total Fat 6g (Sat Fat 1 g, Mono Fat 2g, Poly Fat 2g) ; Protein 23g; Carb 23g; Fiber 4g; Cholesterol 49mg; Sodium 329mg

recipe from foodnetwork.com

photo from delishliving.wordpress.com

Raspberry Chocolate Bars

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 10 oz frozen sweetened raspberries, thawed, drained
• 3/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 T cornstarch

Directions:

1.  Mix flour, sugar and butter.  Press in bottom of ungreased 13 x 9 in. pan.  Bake @ 350F for 15 min.
2. Mix raspberries, o.j. and cornstarch in saucepan. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Cool 10 minutes.
3. Sprinkle choc. chips over baked layer. Spoon raspberry mixture over choc. chips. Bake 20 minutes or until raspberry mixture is set.
4.  Refrigerate until chocolate is firm.  Cut in 8 x 6 squares. Cut in 8 x 6 rows.