Chicken with Mushrooms and Green Beans

Taking Cindy's advice I looked up the sales at my local VONS and based my meal plans off of what I saw. This recipe is based on that decision, and it was so good! Squeezing the oranges over the finished chicken gave it a savory sweetness that would have been sorely missed otherwise.

CKS note: I left the chicken in for 1 hour, 15 minutes to get it up to 165 degrees with the meat thermometer. I left out the red pepper flakes just because the only ones I had were spicy.

* 1 3 1/2- to 4-pound chicken, cut into pieces
* 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
* 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
* 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
* 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped, plus 12 whole cloves, unpeeled
* 1 small navel orange, halved
* 3/4 pound green beans, trimmed
* 1 10-ounce package button mushrooms, caps quartered

Directions

* Heat oven to 400° F.

* Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Place in a roasting pan.

* In a small bowl, combine the thyme, red pepper, 3/4 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper.

* Brush the chicken with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil and sprinkle with the chopped garlic and spice mixture. Arrange the whole garlic cloves and orange halves around the chicken. Roast until the chicken is cooked through, 35 to 40 minutes.


* Meanwhile, place the green beans and mushrooms on a baking sheet. Drizzle with the remaining oil and season with the remaining salt and pepper. Roast until the mushrooms are cooked through and the beans are lightly browned, stirring once, about 15 minutes.


* Divide the chicken and garlic among individual plates and squeeze the roasted orange halves over the top. Serve with the green beans and mushrooms.

Jack Quesadillas with Cranberry Salsa

OK, these were surprisingly delicious. I wasn't so sure about the salsa with the cumin in it when I taste tested it by itself. But it is the flavor combination of the quesadilla and salsa together that truly is award winning. We cannot wait to make this again! We substitute leftover chicken for turkey.

Jack Quesadillas with Cranberry Salsa


This salsa is also great on turkey sandwiches. To make meatless quesadillas, use sautéed vegetables in place of the turkey.


Salsa:
1 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 Anjou pear, cored and finely diced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced

Quesadillas:
Cooking spray
1/4 cup (2-inch-thick) slices green onions
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeño peppers
8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
2 cups chopped cooked turkey
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

To prepare salsa, combine first 7 ingredients. Cover and chill.

To prepare quesadillas, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add 1/4 cup sliced onions to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Remove onions from pan; reduce heat to medium. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons cheese over each of 4 tortillas. Top each cheese-covered tortilla with one-fourth of onions, 1/2 cup turkey, 2 tablespoons cheese, and 1 tortilla.

Recoat pan with cooking spray. Add 1 quesadilla to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned and cheese melts. Repeat with remaining quesadillas. Cut each quesadilla into 6 wedges. Serve with cranberry salsa and sour cream.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 3 wedges, about 1/4 cup salsa, and 1 tablespoon sour cream)

CALORIES 356 (25% from fat); FAT 9.7g (sat 4.2g,mono 3.5g,poly 1.2g); IRON 2.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 42mg; CALCIUM 218mg; CARBOHYDRATE 47.8g; SODIUM 372mg; PROTEIN 19.4g; FIBER 3g

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2004

Grilled Herb-Coated Chicken Breasts

Another excellent grilling recipe. The lemon buttermilk herb marinade tasted as good as it sounds. Also, I was able to put together the marinade a day ahead of time so all we had to do when I got home from work was throw it on the grill. I love those nights! We will definitely make this again.

Grilled Herb-Coated Chicken Breasts


Serve these juicy chicken breasts sliced over mixed greens, fanned out next to a grilled vegetable salad, or cold for lunch.


3/4 cup Herbed Lemon-Buttermilk Dressing
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 teaspoon honey
Cooking spray

Combine Herbed Lemon-Buttermilk Dressing and chicken in a large zip-top plastic bag. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 1 hour or up to 8 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

Remove chicken from marinade, and discard marinade. Sprinkle the chicken evenly with salt and black pepper. Combine fresh parsley, chives, canola oil, and honey, stirring well. Spoon herb mixture evenly over tops of chicken breast halves. Place chicken, herb side down, on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 8 minutes each side or until done.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half)

CALORIES 222 (15% from fat); FAT 3.8g (sat 0.7g,mono 1.4g,poly 1.2g); IRON 1.5mg; CHOLESTEROL 99mg; CALCIUM 44mg; CARBOHYDRATE 4.6g; SODIUM 540mg; PROTEIN 40g; FIBER 0.3g

Cooking Light, AUGUST 2005

Herbed Lemon-Buttermilk Dressing


This all-purpose dressing is similar to ranch dressing. It's great as a marinade on chicken, dressing on salad, and dip with cut-up vegetables.

This recipe goes with Grilled Herb-Coated Chicken Breasts

3/4 cup fat-free buttermilk
1/3 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 garlic clove, minced

Combine all ingredients, stirring with a whisk until dressing is well blended.

Note: Refrigerate dressing in an airtight container for up to five days; stir well before using.

Yield: 1 1/4 cups (serving size: 1 tablespoon)

CALORIES 12 (23% from fat); FAT 0.3g (sat 0.0g,mono 0.1g,poly 0.2g); IRON 0.0mg; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 13mg; CARBOHYDRATE 1.9g; SODIUM 89mg; PROTEIN 0.4g; FIBER 0.1g

Cooking Light, AUGUST 2005

Weeknight Grill Special

Here's a simple, healthy, and balanced grilling menu that's good for any night of the week. The chicken marinade was not out of this world but the flavors were simple and worked together.

Herbed-Grilled Tomatoes


Prep: 12 minutes; Cook: 10 minutes.


1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 medium tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon grated fresh Parmesan cheese (optional)
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

1. In a wide, shallow bowl, combine the olive oil and next 5 ingredients (through pepper).

2. Add tomatoes, and turn to coat them on all sides.

3. Prepare grill.

4. Place tomatoes, cut sides down, on the grill rack. Brush once with remaining marinade, and then discard marinade. Grill about 5-7 minutes on each side over medium-high heat or until tomatoes begin to blister, soften, and brown. (They can burn easily, so keep an eye on them.)

5. Remove the tomatoes from grill, and top with Parmesan cheese, if desired, and parsley. Serve immediately.

Yield: Makes 4 servings (serving size: 2 tomato halves)

CALORIES 60 ; FAT 4g (sat 1g,mono 3g,poly 1g); CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 18mg; CARBOHYDRATE 7g; SODIUM 79mg; PROTEIN 1g; FIBER 2g; IRON 0.0mg

Health, JUNE 2007

Skewers of Rosemary Chicken and Zucchini


If using wooden skewers, soak them in lemon juice for 30 minutes before grilling. This moistens the skewers so they don't char during grilling, and it infuses the food with more flavor from the inside out.


2 tablespoons grated lemon rind
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons minced garlic, divided
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/4 pounds zucchini, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
Cooking spray

Place rind, rosemary, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1 teaspoon garlic in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken; seal bag and refrigerate 1 hour.

Prepare grill.

Combine 1 tablespoon oil, 1 teaspoon garlic, juice, salt, and pepper, stirring with a whisk.

Thread chicken and zucchini alternately onto each of 12 (12-inch) skewers. Place kebabs on grill rack coated with cooking spray, and grill 12 minutes or until chicken is done, turning once. Drizzle with juice mixture.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2 skewers)

CALORIES 183 (30% from fat); FAT 6.1g (sat 1g,mono 3.7g,poly 0.8g); IRON 1.4mg; CHOLESTEROL 66mg; CALCIUM 38mg; CARBOHYDRATE 4.1g; SODIUM 370mg; PROTEIN 27.4g; FIBER 1.4g

Cooking Light, JUNE 2002

This stew is delicious and so economical. The rosemary red wine combo is such a a complimentary flavour that adds depth to this simple comfort food. This has become my go to beef stew recipe inspired by Dave Lieberman of the Food Network.

Red Wine Beef Stew with Potatoes and Green Beans

Recipe courtesy Dave Lieberman

Making an amazing stew is a whole lot simpler than most people figure. After you brown up your beef, all you basically have to do is throw a bunch of tasty ingredients in a pot and let it do its thing. Adding green beans at the end of cooking freshens up the stew and their snap is cool. You can make it completely in advance, as far as 2 days ahead of time. Just refrigerate it right in the pot and reheat it over low heat. You?ll have to stir in a cup or so of water because the stew will have thickened up. (Do the water thing if you?re reheating leftover stew too.) I use butter to brown the beef because it adds richness to the stew and makes for a creamier gravy. But you can substitute any type of oil for the butter if you want. Pretty much any decent red wine will do for stew; I like using Burgundy or Cabernet Sauvignon but the basic rule is that as long as you?d be happy drinking what you?re cooking with you?re in good shape.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds beef chuck for stew, cut into 1-inch cubes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 4 medium carrots, peeled, halved and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 3 small onions, diced
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans reduced-sodium beef or chicken broth
• 2 cups dry red wine
• 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 medium russet or Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 handfuls green beans, ends trimmed

Directions

Season the beef cubes lightly with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a heavy 6-quart pot over medium heat. As soon as the butter starts to turn brown, add half the beef and raise the heat to high. At first, the beef will give off some liquid, but once that evaporates, the beef will start to brown. Cook, turning the beef cubes on all sides until the pieces are as evenly browned as possible, about 5 or 6 minutes after the water has boiled off. If the pan starts to get too brown at any point, just turn down the heat a little. Scoop the beef into a bowl and brown the rest of the beef the same way using the remaining butter.

Scoop out the second batch of beef, then add the carrots and onions and raise the heat to medium-high. Cook until the onion starts to turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour until it has been worked into the veggies and you can’t see it any more. Pour in the chicken broth, wine, and crushed tomatoes, and toss in the rosemary. Slide the beef back into the pot and bring the liquid to a boil.

Turn down the heat so the liquid is just breaking a gentle simmer. Partially cover the pot and cook 50 minutes. Stir the stew several times while simmering so it cooks evenly and nothing sticks to the bottom.

Stir the potatoes into the stew, cover the pot completely, and cook until the potatoes and beef are tender, stirring occasionally, about another 45 minutes. Add the beans and cook for another 5 minutes until the green beans turn bright green and are cooked through but still have a nice snap to them.

Turkey and Cranberry Port Wine Sauce

The sauce was pretty good but the turkey did get a little dried out. Not sure how you could correct that.

Turkey and Cranberry Port Wine Sauce


Use cranberry sauce left over from your holiday meal to make this easy supper. The recipe calls for shallots, which have a milder, sweeter flavor than onions. A sweet onion will work, as well.


1 tablespoon canola oil
4 (4-ounce) turkey breast cutlets
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup chopped shallots
2/3 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce
1/4 cup port wine
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Whole sage leaves (optional)

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle turkey with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add turkey to pan; cook 5 minutes on each side or until done. Transfer turkey to a plate.

Melt butter in pan. Add shallots; sauté for 30 seconds. Reduce heat to medium; stir in cranberry sauce, wine, chopped sage, vinegar, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook 2 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally.

Return turkey to pan. Cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Serve with sauce. Garnish with sage leaves, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cutlet and 1/4 cup sauce)

CALORIES 276 (23% from fat); FAT 6.9g (sat 1.7g,mono 3.2g,poly 1.1g); IRON 1.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 53mg; CALCIUM 16mg; CARBOHYDRATE 21.5g; SODIUM 428mg; PROTEIN 28.4g; FIBER 0.8g

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2005

Santa Maria Smoked Tri-Tip

This was nothing short of remarkable. The salsa was decent but really wasn't needed. The meat was so flavorful and smokey just by itself. We will definitely make this again but without the salsa.

Santa Maria Smoked Tri-Tip


Flavorful tri-tip steak is a cut of beef also known as bottom sirloin or sirloin tip. Compared to other styles of barbecue, this recipe comes together quickly, making it ideal for a weeknight, as well as special dinners.


3 cups hickory wood chips
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 (2 1/4-pound) tri-tip steak, trimmed
Cooking spray
2 cups Santa Maria Salsa
Cilantro sprigs (optional)

Soak wood chips in water 1 hour; drain well.

Combine salt, pepper, and garlic powder; sprinkle evenly over steak. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.

Remove grill rack; set aside. Prepare grill, heating one side to high and one side to medium. Place wood chips on hot coals on medium-heat side of grill; heat wood chips 10 minutes. Coat grill rack with cooking spray; place on grill.

Lightly coat steak with cooking spray. Place steak on grill rack over high-heat side of grill; grill 6 minutes, turning 3 times. Place steak on grill rack over medium-heat side of grill; grill 40 minutes or until a thermometer registers 140° (medium-rare) or until desired degree of doneness. Remove steak from grill; let stand 10 minutes. Cut steak diagonally across grain into thin slices. Serve with Santa Maria Salsa; garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired.

Wine note: Tri-tip from California's Santa Ynez Valley goes naturally with a full-throttle merlot from the same region. Gainey Merlot 2004 (Santa Ynez Valley, California), $26, is plush and plummy, with enough structure to stand up to the steak, the char-smokiness of the wood chips, and the pungency of the salsa. --Karen MacNeil

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 3 ounces steak and 1/4 cup salsa)

CALORIES 259 (46% from fat); FAT 13.1g (sat 4.8g,mono 6.9g,poly 0.5g); IRON 3.9mg; CHOLESTEROL 66mg; CALCIUM 26mg; CARBOHYDRATE 2.6g; SODIUM 544mg; PROTEIN 30.9g; FIBER 0.7g

Cooking Light, JULY 2007