Leeky Chicken

Tonight's dinner took a total of 20 minutes to prep + cook. YUM!

Leeky Chicken Served over Quinoa
1 cup dry quinoa cooked in 2 cups low sodium chicken broth in my rice cooker
2 chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces (this speeds the cooking process since there is more surface area exposed to the saute pan's heat source)
1 cup of leeks (remember the trip is to cut the leeks width-wise up to the green part and allow to float in water so the dirt falls to the bottom)
1 zucchini, diced
1 Tbsp yellow mustard
1 tsp honey mustard
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp each: dried parsley, dried rosemary, dried thyme (it's the in winter so dried herbs are just fine!)
Add a little of the low sodium chicken broth to thin out and create a sauce (~2Tbsp).

Diet Do or Don't

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Washingtonian Interview

Check out this well-written article (thanks Jazelle!):
http://www.washingtonian.com/blogarticles/health/wellbeing/22369.html

Vietnemese Made Easy

I found these summer roll wrappers at Global Foods and decided to make a veggie fresh roll. They worked out great, and I see these as a stylish and tasty vehicle for some of my favorite stuffers. These were made with sauteed onions, yellow and red peppers. I would suggest adding a protein source (shrimp is my favorite) but I served these along with my homemade tandoori chicken:

Ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 cups Aarti's Tandoori Marinade, recipe follows, divided
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 4 cups mixed salad greens
• Olive oil, to taste
• Lemon juice, to taste
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 
  

Aarti's Tandoori Marinade:

• 2 chiles de arbol
• 3 tablespoons fenugreek seeds
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 5 cloves
• Seeds from 4 green cardamom pods
• Seeds from 1 black cardamom pod
• 3 tablespoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 8 cloves garlic
• 1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled
• 4 cups plain yogurt (recommended: full fat)
• 1/2 cup peanut oil
• Juice of 2 limes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Toss the chicken breasts in 1 cup tandoori marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight.

In a saute pan, heat the vegetable oil, and cook the chicken for about 7 minutes per side, until cooked through. Alternately, you can also grill the chicken. Remove the chicken from the pan and pour the remaining 1 cup of marinade into the pan and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir in the honey and turn off the heat. Toss the salad greens with some olive oil, a squirt of lemon juice and salt, and pepper, to taste. Serve each chicken breast over a bed of greens and top with the heated tandoori sauce.

To make the Marinade:

Put the chiles, fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds, cloves, seeds from cardamom pods (Cook's Note: Crush the pods to open, remove the seeds and throw away the hulls.), paprika, and cinnamon in a saute pan over medium heat until fragrant and toasty, about 5 minutes. Stir to avoid burning. Pour the mixture into a coffee or spice grinder and grind to a fine powder.

Throw the garlic and ginger into a food processor or blender and pulse until finely minced, then add the yogurt, oil, and lime juice. Process the mixture until as smooth as possible. Add the spice powder and process again. Season the mixture with salt, and pepper, to taste. Keep the marinade in the refrigerator until ready to use.

12

12 foods for 2012:

1) Dark greens (kale, Swiss chard, collards, etc.) - Amazing line-up of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. Lots of flavor, easy to use.

2) Edamame - Big on fiber and minerals that are great for your bones, heart and brain.

3) Tea - 2 to 3 cups of unsweetened tea a day can offer a boost to your immune system and heart health. It has plenty of substances to help protect cells from damage.

4) Barramundi - A white fish from Australia. Mild in flavor, rich in omega-3's, sustainably raised and harvested.

5) Hummus - A great substitute for mayo and a nice dip for veggies. Contains protein, fiber and healthy fats.

6) Spices - Perfect for cutting back the salt and sugar. Try cinnamon, ginger, fennel and turmeric. Digestive and immune benefits.

7) Quinoa - A whole grain rich in fiber, protein and minerals. Great substitute for rice. Cooks in half the time.

8) Kefir - A drinkable type of yogurt with more of the "good bacteria" your digestive system values.

9) Potassium-rich foods (bananas, oranges, sweet potatoes, dried plums and yogurt) - Important for heart health, blood pressure and bones.

10) Water - Try infusing some natural flavor to it for a bump in taste. Slice favorite fruit, berries or even vegetables. Wrap in cheese cloth, dunk into pitcher of water and let steep in refrigerator.

11) Chocolate - Select 72% cocoa content or higher. Cocoa has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant properties and a mood-enhancing effect.

12) A new food - Make a resolution to try one new food a week. With thousands of items in a grocery store, pick something new as a way of broadening your food horizons