Marinade key to flavoring up chicken, veggies
After splurging with alfredo sauce and homemade tiramisu last
week, I decided to get back to a healthier meal this week. One of
the things I love to cook during the summer is fajitas. It’s easy
to flavor up chicken breast with a little bit of olive oil, lime
juice, green onions and the like for a flavorful meal. We did have
a few days where it almost seemed nice enough to fire up the grill,
but I decided instead to make the chicken fajita recipe below on an
indoor grill. The meal can be made with a stovetop grill pan
– the kind that has raised lines or circles on the pan to create
the grill marks – or it can be cooked on an indoor grill, such as a
George Foreman-type appliance. To speed things along, since I had
just a small grill and I wanted to add in more vegetables, such as
portabella mushroom slices and
asparagus, I sauteed the vegetables in a pan on the stove while
grilling the meat.
Marinade key to flavoring up chicken, veggies
After splurging with alfredo sauce and homemade tiramisu last week, I decided to get back to a healthier meal this week. One of the things I love to cook during the summer is fajitas. It’s easy to flavor up chicken breast with a little bit of olive oil, lime juice, green onions and the like for a flavorful meal. We did have a few days where it almost seemed nice enough to fire up the grill, but I decided instead to make the chicken fajita recipe below on an indoor grill. The meal can be made with a stovetop grill pan – the kind that has raised lines or circles on the pan to create the grill marks – or it can be cooked on an indoor grill, such as a George Foreman-type appliance. To speed things along, since I had just a small grill and I wanted to add in more vegetables, such as portabella mushroom slices and asparagus, I sauteed the vegetables in a pan on the stove while grilling the meat.
The marinade packed in a lot of flavor with low-calorie ingredients such as jalapeno, cilantro and lime juice. The result was fajitas that could rival any served up at a Mexican restaurant with lots of flavor and a lot less fat. As a side dish, I made the chili cheese rice recipe. I used light sour cream and low-fat cheese to top the casserole dish to keep the calories down.
Chicken fajitas
Recipe courtesy of Food Network Kitchens
Notes: Marinating chicken and peppers and onions in a highly flavored marinade and then grilling gives it all the flavor without fat. A spiced creamy yogurt sauce and avocado sauce wrapped in a corn tortilla with fresh cilantro keeps the fajitas healthy and fresh tasting.
1 c. packed cilantro leaves, plus extra for serving
1/4 c. lime juice, about 2 limes
1/4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
3 scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cloves garlic
1 jalapeno, seeded if desired
1 tablespoon honey
Kosher salt
1 1/2-lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 red onion, sliced into 1/2-inch thick rounds
2 orange and/or yellow bell peppers, quartered, seeds removed
1 ripe avocado, halved, seeded and peeled
1 1/2 tsp. olive oil
1/8 tsp. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 c. fat-free Greek Yogurt
12 corn tortillas
Put the cilantro, lime juice, broth, scallions, garlic, jalapeno, honey, and salt in a blender, puree until smooth. Reserve 2 tbsp.; do not wash out the blender.
Put chicken breasts in a medium bowl and the peppers and onions in another. Divide the remaining cilantro puree evenly between the chicken and the peppers and onions. Toss well to coat the chicken and vegetables and let stand, at room temperature, for 30 minutes.
Add the avocado, 1/2 cup water, and the reserved 2 tablespoons cilantro sauce to the blender. Puree until smooth and season with salt. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a small skillet set over medium heat until hot. Add the cumin and coriander and continue to cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Pour the spices over the yogurt and set aside for the flavors to blend. Stir before serving.
Preheat a grill for medium-high/direct heat cooking. Oil the grill grates. Grill the chicken and vegetables, turning, until the vegetables are tender and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees F, about 5 to 8 minutes for the vegetables and 12 to 15 minutes for the chicken. Let chicken rest 5 minutes. Place the tortillas on the grill until just warmed through, about 30 seconds.
To assemble the fajitas: slice the onions and peppers into thin strips and then slice the chicken. Place some peppers, onions, chicken and cilantro in a tortilla topped with the spiced yogurt and the avocado sauce.
Nutritional analysis per serving: (2 fajitas) – Calories 347; Total Fat 8g (Sat Fat 1g, Mono Fat 3g, Poly Fat 1g) ; Protein 31g; Carb 37g; Fiber 5g; Cholesterol 66mg; Sodium 157mg
Chile and cheese rice
Recipe courtesy of Marcela Valladolid
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 large white onion, minced
1 c. long-grain white rice
2 c. water
2 ears fresh corn, kernels removed or 2 c. frozen corn, thawed
1 tsp. kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 poblano chiles, charred, peeled, stemmed, seeded, and chopped * see Cook’s Note
1/4 c. Mexican crema or sour cream
1/2 c. grated Monterey Jack cheese
Heat the oil in a medium-size heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, and saute for until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and cook until the rice is opaque, about 10 minutes. Stir in the water and the corn kernels, then season the water with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender, about for 15 minutes.
Preheat a broiler. Using a fork, fluff the rice and stir in the chopped poblanos. Transfer the rice to a 7 by 10-inch baking dish. Drizzle with the creama or sour cream and sprinkle the cheese over the top. Broil until the top is browned in spots and the cheese has melted, about 5 to 8 minutes.
Remove from the oven and serve.
*Cook’s Note: To char the chiles (or any fresh chile): Put the chiles over a gas flame or underneath the broiler and cook until they are blackened on all sides. Enclose them in a plastic bag and let stand for 10 minutes to steam, which will make them easier to peel. Peel, stem, and seed the chiles. Once peeled, the chiles may be chopped, sliced or stuffed.
