To Taste: Balsamic Chicken w. Sauteed Spinach & White Beans

Posted by Erin L. in To Taste ~ Recipe and tagged with balsamic, cannellini, cannellini beans, chicken, chicken breast, chicken stock, dinner, fiber, garlic, healthy, iron, low calorie, low carb, olive oil, onion, parmesan, protein, S&P, saute, spinach, sriracha, stock, thyme, vinegar, white beans, Worcestershire April 27, 2010

I got alot accomplished today considering I spent Monday sick in bed, so I needed something quick & healthy for tonight’s dinner. A “buy one get one” spinach sale had left me with a whole bag to get through before it spoiled. I’ve been trying to get more protein, less carbs into my diet so lean chicken breast & white beans seemed like perfect accompaniments. I poked around the pantry for some added flavors and got to cooking. With the richness of balsamic vinegar and the aroma of thyme, I came up with a delicious, filling dish that was rich in iron, protein, & fiber and only 550 calories per serving. Enjoy!

Balsamic Chicken w. Sauteed Spinach & White Beans

Balsamic Chicken w. Sauteed Spinach & White Beans

2 Servings – 550 Calories each

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast – (2) breasts, about 4 oz each
Olive Oil – (0.5) T + (0.5) T
Balsamic Vinegar – (2) T
Dried Thyme – (0.5) tsp
Chicken Stock – (0.75) cup
S&P
Garlic – (2) cloves, minced
Onion – (1) medium, sliced thin
Fresh Spinach – (1) pre-rinsed bag or (0.5) lb
White Beans – (1) 15.5 oz can, drained & rinsed
Worcestershire Sauce – (1) tsp
Sriracha – a few squirts of your fave hot sauce

Heat (0.5) T of Olive Oil on medium in a non-stick saute pan (with lid for later).
Rinse chicken breasts under cool water & pat dry. Sprinkle one side with S&P.
Place seasoned side down in hot pan. Sprinkle other side.
Brown for about 4 min. Flip & brown other side.
Add Balsamic & Thyme to pan. Bring to boil & flip chicken to other side. Reduce liquid for about 3 min.
Add Chicken Stock. Bring back to boil. Reduce liquid to half for about 5 min.
Remove chicken from pan & set aside.
Add (0.5) T of Olive Oil to pan & heat on medium. Add garlic & saute for 1 min.
Add onion & reduce heat to medium low. Allow onions & garlic to simmer for 5 min, stirring occasionally.
- If you want to add chopped tomato or bell peppers, this would be a good time. Saute for about 5 min before moving on to the next step.
Add a few handfuls of spinach & place lid on top. Return heat to medium.
Once spinach reduces by half, stir & add more handfuls. Return lid.
Continue adding handfuls of spinach until all is wilted
Add Worcestershire & Sriracha. Add White Beans. Stir.
Simmer on medium for about 5 min.
Place chicken on top of Spinach & White Bean mixture. Return lid & heat for about 1 min.
Serve & Enjoy!

Balsamic Chicken w. Sauteed Spinach & White Beans

To Taste: Sautéed Brussels Sprouts

Posted by Erin L. in To Taste ~ Recipe and tagged with bacon, brussels sprouts, chicken stock, cooking, garlic, recipe, shallots, side dish, sriracha, vegetable, Worcestershire December 10, 2009

A tiny cabbage bloom on top of my Brussels sprout stalk.

I was pretty stoked when I came across full stalks of Brussels Sprouts! They were about 2.5 feet long with about 40 fresh tiny little cabbage heads. I appreciated their natural state and minimal packaging, plus, they’re in season! I think Brussels Sprouts are delicious and am on a quest to erase the stigma they have. If you’ve had them (or haven’t) and claim you don’t like them, it’s probably because they weren’t made with enough love. Many a friend can attest to me forcing my yummy Brussels Sprouts on them, and just as many will admit that they enjoyed them. I make sure to enhance my Brussels Sprouts with Worcestershire, Sauce Garlic, Shallots, Bacon, Sriracha, Fresh Ground Pepper, Chicken Stock & Love and sauté them to a tender caramelized finish.

Brussels Sprouts, sautéed & simmered

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts

Fresh Brussels Sprouts – about 20 or so
Minced Garlic – (2) T
Shallot – (1) bulb – peeled & minced
Bacon – (2-3) pieces, cooked & crumbled
Worcestershire Sauce – (1) tsp
Sriracha – (1) tsp or a quick swirl
Chicken Stock – (1) cup
Olive Oil
Fresh Ground Pepper – to taste

Rinse Brussels Sprouts, remove any browned out leaves, & cut in half lengthwise.
Heat pan on Med-Hi and coat with Olive Oil.
Add Garlic & Onion and cook about 4-5 min, until tender & aromatic
Add Brussels Sprouts to pan and sauté 10-15min, tossing regularly until caramelized
Add Bacon, Worcestershire, Sriracha, Pepper, & Chicken Stock. Sitr & bring to a boil.
Reduce to Med-Low. Simmer until liquid reduces to a minimal amount and sprouts are tender.
Tell me you don’t think they’re delicious!

To Taste: Grilled Snow Crab Legs

Posted by Erin L. in To Taste ~ Recipe and tagged with butter, cheddar, chicken stock, collard greens, collards, cornbread, crab, crab legs, dinner, entree, garlic, grill, grilled, jalapeno, mint, mojito, olive oil, recipe, rice, shallots, side dish, snow crab, Spanish rice, sriracha, sweet peppers, to taste, tomatoes, vegetable, Worcestershire September 1, 2009

Wasn’t too long ago that I was just sayin’ that you shouldn’t grill in the dark… especially crab legs. So I took another stab at grilled snow crab legs for a Sunday late-lunch/early-dinner with Dre. I decided to get all the sides started before I threw the crabbiness on the grill, so I could give it my undivided attention.

Earlier that week, I bought 2 large bunches of Collard Greens from the Italian Market. It was alot of greens for only $2! I rinsed & chopped them before sauteing in garlic, shallots, EVOO, & butter and simmering in chicken stock. I didn’t have any turkey bacon on hand as a usual ingredient in my greens, so just settled for some Sriracha & Worcestshire to jazz it up. I STILL had Grape Tomatoes from my Spicy Fish Tacos & Avocado-Salad and Sweet Peppers from my Mexi-Risotto, so I tossed them into a Rice-a-Roni Spanish Rice Mix.

Dre whipped up a batch of Cornbread using trusty ol’ Jiffy mix. We tossed in some sliced jalapenos & the leftover sweet peppers, and sprinkled with shredded sharp cheddar halfway thru the baking process. With the greens sauteing, rice simmering, & cornbread baking, it was time for crab!

After a few knife pokes, a brush of butter, & 5 minutes on each side, we had ourselves a summer afternoon feast. Oh, and MOJITOS! After some experimenting, Dre mixed up a perfectly refreshing batch using Apple Mint from my garden.