Grilled Chicken and Vegetables

I'm falling down on this blog thing! Yesterday, Aric actually gave the link to a friend, prompting the realization that I hadn't posted in almost a month. Yikes! So here we go...

Don't let the oh-so-bland name of this dish fool you - it's really too good to be true. We had it for dinner last week, and when we invited my dad over for dinner tonight Aric begged for it again!

(Note: You will need a grill for this! I guess you might be able to pull off a decent rendition of it with a broiler, but I'm not certain...)

Serves: 2

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: about 30 minutes

Ingredients:

2 red, yellow, or orange bell peppers
1 large zucchini, cute lengthwise into 1/4 slices
1 lb. chicken tenders
1 small jar marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Course ground salt and pepper
Coconut oil for grilling

1) Heat the grill to a medium heat. Place the bell peppers over the flame and roast for 16 minutes, turning every few minutes. Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl, and cover tightly, allowing the peppers to steam. Set aside.

2) While the peppers are steaming, brush the sliced zucchini with coconut oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill for 4 minutes, turning once.

3) Season chicken with salt and pepper, and grill until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. While it is grilling, remove peppers from bowl (they will be hot!) and run under cool water. Gently rub them with your fingers to remove the burnt, loosened outer skin. Once they are cleaned, discard stem and seeds, and slice into 1/2 slices.

4) Whisk together olive oil and vinegar in a small bowl, and add parsley, cranberries, and artichoke. Season with salt and pepper.

5) Layer the zucchini, chicken, and bell peppers on each plate, and top with dressing mixture. Enjoy... then double all the ingredients next week and invite your friends (or parents) over to enjoy it again!

White Wine and Garlic Chicken with Roasted Cabbage

I learned something new about marinades yesterday - apparently if you freeze the meat in the marinade, it actually forces the marinade into the meat, resulting in a much more flavorful dinner! I put this chicken recipe together in the morning, stuck it in the freezer for a few hours, and then thawed it right before cooking. It tasted like it had been marinating for days. Who knew? (In case you are short on time, if you have even an hour to marinate the meat, it will still be tasty.)

White Wine and Garlic Chicken

Serves: 3-4

Prep time: 10 minutes

Total time: 20 minutes + marinating and thawing

Ingredients:

8-10 chicken cutlets

3 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup white cooking wine 

3 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons of fresh thyme (plus extra if you want to garnish!)

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1) Melt butter and stir in wine, garlic, and thyme. Layer chicken cutlets two deep in a ziplock bag. Pour marinade in bag and freeze. 

2) Thaw chicken, and heat coconut oil over medium high in a large skillet. Shake excess marinade from chicken, and cook for 5 minutes total, flipping once. 

3) I love the flavor of thyme, so I put a little extra on top when serving. Plus it's pretty...

Oven Roasted Cabbage Slices

Serves: As many as you have slices for

Prep time: 5 minutes

Total time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

1 head cabbage

Coconut oil

Salt and pepper

Caraway seed (or fennel, or fresh thyme)

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut off base of cabbage, and then cut as many 1" thick slices as you need. (1-2 per person)

2) Arrange on a rimmed baking sheet, and spread about 1/4 teaspoon of coconut oil on each slice. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle each round with caraway seed.

3) Roast in oven for approx. 30 minutes, or until cabbage is tender and the edges are beginning to brown.