Say it with me, “Are you ready for some football?!” Across the pond this takes on a whole other meaning but over here it’s THE biggest sports day. This Sunday even I, as someone who doesn’t even know who’s playing in the Superbowl, will be partaking in the ritual of Super Bowl; Watching, betting, cheering, drinking and eating (healthy food of course!) Don’t believe that you can eat healthy even on Super Bowl Sunday? To prove it, here are some ideas from the last couple of years to help you create a tasty and healthy buffet:

Super Bowl Mo’Rockin’ Meatball Pitas

Lavash Pizza, Homemade Pita Chips & Hummus, Apple Jicama Slaw

Healthy Potato Salad

Turkey & Portobello Burgers with Sweet Potato Fries

Tandoori Chicken Skewers, Asparagus Skewered Shrimp & Mini Beef Sliders

And that’s not all! This week I’m making a pork & poblano stew, tomato marinated flank steak, lamb sliders & Mediterranean meatballs so be sure to check back for these recipes!

Oh yeah, this is why I like American football!

All recipes are made with the finest quality farmers market whole foods, natural and non-processed ingredients as much as possible.

On a recent visit to Austin my brother-in-law gave me a packet of dried morels and asked me to create a dish for them. Though this is a dish I’ve made many many times I thought it would be the perfect recipe for the morels plus it’s fairly fool proof. (Let’s see if Ron will try his hand at cooking this!) Luckily, braising meats is dead easy, eliminates the risk of drying out meat and always adds great flavour. The key with slow cooking, as I’ve mentioned before, is layering flavours. Searing the chicken, sauteing the mushrooms, adding garlic, well you get it. The more flavours you add the more intense and tasty the end result will be. Stands to reason, right?

I recently made this for a drop-off menu (did you know I can make dinner for you and drop it off?) and they said their 2 year old loved the mushrooms (if you’re a parent, this got the tot’s seal of approval) and they said it was even better the next day. Gotta love delicious leftovers!

RECIPE:
Serves 4

1 whole organic or grass fed chicken – portioned (2 breasts, 2 drumsticks, 2 thighs, 2 wings)
6 shallots – peeled
8 oz baby bella mushrooms
1 ounce dried morel mushrooms or 1/2 lb fresh
1 x 8 oz jar baby artichokes
1 bunch fresh tarragon – wrapped like a bouquet garni
2 large bay leaves
4 cloves garlic – minced
1/2 white wine (whatever’s in your fridge)
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
5 tbsp olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 380°F.

Begin by seasoning & searing each chicken piece in 2 tbsp olive oil, either on a grill on in a large saute pan (high heat, 3 minutes each side) until browned on all sides. Place in a large over proof casserole dish.

In the same saute pan (if using, otherwise grab one) add 3 tbsp olive oil and saute the fresh bella mushrooms for 3 minutes (3 tbsp might look like a lot of oil but the mushrooms soak it up). Add shallots & garlic and continue cooking for another 2 minutes. Add white wine and cook for another minute. After cooking wine add everything to the chicken along with the tarragon, bay leaves, morel mushrooms, artichokes and broth.

Cover with foil and place in the oven for 1 1/2 hours or until the chicken is fork tender. Pretty straightforward, right?

NOTE: You’ll notice in my photo above the skin looks crispy and dark. It was a little experiment that paid off. Here’s what I did:
As soon as the chicken was cooked in the oven, I removed all the pieces, placed them on a foiled oven tray and put them under the broiler. With the chicken having been braised it’s full of moisture so putting it under the broiler won’t dry it out. It simply makes the skin lovely and crispy while keeping the inside moist. Now I’m not advocating eating the skin because it’s just fat but if you just simply can’t say no to it or even if you’re entertaining guests this method looks and tastes great. This, of course is an optional step.

Ron, here’s your chance to show off some skills my man!

All recipes are made with the finest quality farmers market whole foods, natural and non-processed ingredients.

Now I know it’s coming up to turkey season with Thanksgiving and Christmas around the corner (where’d the year go?) but I get asked a lot of how to spice up boring old chicken.
Previously I made a pecan crusted turkey dish and had some great feedback from that so I decided to do something with it’s step-cousin, chicken. I know you can’t beat a perfectly roasted chicken but here’s a great alternative if you fancy some nuts ‘n’ spice (as the actress said to the bishop).

RECIPE:
1 1/4 cups sliced almonds
1 cup Ener-G breadcrumbs (gluten free)
4 tsp cumin seeds
3 tbsp fresh thyme
1 tsp black pepper
3 large egg whites
1 5 lb organic chicken – portioned (2 breasts, 2 drumsticks, 2 wings, 2 thighs)
1/4 tsp salt
Olive oil spray

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Begin by placing cumin seeds and almonds in a dry skillet on medium heat for 2 minutes to toast. Toss pan frequently. Remove from heat and let cool. Once cooled place in a spice grinder along with thyme, pepper and salt. Pulse to get coarse chop, about 20 seconds. Add to breadcrumbs after pulsing.
Set up a production line with beaten egg whites in a bowl along side breadcrumb/crust mixture.
Dip chicken portions in egg mixture and drain excess back into same bowl. Next dredge chicken in seasoned breadcrumbs, coating all sides. Lay on foiled oven tray ready for baking.

Spray all sides of chicken liberally with olive oil spray and pop in oven for 20 minutes.
To check to see if they’re done, pierce a drumstick with a sharp knife into the thickest part of meat and once removed touch your lip to see if it’s hot. If you burned your lip you’re set to eat it (if of course you can taste anything having just burned your lip!)

I served the chicken with grilled veg which I tossed with fresh tomatoes then quickly sauteed with freshly chopped oregano, thyme and olive oil. Tasty!

All recipes are made with the finest quality farmers market whole foods, natural and non-processed ingredients as much as possible.

Sick of regular roast chicken? Looking for something new to impress the fam bam? Here’s an easy-to-do recipe that’ll give you a delicious falvourful bird. (Sounds like an infomercial doesn’t it?)

That being said, I had a slight mishap with the photos. The bottom line is…..they were not up to scratch. I made this recipe for Spice Month as a simple but delicious recipe highlighting thyme but because I wasn’t happy with the photos I never ended up using it. While I never retook the photos I decided to have a change of heart posting the recipe because at the end of the day the most important thing is is that it’s really really tasty.

So please forgive the photos and trust me when I say “Just Cook It.”

RECIPE:

5lb organic chicken
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 bunch thyme
1/2 an orange

Brine Recipe:

1 gallon water (or more)
1 cup salt
1 bunch of fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 cup fresh ginger – chopped
1 large orange – cut in wedges
2 tbsp peppercorns

Brining is my secret weapon to ensure moist and tender birds. It’s a great technique to use especially with Thanksgiving coming up–we can all admit there’s nothing worse than a dry bird!  A wet brine typically uses water and salt sometimes combined with an assortment of herbs and spices for flavor. Submerging chicken (or turnkey) in the flavored salted water for a good 24 hours infuses a ton of flavor and moisture into the flesh so that the bird comes out moist and juicy not dry and flaky.

You’ll want to use a large enough bowl or container for the bird to be fully emerged. Place all brine ingredients in the bowl followed by the chicken. Add more water if necessary to make sure the entire bird is covered. Refrigerate for 24 hours in order to maximize flavor.

DIRECTIONS:

Remove brine from fridge 1 hour before cooking.

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Drain the bird and rinse in cold water. Lay on kitchen towel and pat dry. Stuff some kitchen towels in the cavity of the bird to soak up excess water.
Once the bird is reasonably dry, lay on foiled oven tray. Drizzle olive oil all over the skin, sprinkle with S&P and massage seasoned oil into the skin. Stuff the cavity with the thyme and the half orange.

Pour broth on the tray surrounding the chicken and pop in the oven for 1 hour to 1 1/4 hours. This is another one of my special techniques. The broth will help create steam in the oven and along with the brine, it creates a fantastically moist bird.
Once cooked (internal temp 165°F) let rest for 10 minutes before carving. This allows the meat to relax and the keeps the juices in the bird and not all over your cutting board.

NOTE: To check to see if it’s done, cut between the drumstick and the breast and if the juices run clear you’re good to go.

Don’t forget to save your chicken carcass for making homemade chicken stock!

All recipes are made with the finest quality farmers market whole foods, natural and non-processed ingredients as much as possible.

I’m really diggin’ our CSA box delivery service. So far the produce has been great and in order to use it all we’ve had to use our noggins and think outside the box a bit, so to speak! Who said you can’t have looks and brains?

This week our box contained organic Fuji apples, spinach, leeks, rainbow chard, broccoli, Valencia oranges & mixed peppers. I turned to old faithfuls for some of these—I used the oranges for Jerk sauce and the mixed peppers went into a pot o’chili.

Each week when our box arrives there’s a newsletter inside from the farm talking about what’s in season and giving tips and such about the fruit n’ veg. They also give a recipe highlighting one of the veggies. I was intrigued by this particular chard recipe not only because I really like leafy greens but also because it used the entire bunch of chard, stems & all. Usually one would remove the stems and either put them in the stock pot as I do or into the compost heap. Either way they’re getting used but I’d much prefer to eat them. They have a lovely peppery flavour and they add brilliant colour to the sauteed chard. I can’t take any credit for this but it did turn out great and I combined it with a rice recipe (below) which uses up some of the apples. Usin’ my noggin!

CHARD & LEEK SAUTE
RECIPE
Serves 4

2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 cup sliced leeks – white part only, washed & drained
4 minced garlic cloves
1/4 cup low sodium chicken or veg broth
1 bunch rainbow chard – washed
salt
freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Pull the leaves from the stalks and chop finely. Set aside. Chop the leaves coarsely and rinse thoroughly in cold water. Drain.

Preheat large skillet on medium heat for 1 minute. Add 1 tbsp olive oil. Saute leeks for 3 minutes approx, stirring.
Add garlic and chard stems to leeks and saute for additional 3-4 minutes until softened. Add broth and chard leaves and saute for 4-5 minutes until tender and stock reduced.
Taste and season with S&P.

RICE WITH LEEKS & FUJI APPLE:

RECIPE:
Serves 6-8

2 cups uncooked Brown & Red Rice Mix (I like the Texmati Royal Blend)
2 cups Fuji apple – small dice
1 cup leek – white only – chopped
2 cloves garlic – minced
3 cups low-sodium chicken/veg  broth
2 cups water
1 tsp fresh thyme – chopped
1/3 cup walnuts -toasted & chopped
3/4 chopped walnuts – toasted
1 tsp olive oil
S&P to taste

Directions:
Preheat large saute for 30 seconds on medium heat. Drizzle 1 tbsp olive and saute diced apples for 6-7 minutes until soft. Once softened, remove from pan and add another tbsp olive oil. Saute leeks for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add garlic and continue cooking for another 30 seconds. Add broth, water, thyme and rice.  Stir and cover with lid. Bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes approx or until rice is cooked through.
NOTE: If additional liquid is needed add 1/2 cup at a time.
Once cooked, drain any excess liquid and return rice to pan. Fold in apple and walnuts.
Taste and season with S&P.

SERVING SUGGESTION:
Cajun Catfish or Grilled Organic Chicken Breast
I was able to purchase pre-seasoned cajun catfish at Whole Foods and it was damn tasty! (Even headdaball enjoyed it.) Definitely a meal worth trying!

All recipes are made with the finest quality farmers market whole foods, natural and non-processed ingredients.

For those of you who follow my food blogging ways you’ll know I’m big into these 1 pot meals. To be honest I just try to find ways of not having to do too much washing up. I know most, if not all of you will agree. That being said when I’m not doing the washing up I’ll use every pot n pan I can, but that’s just me!
For this dish I love the sweet flavour from the paprika which while cooking, gels well with the peppers.
This dish is full of flavour and is great served with my Black Beans and Rice recipe.

Recipe:
Serves 4

3 lbs Organic chicken pieces (drumsticks, breasts, thighs)
4 cups low-sodium organic chicken broth
1 cup red onion – fine dice
1 red bell pepper – cored, small dice
1 yellow bell pepper – cored, small dice
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup white wine (whatever you’re drinking at this exact moment)
2 tbsp sweet paprika (1 for chicken marinade, 1 for sauce)
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tbsp chopped fresh marjoram
3/4 tsp salt, divided
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
4 tbsp olive oil

Directions:
Toss 1 tbsp paprika, 2 tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp salt together in large mixing bowl. Add chicken pieces to bowl and toss.
Preheat large non-stick saute pan on high heat for 1 minute. Add 1 tbsp olive oil. Sear each chicken piece for 2-3 minutes each side until golden. Once browned add to large oven proof dish.

Wipe out pan of excess juices and add another tbsp olive oil. Add peppers, onion, garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Add tomato paste, 1 tbsp paprika, crushed red peppers & marjoram and stir for 1 minute. Add wine and bring to boil. Once boiling add to chicken in casserole dish. Add chicken broth. Cover dish with foil and pop in oven for 2 hours or until chicken is fork tender.

All recipes are made with the finest quality farmers market whole foods, natural and non-processed ingredients.

There’s an all out taste war going on over here between El Pollo Loco and Kentucky Fried Chicken (we’re talking fast food) ever since KFC, as they’re now known, launched their “Kentucky Grilled Chicken” in April. El Pollo Loco acted fast, challenging KFC to a public taste test and has since gone as far as exposing a few shockers in KFC’s grilled chicken recipe. Check this out:

Pretty clever marketing on EPL’s behalf and yes, it’s true. I just checked out their ingredient list myself. Pretty sneaky addition, especially for those who are off read meat, wouldn’t you say? Now I’ve never eaten at either place before so I’m not in favor of one or the other. Just stating facts here. I’m pretty sure both companies don’t use grass-fed or organic chickens, not that they claim to, but after seeing the movie Food, Inc. I’m rather skeptical of any fast food chain’s food quality. (I encourage you to see Food, Inc. if you haven’t already.)

So I decided to issue my own taste challenge, if you will. KFC vs. THI (The Healthy Irishman). My goal here is to prove that you can still get the same great taste of fried chicken without it actually being fried, saving you tons of saturated fat, calories & sodium AND to prove that you can make a homemade healthy meal for the family in basically no time at all. Think of it this way, if you’ve got time to drive to KFC, get the food and drive home, then you’ve got time to make this!

RECIPE:

1 whole organic chicken portioned (2 breasts, 2 drumsticks, 2 thighs, 2 wings)

2 cups bread crumbs (I used Ener-G Gluten Free bread crumbs)
3 egg whites – whisked
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt
olive oil spray

DIRECTIONS:

Arrange all the ingredients in a row in the following order: the chicken pieces, the flour with paprika and salt mixed together, the egg whites, the breadcrumbs. Begin by dredging the chicken pieces in the flour followed by the egg and then coat in the breadcrumbs. Lay on a foiled oven tray. This assembly line is a great time to get the kids involved!

Once all the pieces are crumbed spray liberally on all sides with the olive oil spray.

Pop in the oven for 15-20 minutes until internal temp of 165°F and the crumbs are crispy and ‘fried’. That’s all there is to it! Once you get the basic recipe down you can always add in more spices to the flour mix like a little cayenne if you like it spicy.

I served this with sweet potato mash and sauteed spinach. So the taste-off begins. Which version would you rather eat?

All recipes are made with the finest quality farmers market whole foods, natural and non-processed ingredients as much as possible.

WELCOME TO SPICE MONTH!

I’ve had a great response over the past few weeks to the ‘what the hell do I put that in’ spice month idea. Thanks to all who threw in their choice. The #1 request was ALLSPICE also known as Jamaican Pepper or Pimenta. The smell & taste of ground allspice is really aromatic and flavourful and is almost like a mix of spices like cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger, though it’s not a mix at all. Rather, it is the dried fruit of the Pimenta dioica plant.

You may know allspice from hot spiced cider or pumpkin pie but what about in savory cooking? Allspice is one of the most important ingredients of Caribbean cuisine and Jamaican Jerk has become one of my favourite dishes to date. Jerk seasoning principally relies upon two items: allspice (called “pimento” in Jamaica) and Scotch bonnet peppers or habanero peppers, the hottest peppers on the planet. (Don’t use them and then go to the bathroom, believe me it’s no fun…….I’ve heard.)  I remember the first time the Missus made this for me, very vividly in fact–I was convinced she was trying to blow my head off. Being from Ireland, we’re not exactly renowned for our spicy palates so needless to say this was an experience for me. I looked like I was sunburned with my big red head and the river of sweat running down my face. Not pretty. That’s what I call the curse of the habanero. Since then, we’ve scaled it back and have mastered the recipe so both the savory and sweet sides marry with a gentle little kick of spice.

As you can see, this recipe has several spices involved which makes it a champion on the health brigade. Allspice is an effective digestive aid so the consumption of allspice with meals can result in stronger digestion, can reduce gas and bloating, and can ease nausea. Thyme is rich in germ-killing compounds. Cinnamon is a metabolism booster that also helps ease diarrhea and drys up the sniffles. Cayenne contains capsaicin, which interferes with pain transmission and can increase metabolism and fat-burning ability by up to 25%. Can’t beat that for health in a meal!

My favourite Jerk dish to eat uses Seitan, though traditionally in the Caribbean, Jerk was meant for pork or goat. Since I haven’t come across too many goats here in Venice, I’ve made the seitan and pork for you along with chicken.

RECIPE:
Serves 6-8

2 lbs Organic grass-fed Chicken (portioned, ie. breasts, thighs, drumsticks)/Pork Loin
or 2 lbs Seitan

JERK SAUCE RECIPE:

1 tbsp + 1 tsp allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp + 1 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dried sage
1 tsp cayenne (or more if you can handle the heat)
1 1/2  tsp white pepper
1 tbsp + 1 tsp agave
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and chopped (or use a whole one or even a habanero if you’re feeling daring)
1 cup white vinegar
3/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1 large lime – juiced
1 large white or yellow onion – chopped
1/3 cup soy sauce (I like San-J’s organic wheat free tamari)
1/3 cup olive oil

Before you get nervous of all the ingredients, trust me when I say it’s worth it. Besides, the rest of the prep & cooking is easy peasy.
TIP: Whether you’re using a jalapeno or a habanero, make sure you wash your hands thoroughly after handling or wear gloves. Also, if you’re nervous about the heat, start by using 1/2 of my recommendation. You can always add in more along the way but you can never go back.

SEITAN DIRECTIONS:

I use pre-packaged Seitan I get from Wholefoods market though I’m going to give it a go myself one of these days. I like both kinds so I used both (2 boxes of each). Take the seitan out of the package and cut it into chunks/slices and place in a large mixing bowl.
Add all remaining ingredients in a blender and blitz until well combined. Taste and adjust heat to your desired taste. NOTE: Can be made a day ahead but keep in mind that the heat graduates over time.
Pour jerk sauce over seitan and marinate for at least an hour. Refrigerate ’till needed.

When ready to cook add sauce and Seitan in large saucepan and simmer over medium low heat for 30-40 minutes, until sauce thickens. The Seitan is already ‘cooked’ so you’re really only cooking the sauce and letting the seitan absorb the jerk seasonings. If you’ve never tried seitan, don’t judge it on it’s looks, it’s damn tasty and this is an excellent way to introduce yourself to the ‘wheat meat.’

CHICKEN DIRECTIONS:

Follow the Jerk sauce directions as above. Place all chicken pieces in large casserole dish and pour jerk sauce over to marinate. Refrigerate from between 2 and 4 hours.

Remove from fridge 30 minutes before cooking to let return to room temp. Save some of the Jerk sauce for basting while grilling,

You have two options here to cook the dish.

1. Put chicken and sauce in large deep skillet and cook on medium heat covered until meat falls off the bone. Basically the same method as the Seitan for approx 1 1/4 hours.

2. Grill ‘em up (as I did). Fire up the barbecue and sear each side ’til golden and cooked through. Keep basting chicken pieces with marinade while grilling. If you feel the outside of the chicken is getting too charred, move the chicken directly away from the heat to where the flame isn’t as high. Cook for between 20 – 25 minutes. The dark meat will take longer to cook.

PORK DIRECTIONS:

Marinate refrigerated from 4-6 hours. Because of the lime juice, don’t marinate it overnight. The citrus will start to cook the meat and you don’t want that.

Remove pork from fridge 1 hour before cooking to let the meat return to room temp.

Preheat oven to 420F.

Preheat grill or large grill pan if cooking indoors. Season pork on all sides with S&P and sear on high heat for 3 minutes each side or until nicely browned. Save some of the marinade for basting.

Place on a foiled oven tray and add 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth. Baste the seared pork with more of the jerk sauce before putting in the oven. Roast in oven for 20 minutes, approx or until internal temp 160F. Baste again after 10 minutes. I add the broth to help keep the pork moist by creating steam in the oven. I use this method on lean proteins like pork, chicken and turkey as they are lower in fat so tend to dry out easier while cooking.
Remove and let rest for 5 minutes before carving. This enables the juices to redistribute back into the meat.

Spice Week recipe 1…….Done.  Make sure you let me know how whatever recipe you try works out.

All recipes are made with the finest quality farmers market whole foods, natural and non-processed ingredients as much as possible.

I had a request for a healthy lunch idea, preferably not a salad, and coincidentally I kept seeing Jack in the Box commercials for their new Teriyaki Bowls. If you’re not familiar with Jack, it’s a fast food joint here in the States, definitely not known for their healthy meals, though their ads are quite funny.

Too bad you can’t eat an ad though it would probably be better for you than these. Packed with more than 1/2 your days worth of salt and 25 grams of sugar, these bowls may look like a healthy option but….well you get the idea. So I started thinking, why not make your own teriyaki bowl for lunch?

Of course you could take the easy route here with bottled teriyaki sauce but read the ingredients the next time you’re at the store. I just counted 15 ingredients from one, a couple of which I can’t even pronounce, which isn’t good. My version has just 5 ingredients and I swear it doesn’t take long to make. The beauty is that you can make a batch of it and keep it in the fridge for quick use, making this a perfect weekend culinary project.

RECIPE:

Serves 2

2 x 4 oz organic chicken breasts – boneless, skinless

Teriyaki Sauce:
1/2 cup soy sauce (I like San-J’s organic wheat free tamari)
1/2 cup sake
1/2 cup mirin
1 tbsp + 1 tsp agave
1 1/2 tsp lemon zest
Yields approx 1 cup

DIRECTIONS:
Add all teriyaki ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Simmer over low heat for 20-25 mins approx to reduce the liquid.  It’s not going to be as thick as the bottled stuff but if you take it off the heat and let it sit for about 30 mins it will thicken up a tad more. You could use arrowroot or cornstarch to thicken it up but I prefer to let it go au natural. That’s all there is to making homemade teriyaki folks!

Next, preheat large grill/saute pan on medium-low heat for 1 minute.

Brush both sides of chicken with the teriyaki sauce then saute for 3-4 minutes on each side or until cooked through with an internal temp of 165F.
Because of the agave, the chicken will caramelize when grilled and therefore get dark. Don’t panic, it’s not burned unless, of course you burn it!

v

Carrot, Sugar Snap Combo
1 large carrot – peeled, sliced on diagonal 1/8″
8 oz sugar snap peas (Don’t forget to watch my unbelievably informative quick video on prepping these little guys)
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp fresh ginger – grated

Add the broth, ginger and carrot in a saute pan with lid and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes. Once carrots are almost cooked through add peas and return the lid. Turn up heat and cook for 2 minutes until peas have turned bright and vibrant green.
NOTE: Add 1/4 cup additional broth when adding sugar snaps if needed.

To assemble:

Thinly slice the chicken and serve with 1/2 cup brown rice and vegetables. Can use this recipe with beef or even tofu. Suck on that, Jack. Viva la healthy teriyaki bowl!

All recipes are made with the finest quality farmers market whole foods, natural and non-processed ingredients as much as possible.

Suferrin’ Succotash! Remember that saying from Sylvester the Cat in the Looney Tunes cartoon? That was pretty much the only time I had heard the word succotash and as a kid I had no idea what it was or meant. Come to find out succotash is food (no wonder why I liked the saying!) The Missus had me believing this dish originated in the South, which would make sense why I had never heard of it, apart from the cartoon. But during my research on what the name means I found out it all began in the Rhode Island area, if you can believe that. The name is taken from the Naragansett Indian word msickquatash, “boiled whole kernels of corn,” from the Narragansett language once spoken on Narragansett Bay, which is present-day Rhode Island.

How ’bout that for research!

Succotash is a dish consisting primarily of corn and Lima beans, though now it’s been adapted all over the states. In the South any mixture of vegetables prepared with Lima beans and mixed with butter is considered a succotash. In Indiana, according to our Hoosier buddies (Indiana people), succotash is made with green beans and corn instead of Lima beans. Bet you didn’t know succotash was so interesting did you?

I happen to really like this succotash idea because I’m a big fan of all the components that are in the dish. Lima beans are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber and have good significant amounts of folate and magnesium, all of which are beneficial for your digestive system and your heart. Corn is chock-a-block full of nutrients including fiber & vitamin C. Speaking of C, the peppers are loaded with it and the red pepper is also a great source of vitamin A. Basically you’re nourishing your body naturally, with a brilliant dinner to boot.

RECIPE:
Serves 4

3 x 8 oz Organic chicken breasts with skin (skin to be removed after cooking if desired)
1 cup chicken broth

1 red bell pepper – diced
1 yellow bell pepper – diced
1/2 red onion – diced
2 garlic cloves – minced
2 fresh corn on the cob – kernels removed  or  1 x 15 1/4 oz can corn (go fresh since corn is in season!)
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes
2 cups Lima beans (butter or Madagascar beans)
1 tsp chili flakes
1 tbsp fresh cilantro – chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
S&P
olive oil spray

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 420F.
Begin by preheating your barbecue grill on high heat until up to appropriate temperature. You can saute the chicken indoors on your stove if you don’t want to hook up your grill or use a grill pan.
Season chicken breasts with S&P on both sides.

TIP: Double the amount of salt you would normally use simply because when you grill (or saute for that matter) some of the salt will fall off and the meat will actually end up being under seasoned.

Spray your grill liberally with olive oil spray and sear the chicken for 3-4 minutes, skin side down or until golden brown. By keeping the skin on the breast it will protect the flesh from charring and becoming tough when cooking.

Once chicken is seared on skin side, flip over and sear for 1 minute. Once seared,  place on foiled oven tray to finish in oven. My favorite tip for this is to add broth to the roasting tray and pop in oven for 5 minutes or until internal temp of 165F. Since chicken breast is very lean it has a tendency to dry out so this method will create steam in the oven while the chicken is roasting, keeping it nice ‘n juicy. Once cooked let rest for 2 minutes before cutting. This will help the meat to relax and redistribute the juices back into the meat.
Meanwhile (or while the chicken is in the oven), heat a large saute pan on medium high for one min. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil then add in the peppers and onions and cook for about a minute, stirring. Stir in garlic, corn, chili flakes and tomatoes, saute together for 4-5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium then add in the lima beans and saute along with the other ingredients for 2 more minutes.
Taste and season with S&P. Add chopped cilantro to finish.

Serve family style with the grilled chicken on top. How ’bout that for a quick healthy family dinner!

All recipes are made with the finest quality farmers market whole foods, natural and non-processed ingredients as much as possible.