Balsamic grilled chicken and vegetables

I was going to start off this post with some sort of excuse as to why I haven’t posted in months and months, but all you really need to know is that I’m back.  And with a vengeance, I might add.   Well, mostly just with healthier recipes.  Just a little vengeance.

After a semester abroad in good old New Z-land, eating mostly junk and indulging in, uh, calorie-laden beverages, it’s time to pull on my bootstraps (21st century translation: belt loops on those too-tight jeans) and get to work.   Besides a boring corporate internship in Brooklyn, I’ve been working two days a week for a woman who has a massive organic garden.  Just to get sappy for a second, it’s given me an incredibly genuine new appreciation for vegetables and the ridiculous things you can do with them.  They’re not just for throwing on your sandwich, people! Or at your friends.  Unless they’re being jerks.

Poor attempts at humor aside, the woman cooked myself and the other interns up an unbelievable lunch spread.  But until I get her to like me enough to share some of the recipes, here’s a good old summer classic.  Now I know I’ve posted other pretty pictures of similar foods on this blog in the past but let’s face it – do you ever really get sick of looking at pictures of food? You shouldn’t, anyway.

Grilled Chicken

• 5 chicken breasts cut into strips
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• ¼ cup worhcestshire sauce
• ¼ balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• Any dried herbs you want (I used thyme, parsley, and basil)

Combine lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, honey, and herbs in a plastic bag or container.  Add chicken and seal.  Massage until each piece is evenly coated.

Getting a little more artsy

You can use whichever vegetables you want for grilling, but I also stick to the classics : onions, peppers (except green, because I think those taste funny), zucchini.  If I’m feeling ambitious, I’ll grab some asparagus, sweet potatos, pineapple, and scallions, too.  Toss with salt, pepper, and a half cup of balsamic vinegar and grill.

Just as a forewarning/disclaimer, I WILL be posting a tofu recipe soon.  That’s right, carnivores, the unsubscribe button is right there.  Just kidding.  Seriously though, don’t unsubscribe.  I’ll put a bacon recipe up soon. Promise.

Kale Crisps

Hungry for a snack? This is as close as you’ll get to a potato chip without feeling guilty or greasy.   Seriously, it’s almost better than potato chips.  Way crispier, too! 

Here’s how to do it:

Preheat the oven to 350 and spread out pieces of kale off a baking sheet.  Toss with olive oil and salt. Bake for about ten minutes, until edges begin to brown. 

Spagetti Squash

Squash "Pasta"

Served with homemade tomato sauce in the squash shell!

Now, the holidays are over. Which is sad and all, of course. But on the bright side, no reason to worry about that rotten old naughty-or-nice routine. Sorry, Santa! I guess what Im trying to say here is if you’re going to be rotten any time of the year, this is your chance! So, what are you going to do? Well, I’m going to trick all my friends and family to think that they’re eating pasta, when they’re really eating squash, full of vitamins and other healthfulness. I’m cruel, I know.

So how does it happen? Roasting the squash softens the inner fibers, resulting in tons of stringy strands. Use tongs or a fork to remove them, and they literally have the exact same texture as angel hair pasta. They are more or less flavorless, meaning they go well with any sort of sauce. Honestly, my parents still think it was pasta, and hey, who am to tell them it wasn’t?

Just as a disclaimer, halving the squash can be pretty difficult, especially if it’s not ripe enough (look for a pale yellow color, rather than ivory).

Here’s what you’ll need:

2 butternut squash, halved and cored
4 tablespoons olive oil

Just as a disclaimer, halving the squash can be pretty difficult, especially if it’s not ripe enough (look for a pale yellow color, rather than ivory). Be careful!

Preheat the oven to 400. Rub the olive oil on the squash, and place them face down on the oven. Cook for about 35 minutes, until the insides are soft. Let cool for about five minutes, then remove the “pasta” from the skin of the squash into a separate bowl using tongs or fork loosely. Add your favorite sauce, and that’s all there is to it.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

I avoided sprouts for a long time.  Like the plague, really.   Not for any real good reason, except that it seemed like they were the most hated vegetable of all time. Seriously, it’s not just me right?  These poor things are mentioned in every family sitcom dinner skit of all time, kids refusing to try them, refusing to finish them etc.  Well, I tried this recipe and you know what? I don’t why the sprouts got so much bad press.  Poor little guys.

Anyhow, try out this recipe. Join the (quasi) movement, and bring back Brussels Sprouts!

• 1 pound of brussels sprouts, halved and stems chopped
• ¼ cup of toasted pine nuts
• 3 slices of bacon, crumbled (optional)
• 3 gloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon olive
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Grated parmesean cheese

Preheat the oven to 400. Toss the raw brussell sprouts with the olive, honey, and garlic.  Cook for about eight to ten minutes until the edges start to brown.  Take out and toss with the bacon and garlic and cheese.  A delicious winter side.  Try it ou, and tell me what you think!