Friday, March 12, 2010

Recipe Friday - Chicken with Pineapple Salsa and Bean Couscous Salad


It's about time!! I've been blogging for over two months and every recipe so far has been meatless. You were all probably wondering if I even eat meat. Well I do! I was going to wait until the summer to post this one because it's so fresh tasting and light, but pineapples were on sale at the grocery store... so I made this yummy recipe for dinner last night and snapped a few pictures so that I could share it with you today. Now before I give you this recipe, can I just say that I LOVE pineapples? Not only does it remind me of Hawaii (and we all know that I'm totally obsessed with Hawaii- see profile picture)pineapple is my favorite fruit and has a host of health benefits. Pineapple is an excellent source of vitamin C and manganese and rich in bromelain (protein-digesting enzymes) These enzymes aid in digestion, effectively reduce inflammation and swelling, and break down mucus in respiratory conditions, such as pneumonia and bronchitis.

To make this recipe easier on you (I know how busy everyone is) I suggest making the salsa the night before, marinating the chicken in the morning (keep it covered in the fridge) and 10 minutes before dinner, throw the chicken on the George Foreman Grille, and prepare the couscous and bean salad.

Ingredients

Pineapple Salsa
1/2 pineapple cut into very small pieces
1 tomato cut into very small pieces
1 clove of garlic pressed through a garlic press
2 Tablespoons of finely chopped cilantro
juice of 1/2 a lime
1/2 a jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 onion cut into very small pieces
salt and pepper to taste

Pulse all ingredients in a food processor for a few seconds, until you have a chunky salsa. Transfer to a bowl, cover and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.

Marinade
zest from 1 lime
juice from 2 limes
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons honey
3 cloves garlic pressed through a garlic press
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 tablespoons chives
1 teaspoon onion powder
dash of cayenne pepper

Whisk all ingredients in a large bowl. Place boneless skinless chicken breast (or salmon steaks, or pork chops) in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour, but no longer that overnight.

Remove chicken from marinade and discard leftover marinade. Grille chicken on a George Foreman grille or BBQ until no longer pink inside, 6-10 minutes. Top with pineapple salsa.

Couscous and bean salad

1 cup whole wheat couscous
1 1/2 cup chicken stock
1 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
can mixed beans, drained

Bring chicken stock and garlic powder to a boil. Add couscous and remove from heat. Stir for 2 minutes until water is absorbed. Add drained beans and mix.

The thing I love about this meal is that it's totally energizing. You won't feel all sluggish and bloated after eating it. For dessert I think I'll throw the rest of the pineapple in the magic bullet with some ice cubes and orange juice, to make a fresh sorbet. Enjoy!!

1 comment:

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