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Let's Pretend It's Summer: Coconut Crusted Chicken with Mango Salsa

10/3/2010

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Fall is officially upon us, and that's fine by me because it's my favorite season.  I love chilly weather (really, I'll take any excuse to wear a hoodie), the changing leaves, apple picking and anything pumpkin flavored (including pumpkin beer.  This season's choice? Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale).

So technically, I should be preparing food that celebrates the season.  I should be making apple pies, pumpkin soup and chili.  But I've never been one to follow the rules, so when I came across a recipe for quick Coconut Crusted Chicken with Mango Salsa in the latest issue of....you guessed it...Everyday with Rachel Ray, I was amped because 1. it's fairly healthy without having to modify the recipe 2. there aren't a ton of ingredients (it's nice to keep it simple).  So I decided to extend the tastes of summer for one more week before I settle into autumn.

Before I get into how this recipe tasted, I need to tell you about the lesson I learned while cooking it.  Ladies and gentleman - never, ever, ever cook chicken cutlets on top of the stove, in a pan with oil ever again.  You know how it usually goes - the chicken breast is thick, the outside crust cooks quickly but the center of the chicken takes forever and the next thing you know your house is filled with smoke and the chicken cutlets taste OK but are usually dry and not awesome.  This recipe had me brown the cutlets for 3 minutes on the stove, and finish them off in the oven.  The result?  Golden brown, juicy chicken.  Which rocked.

The mango salsa was super easy to make and was really delicious - I love cilantro so I really love the way its fresh flavor played off of the light sweetness of the coconut breading on the chicken.  The rice vinegar was such a smart addition to the salsa, it wasn't overpowering and really helped to help the flavors come together.  If I was going to make this salsa on it's own, sans chicken, I'd probably throw in a jalapeno for some heat.

I made some polenta as a side for this dish.  I just used the kind that you can buy in the organic section of the produce aisle, where you can slice it and either bake or fry it.  I sliced up about half of a tube for Jared and I, sprinkled it with salt and pepper (but you should get creative - think chili powder, cumin or dried cilantro) and baked it along side the chicken.

Now, go forth and make this summer meal, and if you do - let me know how it comes out.

(and hey, speaking of seasons - what's your favorite healthy-ish fall recipe?  send it to me, and I'll share it here)

Coconut Crusted Chicken with Mango Salsa

Ingredients:
  • 1/2 pound frozen mango, thawed and chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
  • 1/3 cup chopped red onion
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
  • Four 6-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breasts
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Directions:
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a small bowl, combine the mango, bell pepper, onion, cilantro and vinegar; season with salt and pepper.

  2. In a shallow bowl, beat the egg with 1 teaspoon water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Place the coconut in another shallow bowl. Dip the chicken in the egg, then in the coconut. Press to coat.

  3. In large, ovenproof skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning once, until golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until cooked through, about 12 minutes. Serve the chicken with the mango salsa.




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Buffalo Chicken Chili (aka You May Hate Rachael Ray, But Her Recipes Don't Disappoint)

6/14/2010

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prep work = minimal
Rachael Ray, where should I begin?  Well, I'll begin by being honest - 90% of her recipes don't even come close to being healthy-ish.  In fact, most of her recipes are just layer after layer of comforting flavors and textures (cheese, pasta, tortilla chips...name a comforting, yet fattening item - and you'll find it in one of her recipes).  I'm not going to hate on that (how could anyone hate on that?), I'm just not going to eat it everyday. 

A few months ago I discovered Rachael Ray's book Yum-O which is her cookbook for families.  It seems that these recipes are a bit more figure friendly, often making the chicken for beef swap - or adding extra veggies.  Needless to say, it's still my girl Rachael (lots of layers, lots of seasoning, lots of real ingredients) but with less fat.  I'm into it.

Her recipe for Buffalo Chicken Chili is one of my go-to meals on a busy weeknight.  I got home at 8pm, and dinner was on the table by 8:45...not bad for a full-flavored chili.  This recipe is healthy-ish because, let's not lie to ourselves, there is really no need to treat yourself to plate of buffalo wings for no reason on a Monday night.  You get all of the flavors of a plate of buffalo wings with no deep fryer and 100% white meat chicken.  Plus, in my opinion Frank's Red Hot is a gift from God - seriously it's my crack, I eat it on celery sticks when the wings are gone, writing about it right now only makes me want some.

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You can make this recipe extra healthy-ish by using baked chips (my opinion on those = gross, not worth it) and reduced fat cheese (my opinion on that = good swap for this recipe). 

Make it tonight, it's delicious and healthy-ish (not to mention super-fast):







Rachael Ray's Buffalo Chicken Chili


Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 pounds all-white meat ground chicken breast
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 3 ribs celery, finely chopped
  • 5 large cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika (I used chipotles)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup hot sauce, depending on how hot you like it
  • 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce (if you have a big can of tomatoes, don't go to the store to get the sauce, it's fine. Just use what you have)
  • 1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 7-ounce bag yellow corn chips
  • 1 7-ounce bag blue corn chips
  • 3/4 pound blue cheese, crumbled, recommended type Maytag Blue (cheddar is also delicious)
  • 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped (a couple of handfuls)
Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°F or broiler to medium

Place a large pot over medium-high heat, add 1 turn of the pan of EVOO, about 1 tablespoon, and the butter. Once the butter has melted and the pot is hot, add the ground chicken. Brown it, using the back of a wooden spoon to break it up in to small pieces, about 5-6 minutes. Add the carrot, onion, celery, garlic, paprika, bay leaf and some salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 3-4 minutes. Add the chicken stock and scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Add the hot sauce, tomato sauce and crushed tomatoes, and bring up to a bubble. Simmer for 8-10 minutes to let the flavors come together.

While the chili is simmering, spread the yellow and blue corn chips out on a cookie sheet. Top with the crumbled blue cheese and transfer to the oven to melt the cheese, about 4-5 minutes. If using the broiler, 2-3 minutes should do the trick. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the chopped parsley.

Top each serving of buffalo chicken chili with a few blue cheese-topped corn chips.

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    Katie Creaser

    I'm a healthy foodie...well, who am I kidding?  I'm a partially healthy foodie.


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