Fitness Food and You

Whole Roasted Garlic-Herb Chicken

ingredients, garlic butter

8 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

2 T olive oil

3 T fresh thyme leaves

1 T butter, softened at room temperature

½ t salt

ingredients, chicken

1 roasting chicken, 4 ½ lbs

½ t salt

½ lemon, sliced into thin wheels (reserve other half)

3 sprigs fresh thyme

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

10 cloves of garlic, peel on

directions

Blend garlic-butter ingredients into a smooth paste. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400⁰ F. Wash the chicken, remove the giblets, trim the excess skin/fat and pat dry with paper towels.

Using your fingers, gently pry the skin away from the meat, creating pockets. Spray a sturdy roasting pan with olive oil spray. Salt the inside of the chicken with ½ t of salt and stuff with the lemon wheels, thyme, rosemary and garlic.

Using twine, truss the chicken (breast side up) making sure that the legs are tight. Place the chicken in the roasting pan. Rub the chicken all over with the remaining lemon half, squeezing the juice into the skin. Generously baste the chicken with the garlic-butter pushing the mixture into the pockets.

Cover the chicken loosely with foil and roast for approximately 1½ hours. (20-25 min per pound.) Remove the foil for the last 25 minutes of roasting time. Make sure that the internal temperature reaches 165⁰ F, the juices run clear and the flesh is firm to the touch.

(Adapted from a recipe found in “Cooking Light”, November, 2012)

Black Bean Soup

ingredients

4 oz bacon, finely chopped

2 medium onions, chopped

6 garlic cloves, minced

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can chopped tomatoes

2 T ketchup

2 t  Worcestershire sauce

1 T chili powder

3 (15 1/2-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped

juice of 1/2 lime

thinly sliced scallions, for garnish

low-fat sour cream, for garnish (optional)

directions

Put the bacon into a large heavy pot and place it over medium heat. Cook until it starts to give up its fat, about 4 minutes. (SEE NOTE BELOW*)

Stir in the onions and cook, stirring, until they start to turn translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until you can smell it, about 1 minute.

Add the broth, tomatoes, ketchup, Worcestershire, and chili powder. Stir in the black beans, turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the soup is bubbling gently and cook 10 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper.

After the soup has been bubbling for 10 minutes, add the chopped cilantro and cook until the soup is thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lime juice. Serve with the scallions. Garnish with low-fat sour cream, if desired.

*NOTE: To make this recipe healthier, when the bacon fat starts to render, I take a paper towel and mop up the extra fat in the pan. If I need more oil, I drizzle a bit of olive oil into the pan. The recipe will still have a nice bacon flavor but with less fat. I do this whenever I cook with bacon.

(Adapted from a recipe found on foodnetwork.com)

Chickpeas and Spinach with Smoky Paprika

ingredients

1 T olive oil

2 large onions, thinly sliced

4 cloves of garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 t Spanish smoked paprika

½ cup dry white wine

¼ cup organic vegetable broth

1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 (9-ounce) package fresh spinach

2 T chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 t sherry vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

directions

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic to pan; cover and cook for 8 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in the smoked paprika, and cook for 1 minute.

Add the white wine, vegetable broth, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Add the chickpeas; reduce heat, and simmer until sauce thickens slightly, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the spinach; cover and cook for 2 minutes or until spinach wilts. Stir in the parsley and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

(Adapted from a recipe found in “Cooking Light”, November, 2012)