Fitness Food and You

This is one of my favorite chicken dishes! I think it will be fabulous, too, on the BBQ when summer rolls around.

ingredients (serves 4)

8 small, skinless chicken pieces with bones (thighs, legs, quartered breasts)

¼ cup Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

½ teaspoon dry mustard powder

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon ground dried chipotle pepper

½ pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ onion, sliced into rings

1 teaspoon vegetable oil, or as needed

directions

Make 2 slashes crosswise into the meat of each chicken piece with a sharp knife, cutting to the bone. Cuts should be about 1 inch apart. Transfer pieces into a heavy resealable plastic bag.

Whisk the Dijon mustard, brown sugar, red wine vinegar, mustard powder, salt, black pepper, ground chipotle pepper, and cayenne pepper in a bowl until smooth. Whisk the garlic into marinade.

Pour the marinade into the bag over the chicken pieces and massage the marinade into the chicken, coating each piece thoroughly and working the marinade into the cuts. Seal the bag and refrigerate at least 4 hours (or overnight for best flavor).

Move a rack to the center position in oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly oil the foil. Scatter the onion rings onto the prepared baking sheet. Place the chicken pieces on top of the onion rings.

Roast the chicken in the preheated oven until the meat is tender, and the juices run clear, about 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer the chicken and the onions onto a serving platter and serve.

(Adapted from a recipe found on allrecipes.com by Chef John)

It is CLEARLY still winter so here is a wonderful, hearty side dish that you can add to any protein that you’re serving.

ingredients

1 pound carrots, peeled

1 pound parsnips, peeled

1 large sweet potato, peeled

1 small butternut squash, peeled and seeded (about 2 pounds)

2 tablespoons good olive oil

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Cut the carrots, parsnips, sweet potato, and butternut squash in 1 to 1 ¼ -inch cubes. All the vegetables will shrink while baking, so don’t cut them too small.

Place all the cut vegetables in a single layer on 2 baking sheets. Drizzle them with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss well. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender, turning once with a metal spatula.

Sprinkle with parsley, season to taste, and serve hot.

(Adapted from a recipe found on www.foodnetwork.com)

I love cooking with lentils because they are one of the few legumes that don’t need soaking. This lentil soup is super easy to make a utterly delicious! It will warm you up for sure!

ingredients

1 T olive oil

1 cup finely chopped onion

½ cup finely chopped carrot

½ cup finely chopped celery

1/2  t kosher salt

1 pound lentils, picked and rinsed

1 (14.5-ounce) can chopped tomatoes

2 quarts chicken or vegetable broth

½ t freshly ground coriander

½ t freshly ground toasted cumin

½ t freshly ground grains of paradise

directions

Place the olive oil into a large 6-quart Dutch oven and set over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion, carrot, celery and salt and sweat until the onions are translucent, approximately 6 to 7 minutes. Add the lentils, tomatoes, broth, coriander, cumin and grains of paradise and stir to combine. Increase the heat to high and bring just to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook at a low simmer until the lentils are tender, approximately 35 to 40 minutes. Using a stick blender, puree to your preferred consistency. Serve immediately.

NOTE: I modified this recipe as follows: I used 1 cup of all the vegetables and only used ½ lb of lentils. I also made some brown rice and added it to the soup. DELICIOUS!

(Adapted from a recipe found on http://www.foodnetwork.com)