Tasty Summer Fare

Rob and I were talking about a cooking show he caught for a moment this morning. Chicken... lots of butter... heavy cream. Good? Yah, I am absolutely sure. I have ordered and loved every bite of dishes like this... B.U.T. Who cooks like this at home? Seriously, who cooks chicken in a stick of butter with heavy cream?

Not me. I have made some really great dinners lately. Wanna hear about them?

Meal #1

Tonight? No photos to prove it (sorry, I'm not used to taking pictures of my food), but we had a simple dinner of Sauted Chicken with Basil Cream Sauce and Roasted Veggies. Prep time: 15 minutes, cook time 20 minutes. So simple, so tasty:

Veggies
This is the only thing that takes a bit of prep time and the longest cooking time. Tonight we had carrots and zucchini, but you can really do anything. Our favorites include beets, broccoli, and asparagus. Anyway, take the extra few minutes to slice your carrots and zucchini the long way instead of like coins. It really makes a difference. Spread the veggies in a single layer on a sprayed roasting pan. Lightly coat the top with a little more spray oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic. Toss it in a 375 degree oven for about 20 minutes.

Basil Cream Sauce
Take out your blender or food processor. Toss in a cup of fresh basil, 2 cloves of garlic, a couple teaspoons of shredded asiago cheese, and 3/4 cup fat free sour cream. We served the sauce as a dip.
(I can't wait to play with this and come up with some new flavors... lemon mint? curry? chipolte pepper? hmmm...)

Chicken
Slice boneless skinless chicken breast into thin strips. Spray frying pan with non-stick olive oil. Quickly saute the meat in a hot pan. Set aside.

I skipped a starch tonight, but a quick couscous? Little more time- add some potatos to your veggies or even bake a couple red or sweet potatoes?

Meal #2

I had 3 pot luck picnics to attend last weekend. I brought a Roasted Veggie Salad with Ginger Lime Dressing to 2 of them. I really wanted to bring something new that I would enjoy eating and would be a healthy option. I made this up. It was good. This picture shows half the quantity of what I made.

Chop your favorite veggies into bite sized pieces. I used zucchini, summer squash, asparagus, broccoli and garlic. How much? Well I filled a 10x 13 pan with these veggies. Toss lightly with EVOO (I throw it all in a bowl with a lid so I can add a tablespoon or so of oil and really get it all coated.) Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic. Roast at 375 for about 15 minutes. You want the veggies to keep a crunch.

Meanwhile, shred raw carrots (I used about 3 cups), dice up a can of beets, rinse a can of garbanzo beans, slice up some tomatoes, and toss them all together. Add the roasted veggies when they are done.

Dressing
In a blender or food processor combine the following:
Fresh diced ginger about 3 tablespoons
2 teaspoons garlic
1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons EVOO
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup rice vinegar

Blend and toss the salad. Add the dressing gradually so you don't overdo it. Serve hot, cold, or at room temp. As a finishing touch sprinkle with toasted sunflower seeds.

This technically isn't a meal, but serve it up with some simple grilled fish or chicken and voila! How about over some brown rice or couscous?

Whe needs the fat-laden meals? These dishes had a touch of your healthy oils, lots of flavor, veggies, veggies, veggies and some beautiful colors.

Training: 3.1 miles in 40 minutes. Getting up at 6 am did not, in fact, kill me. I didn't feel like I was dying until midway through the last interval. I think I only said "this sucks" once. It was fine. The bike course is now posted and it's 2.58 miles longer than I thought it was. I'll drive the course tomorrow and adjust tomorrow's evening ride accordingly.