The Dash Diet Weight Loss Solution: 2 Weeks to Drop Pounds, Boost Metabolism, and Get Healthy (A DASH Diet Book) (20 page)

Southwestern Blackened Chicken Salad

2 ripe medium tomatoes, peeled and diced

2 tablespoons finely diced red onion

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

dash of sugar (optional)

4 medium skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 1 pound)

4 teaspoons ground black pepper

4 teaspoons paprika

teaspoon dry mustard

teaspoon ground red pepper

¼ teaspoon salt

shredded lettuce (about 4 cups, or per your preference)

1 cup sweet corn (except during Phase 1)

4 ounces shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

guacamole

Preheat oven to 350°F.

For your homemade Pico de Gallo: Combine the tomatoes, red onion, cilantro,

and sugar. Mix well. Cover; chill for several hours or overnight.

Cut chicken breast halves into -inch-wide strips. Combine the black pepper,

paprika, dry mustard, red pepper, and salt in a plastic bag. Add chicken to the

bag, shaking to coat. Arrange coated chicken in a single layer in a shallow baking

pan, either sprayed with cooking spray, or lined with nonstick aluminum foil. Bake,

uncovered, for 15–20 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and no longer pink.

Using two forks, shred the chicken into pieces.

Arrange the lettuce on plates, sprinkle with corn (not in Phase 1), and top with

shredded chicken. Spread Pico de Gallo, cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, and

guacamole on top of the chicken and lettuce. And who said healthy eating can’t

be super-tasty!

Makes 4 servings.

Hint
: To peel tomatoes, make an X cut on the bottom of each tomato. Using a

slotted ladle, slip into boiling water, until the skin softens and starts peel back

from the X (30–45 seconds). Remove with the ladle, then plunge into ice water to

stop the cooking. You will then be easily able to peel off the skin. If you are in a

pinch and don’t have any flavorful tomatoes, you could substitute whole canned

tomatoes.

Chicken Souvlaki

3 lemons

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano leaves or 2 teaspoons dry

oregano

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

¼ cup olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

coarse salt

16 chicken tenders (tenderloins), about 1½ pounds

ground black pepper

2 cups Greek-style yogurt

½ seedless cucumber, peeled and grated

½ teaspoon ground cumin

You will need about 16 skewers. If you are using bamboo ones, soak in water for

about 30 minutes prior to grilling.

Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

To prepare the marinade, combine the zest and juice of 2 lemons, oregano, red

pepper flakes, and olive oil in a dish. Paste the garlic by mashing it with a little

coarse salt (such as Kosher salt or sea salt) then add of it to the marinade,

reserving some for the dipping sauce. Add the chicken tenders to the marinade in

a large ziplock bag and season with the pepper, shake in the marinade to coat,

and let stand about 10 minutes.

Thread the tenders on the skewers and cook 7–8 minutes, turning once, until firm

and juices run clear.

While the chicken cooks, combine the yogurt with the juice of the remaining

lemon and the reserved garlic, grated cucumber, and cumin. Serve the dip to be

used as desired as a dip or sauce for the chicken.

Makes about 4 servings.

Hint
: Microplanes are the best and easiest graters for citrus peel. Zest first, then remove the juice. Don’t skip the zest, because it adds such a clean, intense

flavor.

Poached Chicken Salad with Grapes and Walnuts

5 cups water

1 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1½ pounds chicken tenders

cup plain nonfat yogurt

cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 cup seedless grapes, cut in half, crosswise

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (3 ounces) Salt and pepper to taste

Bring water and broth to a boil in a large saucepan, then add chicken and cook at

a bare simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until just cooked through, about

5 minutes. Drain and cool, then cut into 1-inch chunks.

Combine the yogurt, mayonnaise, and mustard. Stir the chicken and remaining

ingredients into the dressing with salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 6 servings.

Hint
: This is great served on lettuce, with sliced tomatoes.

The Easiest Chicken Giardinara

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless

12 ounces canned giardinara

1 clove garlic, minced

Recapping from the Naked Chicken Piccata recipe: First, pound the chicken

breasts with a wooden mallet until they are about ¼-inch thick. This will be easiest

if you place them on sheets of plastic wrap and sprinkle water around the sheets

so they don’t stick so much. You could also use a rolling pin to thin and even out

the breasts.

Heat the oil over medium-high heat. (If the oil is smoking, the cooking temperature

is too high.) Add the chicken and cook about 4 minutes on each side, or until

browned. Remove the chicken from the pan and place on a plate with a cover

(such as a pot lid or aluminum foil) to keep warm.

Into a skillet, add the giardinara and garlic. Sauté over medium heat for 2–3

minutes, or until hot. Add back the chicken and cover with the giardinara-garlic

mixture. Simmer for another 2 minutes. Serve hot.

Makes 4 servings.

Warning
: This dish is very spicy!

Crispy Grilled Chicken

4 chicken breasts, bone-in, with skin

Optional: garlic clove or salt-free seasoning mix

Heat the barbecue grill to medium heat. Create a boat out of aluminum foil for

each of the chicken breasts. If desired, for extra flavor, rub the chicken with a

peeled, cut garlic clove or sprinkle with salt-free seasoning mix. Place chicken,

skin side down, in boats. Cook for 45 minutes, turning the chicken in the boats

every 15 minutes.

You will get a lovely, golden brown color, and intense flavor from the

caramelization of the chicken skin. And does it get any easier?

Makes 4 servings.

Hint
: Use nonstick aluminum foil for the boats.

Chicken, Pan-Broiled, with Tomato and Broccoli Salad

1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

4 cups broccoli florets

1½ pounds medium tomatoes

4 tablespoons olive or canola oil

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

½ teaspoon chili powder

¼ cup lemon juice

Place the chicken in a skillet and add enough water to cover; bring to a simmer

over high heat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer gently until the chicken is cooked

through and is no longer pink in the middle, 10–12 minutes. Transfer to a cutting

board. When cool enough to handle, shred with two forks into bite-sized pieces.

Microwave the broccoli about 5 minutes, or until tender. Allow to cool uncovered.

Cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise. Do not remove the seeds and pulp, since this

is where most of the flavor is. In the skillet used for cooking the chicken, preheat 1

tablespoon of the olive oil and sauté the tomatoes over medium-high heat,

starting with the cut side down. Allow to brown, and soften. Turn and brown on the

other side. Remove to a plate to cool.

Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil in the pan over medium heat. Stir in the

salt, pepper, and chili powder and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about

45 seconds. Slowly pour in the lemon juice (watch out for splatters), then remove

the pan from the heat. Stir to scrape up any browned bits.

Coarsely chop the pan-broiled tomatoes and combine them in a large bowl with

the shredded chicken, broccoli, and pan dressing; toss to coat.

Makes 4 servings.

Garden Splendor, Sautéed Chicken with Tomatoes over Haricots Verts

2 tablespoons olive or canola oil

8 thin-cut boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3 cups haricots verts (very thin whole green beans)

2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in halves

1–2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed through a garlic press, or ½ teaspoon

minced garlic (optional)

1 cup frozen diced onions

1 tablespoon minced fresh basil (or 1 teaspoon dried basil)

1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano (or about 1 teaspoon dried oregano, or to

taste)

1 tablespoon minced fresh Italian parsley (or 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes)

4 ounces chicken broth, low-sodium, or white wine

Preheat the oven (or a toaster oven) to 250°F.

This recipe idea originally came from foods we had on hand, including our garden

bounty. This was a great way to utilize our excess Super Sweet 100 mini cherry

tomatoes from the garden. It makes a lovely meal, with a sauce pulled together

from your garden or from the market.

Preheat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken,

sautéing in the oil. (You may be able to do only 2–4 breasts at a time, depending

on the size of your skillet.) Turn the heat down to medium after 1 minute of

cooking. Turn the chicken after 2–3 minutes and continue to cook another 2

minutes. Remove and place on an oven-safe dish. Cover with aluminum foil or a

pot lid, and keep warm in the oven or toaster oven. There will be a slight

continuation of the cooking process, so don’t overcook the chicken during the

browning process. Repeat this process until you have cooked all the chicken.

Immediately start cooking the green beans in a microwave, for about 5 minutes.

Then add the cut-up mini cherry tomatoes, garlic, and frozen diced onions to the