Baked Teriyaki-Pineapple Chicken

Sticking to New Year's Resolutions can be hard, especially when it involves eating healthy. I want to make it a little easier on you with this recipe. You don't have to sacrifice taste or time to make a delicious weeknight meal that is good for you. I've revamped the traditional version of Teriyaki sauce we all love and have cleaned it up for a healthier alternative. It's baked, with less sodium and sugar, but not missing any flavor.

You can find Truvia brown sugar blend at most major grocery chains. It's pretty common these days as people become more aware and educated on their health. It's much better for you than imitation sugar-free blends and worth the added cost. Just remember that you can substitute regular brown sugar, but you'll be adding extra calories. Keep this one clean!

Baked Teriyaki-Pineapple Chicken 

Ingredients:

1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken tenders (about 3-4 breasts, sliced)

2 cups light soy sauce or amino acids

1 orange, juiced
1 cup Truvia brown sugar blend
1 bunch of scallions, sliced thin
3 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 cup water

1 small can of pineapple chunks, drained and juice set aside

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a 9x11 glass baking dish with foil, spray with cooking spray, line chicken tenders inside and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the light soy sauce, orange juice, pineapple juice brown sugar, ginger, garlic and

 hoisin sauce. Set aside.

Mix the water and cornstarch together until thoroughly blended. Add the cornstarch slurry to the Teriyaki sauce, stir everything together and pour over the chicken.

Bake for 15 minutes, flip chicken over and bake an additional 11 minutes. Flip tenders over one more time, spoon sauce over the tenders from the pan and bake an additional 5 minutes. Remove the tenders from the pan to a serving plate. Spoon the remaining sauce over the tenders, 

garnish with the sliced scallion and serve.

Serving suggestion:

I made black rice and sautèed some snap peas and red bell pepper slices while the chicken 

baked to serve on the side.

Chopped Chinese Chicken Salad

After my last few posts on bacon and pasta, I decided it was time to get back on the wagon and make a refreshing and light salad. This Chopped Chinese Chicken Salad is so tasty, you won't know it's clean! I cleaned up the dressing by using stevia instead of sugar and light soy for a lower sodium option. I was careful to make sure none of the flavor was lost from the standard calorie ridden dressing everyone loves.

With so many colors, this salad has a beautiful presentation, which makes it a great option as a healthy side at your next potluck, luncheon or shower.

Chinese Chopped Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

1 Romaine lettuce heart, shredded

1 bag of coleslaw mix 

1 red bell pepper, julienned

1/2 head of shredded purple cabbage

2 Cups of shredded carrots

1 bunch scallions, chopped

1 lb of ground chicken

1/2 cup of salted sunflower seeds

1 cup shelled and cooked edamame

1 large can of mandarin oranges in their own juice, drained

chow mein noodles

Sesame Dressing:

1 1/2 tablespoons safflower oil 
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sesame oil 
1 1/2 teaspoons stevia
2 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce or liquid aminos 
2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Combine all the salad ingredients, minus the mandarin oranges and chow mein noodles in a large bowl.
Make the dressing by combining all the dressing ingredients into a salad carafe and shake well. Immediately pour the dressing over the salad and toss well. Plate a handful of salad on each plate and garnish with a small handful of chow mein noodles in the center. Add mandarin oranges in a ring around the outside of the chow mein noodles for pretty plating.

This salad is a great option for the Mason jar meal prep that has been so popular as of late.

Layer the salad in this order from the bottom of the jar up to the lid and store for up to 4 days in the fridge. This size will yield about 4 large jars of salad.

Layer order:

Chicken

Mandarin oranges

Carrots

Edamame
Scallions
Bell peppers

Dressing to coat layers to this point

Sunflower seeds

Cabbage

Coleslaw and romaine

Chow Mein noodles

To serve, just shake the jar well until combined, toss onto a plate and enjoy.

Grilled Corn on the Cob 3 Ways

The epitome of summer, to me, is picking up that first fresh, sweet corn on the cobb, dripping in butter and sinking my teeth in for that satisfying crunch as the kernels pop in my mouth. I was lucky enough to grow up around local farmers, who hand-pick the sweetest salt and pepper corn I've ever tasted each day to sell at their roadside stands. This is a rarity in our modern world of fast-paced living and I love supporting our local growers and their families and getting to know them on a first name basis. It doesn't get better than produce so fresh, it's still covered in the soil it was growing in hours before.

Right now Utah is at our peak of the season, with fresh corn, melons, tomatoes and an endless bounty of other fresh veggies and fruit at our disposal. And although the corn is tasty enough to eat plain with a little salt and butter, I thought I would experiment with a few compound butters using fresh herbs from my own personal garden. The unique flavors marry well with the ethnic flavors of each cuisine and add an extra element of flavor to your overall dish making this side stand out from the crowd. Leave comments below and share any unique toppings or ways your family adds flavor to your corn. Enjoy!

Grilled Corn 3 Ways:

Prep/ Grill:

Preheat the grill to Med-High. Charcoal gives the best flavor, but gas is always a great option for convenience as well.

While the grill heats, shuck and thoroughly rinse your corn. Set rinsed corn aside in a colander to drain in the sink while you wrap each cobb in aluminum foil, making sure to wrap the ends and seal all sides. Don't completely dry the corn, as the added water will create steam to help cook the corn and keep it moist.

Place the wrapped cobbs on the grill, close the lid and cook for 5 minutes, rotate to the opposite side of each cobb and cook an additional 5 minutes. Open the grill and move each cobb to the top rack, or off of indirect heat if using charcoal. Lower the temp to medium heat, close the lid and let the corn cook an additional 10 minutes. At this point, unwrap a couple of cobbs to check for doneness and char lines. The corn should have a few blistered kernels and light browning. If you would like slightly more char, you may place the unfoiled cobbs over direct heat for 30 seconds a side until desired blistering. Set the cooked corn aside into a large, glass baking dish and cover the top with foil to keep the heat in while adding the toppings. Working each ear one at a time, generously spread the compound butter over the ear and roll the remaining toppings around the outside just before serving. Butters below:

Italian

Pesto butter: 1 cube of butter, softened and 1/2 C of pesto, blended until smooth.

1 C. finely grated parmesan cheese for garnish.

Place the parmesan in a scooped dish large enough to roll your corn in. Slather each hot ear of corn, fresh off the grill with the pesto butter and roll in the parmesan. You may still choose to sprinkle with a little fresh cracked pepper, or drizzle with a bit of extra virgin fine olive oil before serving.

Mexican

Fiesta butter: 1 tsp.chili powder, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, 1/4 tsp. cumin,  1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper 1 cube of softened butter, blended until smooth.

Chopped cilantro, lime & crumbled cotija cheese for garnish.

Asian

Glaze: 3/4 C. Sweet Thai chili sauce, 1/2 C. hoisin sauce, 1/4 tsp. hot chili oil, blended.

Thinly sliced green onion, chopped cilantro, black sesame seeds for garnish.

Turkey Lettuce Wraps with Thai Peanut Sauce

I don't know about you, but weeknights for me are hectic. Dinner can be a challenge to execute quickly and nutritiously. In a world of fast food and takeout, I try to cook a healthier version of the restaurant food I love at home, avoiding the ease and lure of convenience and stick to a healthier lifestyle. 

Lettuce wraps are one of my absolute favorite treats, but although they appear to be healthy, most restaurants load them with fat, carbs, calories and sodium. I decided to make a cleaned up version of lettuce wraps and am very happy to say, they taste amazing! I use extra lean ground turkey in my recipe, as it is one of the leanest options of protein available. Don't let this deceive you, the taste does not reflect a drab, flavorless "healthy" filler meal you shovel in to keep the pounds off. They are bursting with Asian flavor and a little spice. Even the pickiest of eaters will love them and be surprised at how tasty they are. In fact, I prefer them to the alternative of meat so fried in oil, that the takeout box becomes translucent and mushy. You will thank yourself for taking the time to cook them at home and know you are serving up something delicious.

Turkey Lettuce Wraps with Thai Peanut Sauce

Toppings:

Bibb lettuce
1/2 bunch of chopped Cilantro
Shredded carrots
La Choy Rice Noodles

Filling:

2 T. olive oil
1.25 Lbs. Jennie O Extra-Lean Ground Turkey Breast
4 T. Chopped fresh ginger root
2 T. Chopped garlic
1 can (8 oz.) water chestnuts, drained and coarsely chopped

Cooking Sauce:

1 T. chili oil
1/4 tsp. sesame oil
2 T. Rice Wine Vinegar
3 T. Lee Kum Kee Hoisin Sauce
3 T. low sodium Teriyaki sauce
1 bunch of scallions, chopped
Combine together in a small bowl while the meat is cooking and set aside.

Dipping Sauce:

1/2 C. House of Tsang Bangkok Peanut Sauce
4 T. Silk Unsweetened Coconut Milk (you may use water, but the coconut adds a lot of flavor)
Juice from 1/2 a lime ( Save 1/2 for serving)

Warm the pan over med-high heat. Add olive oil and swirl. Saute the ground turkey, ginger and garlic for 5-7 minutes until browned. Stir in the water chestnuts, scallions and cooking sauce. Bring to a simmer, cooking until liquid is absorbed into the meat. Remove pan from heat.

Assembly:

Serve family style, lining ingredients in a DIY fashion on a large platter.

Or for a more formal plating, plate each leaf with a large spoonful of meat, layer on the carrots, rice noodles and spoon peanut sauce over the top. Garnish with cilantro and a thin slice of lime. Sprinkle on some sesame seeds if you are feeling extra fancy. This makes for a beautiful presentation for an appetizer as well. Serve remaining sauce tableside.

This recipe is filling enough in itself for a quick, low carb, weeknight dinner. But for the nights you need a little more sustenance,  I serve a vegetable spring roll on the side, pot stickers or an Asian quinoa salad.

Note: Chopped cucumber, mushrooms and red bell pepper slices are also a great option to add and switch up for variety with this dish.

Enjoy!