So Now I Will Get Healthy

This week we have tried two new chicken recipes that we really liked. They are different then the normal Mormon cuisine and aren't overly healthy but they are healthy enough for my standards and very yummy if you dig the non-Mormon cuisine. :o)

Lemon Dill Chicken

¼ cup margarine or salted butter

6 skinless boneless chicken breast halves (1 1/2 pound)

½ cup chicken broth

1 TB chopped fresh or ½ teaspoon dried dill weed – I recommend fresh

1 TB lemon juice

¼ teaspoon salt

1 medium green onion sliced

1.) Melt butter in 10 inch skillet over medium high heat. Lightly salt and pepper chicken and then cook chicken in butter about six minutes turning once until brown

2.) Mix broth, dill weed, lemon juice, and salt and then pour over chicken. Heat to boiling, reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 10 to 15 minutes or until juice of chicken is no longer pink Remove chicken from skillet and keep warm

3.) meanwhile heat broth mixture adding half of the green onion and bring to a boil. Boil about 3 minutes or until reduced to about half, pour over chicken and sprinkle with other half of green onion

I served this with whole wheat pasta and the "traditional Ragu" sauce (my favorite these days) jazzed up by adding my favorite frozen vegetables to the pasta water for the last few minutes of cooking (fresh vegetables work too). I know a girl that her kids wont it vegetables at all so she purees them in the blender and then adds them to stuff. - So thats an idea to trick your kids into eating them more.

Thai Basil and Mint Chicken

4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves (1pound) salted to taste

2 TB vegetable oil

3 garlic cloves finely chopped

2 red or green jalapeño chilies seeded and finely chopped - I know it sounds like a lot but its fine

1 table spoon fish sauce - don't be too scared off by this you can't taste the fishness once cooked, I used a little less though

1 teaspoon sugar

¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves

1 TB chopped fresh mint leaves

1.) cut each breast in half into 4 pieces and lightly salted to taste

2.) heat oil in wok/skillet over medium high heat. Cook garlic, chilies in oil stirring constantly, until garlic is golden.

3.) Add lightly salted chicken, stir-fry 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in fish sauce and sugar. Sprinkle with basil and mint.

I served this with a simple vegetable stir fry from frozen vegetables and a made up sauce (chicken broth, soy sauce, basil, green onions, a little brown sugar, and a little seasoned rice vinegar, and thickened with corn starch) and also some steamed Jasmine rice. If you go whole grain rice it'd be even more healthy!

* Both of these Recipes were from Betty Crocker's Good And Easy Cookbook and alterations were made by yours truly