{Taste Test Tuesday} Balsamic Chicken Drumsticks

I remember my mouth watering when I saw this recipe on Everyday Italian over a year ago. 

Looks delicious, right?  When I took my first bite I was surprised by how incredibly plain it was.  How could something marinated in balsamic vinegar, honey, brown sugar, etc... be plain?  The recipe said to marinate the chicken for 2 hours (which I did), but that obviously wasn't long enough.  I wonder if they would have been better sitting in the marinade overnight.  I also expected the marinade to turn into a glaze after cooking it.  Again, the recipe said it would be thick to brush on the drumsticks, but it was quite thin.  I think it's safe to say I was pretty disappointed with the end result. 

 

Serves 4

 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 5 sprigs of rosemary
• 5 garlic cloves, halved
• 10 to 12 chicken drumsticks
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions

 

Combine the balsamic, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, rosemary sprigs, and garlic cloves in a large, re-sealable bag.  Shake and squeeze the bag to dissolve the honey and the brown sugar.  Add the chicken drumsticks to the bag and seal with as little air as possible.  Place in the refrigerator and marinate for 2 hours.

 

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. 

 

Place the drumsticks on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Bake until the skin is caramelized and very dark in spots, about 30 to 35 minutes.

 

Meanwhile, place the marinade in a small saucepan.  Bring the marinade to a boil (in order to kill bacteria).  Reduce heat to simmer and cook over low heat until thick, about 15 minutes.  Reserve.

 

Use a pastry brush to brush some of the cooked marinade on the cooked chicken.  Place the chicken on a serving platter.  Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and chopped parsley.

 

From the Food Network website.

 

I'm giving this recipe ☆☆

 

 

Green Tea Benefits

I used to have a major Diet Pepsi addiction.  I would drink it as soon as I got up in the morning and would continue to drink it throughout the afternoon.  I knew it was unhealthy, but I desperately needed my caffeine fix!  Coffee wasn't an option.  I love the smell of coffee, but can't stand the taste.  What else was there?  GREEN TEA.  I slowly incorporated green tea into my daily routine and eventually cut out Diet Pepsi.  I knew green tea was healthier, but I didn't know why.  Let me just say there is more to it than just caffeine.

Weight Loss.  It burns fat and boosts your metabolism rate naturally.

Skin Protection.  It helps protect your skin from the sun's ultraviolet rays.

Tooth Decay.  It kills mouth bacteria and prevents bad breath.

Heart Disease. Studies show it can lower the risk of a heart attack by up to 11%. It also helps prevent the buildup of fatty material along the inner walls of arteries.

Diabetes.  It helps regulate blood sugar levels and can lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Cholesterol.  It reduces "bad" cholesterol and improves "good" cholesterol.

Alzheimer's & Parkinson's.  Studies show it can prevent brain cells from dying and restore damaged brain cells.

Cancer.  It reduces the risk of certain cancers such as esophageal, ovarian, and bladder.

Bone Health.  It can increase bone density and lower your fracture risk.

How much should you drink?  Some say as little as two cups per day while others say five.  I drink two cups of Tazo Zen Green Tea a day; one hot cup in the morning and a cold glass early in the afternoon.  If you want the benefits, but don't don't like the taste, consider taking a green tea supplement instead.

STOP drinking soda and energy drinks and START drinking green tea!!!



 



Salmon w/ Creamy Dill Sauce

Salmon.  Either you love it or hate it.  I happen to love it, especially with this creamy sauce.  I always thought salmon was incredibly expensive until I bought it frozen at Trader Joes for $9.99/lb.  Not bad considering a serving of fish is about 3 oz.  If you don't like the taste of salmon or feel it's too pricey, substitute tilapia.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb. salmon
• 3/4 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon onion salt
• 1/2 small onion, sliced & separated into rings
• 4 lemon slices
• 2 tablespoons butter, cubed
• Cooking spray

Dill Sauce

• 1/3 cup light sour cream or nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1/3 cup mayo with olive oil
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 3/4 teaspoon fresh dill
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a baking dish with heavy-duty foil; lightly spray with cooking spray.  Place salmon skin side down.  Sprinkle with lemon-pepper and onion salt.  Top with onion and lemon slices.  Fold foil around salmon and seal tightly.

Bake for 20 minutes.  Open foil carefully, allowing steam to escape.  Broil 4-6 inches from the heat for 8-12 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. 

Combine sauce ingredients until smooth.  Serve with salmon.

Note: Some of the onion will be burnt after broiling which I toss and I set aside the lemon.

Adapted from the Taste of Home website.

This is my FAVORITE salmon recipe, what's yours?

Healthy Grocery Shopping Tips

Good nutrition starts with smart choices at the grocery store!  Cooking healthy meals can be challenging if you don't have the right ingredients in your kitchen.  Check out these simple tips to keep you on track while shopping.

Plan ahead.  To eat healthy, I've found it's ESSENTIAL to plan your meals for the week in advance.  It used to take me hours to plan an entire weeks' worth of meals until I came up with a base plan to narrow it down.  My base plan consists of at least:

1 fish recipe
1 crock pot recipe
1 clean eating recipe
1 chicken recipe
1 salad recipe
1 cheat meal

Since it's just me and my husband we almost always have leftovers so these six meals turn into ten or more meals.  From here all you have to do is fill in a couple meals and add your snacks.  DONE.

Create a shopping list.  It may take a few minutes, but it will prevent extra trips to the store for missing ingredients.  I highly suggest making a list that is grouped by: lean proteins and dairy, veggies and fruit, whole grains, and extras.  It will save time at the store so you're not going back and forth. 

LEAN PROTEINS & DAIRY	VEGGIES & FRUIT
EXTRAS	WHOLE GRAINS

Don't shop hungry.  People tend to make unhealthy impulse buys on empty stomachs, so make sure to eat a snack before you shop!

Choose organic.  I realize organic food can be expensive, but try to choose it when you can.  You get the same benefits with fewer pesticides. 

 

Shop the perimeter.  This is where produce, dairy, meat, and whole grains are located.  Try to avoid the center aisles where junk food lurks.

Produce: This is the section you should spend the most time in and the majority of your shopping cart should be filled with colorful fruits and veggies.

 

Whole Grains: Choose whole wheat bread and pasta.  You can start with whole wheat blends and slowly transition to 100% whole wheat.  I personally can't stand whole wheat pasta, so I buy multigrain pasta instead.  Other grain options include: quinoa, brown rice, and barley.

 

Lean Proteins: Fish, skinless poultry, and lean cuts of meat such as top sirloin and tenderloin are good choices.  Be sure to watch your portion sizes!  One chicken breast isn't necessarily one serving.

Dairy: Low-fat and nonfat are the best options.

 

Frozen Foods: Frozen fruits and veggies are better than canned.  Canned fruits and veggies tend to be packaged in salt, sugar, and preservatives for taste and longevity. 

 

Canned Foods: When buying canned foods look for low sodium options, low-fat soups, and tuna or salmon packed in WATER instead of oil.

 

Foods to Avoid: Try to avoid foods that contain more than 5 ingredients, artificial ingredients, or ingredients you can't pronounce.